Roelof Mostert and Jacques du Plessis were the top performers at the Cogman’s Trail Run over the weekend, with decisive victories in the 50km and 34km races which included some of the best trails and scenic vistas in the region.
More than 350 trail runners participated in races over 12km, 17km, 34km and 50km in what was billed as ‘arguably the Western Cape’s best-kept secret, including technical trail with towering ascents and fast downs’.
The spectacular Montagu trails surrounding the town included summits of Aasvoëlkrans Peak (430m), Cogmans Peak (694m) and then the towering Bloupunt Peak at 1266m.
One of the country’s leading marathon-distance trail athletes, Stellenbosch-based Du Plessis had already built a lead of more than seven minutes over second-placed Travis Oosthuizen through the first check point near half-way, following the ascent of Aasvoëlkrans Peak.
Du Plessis went further away in the second half over Cogmans and Bloupunt to win in 3 hr 47 min 47 sec, 21 minutes clear of Gus Farara and just 50 seconds outside Julius de Clercq’s 2023 course record. Andrew Whiley was another two minutes adrift in third.
Leading mountain runner, Melissa Laing, placed 14th overall to take the women’s competition in 4:45:54, nine minutes clear of Daisy Myburgh and 3:29 inside Anna Notten’s 2024 best time. Marisa Geyer placed third.
Strong-running ultra-trail athlete, Roelof Mostert, raced to exhaustion but had too much in the tank for his close rival Skye Clark in the newly-introduced 50km race, which added 16km of additional Nature Garden and Badshoogte trails to the 34km route.
Mostert came home in 5:37:36, just over 12 minutes clear of Clark, with Marko Brandic third, a further 26 minutes adrift.
Verone de Bruyn placed 9th overall to win the women’s race in 6:48:02.
Australian Tait Hearps blitzed through the 17km race in 1:31:39 to smash Rikus Saayman’s 2024 course record by 8 minutes and take line honours. Saayman bettered his time last year but finished five minutes adrift of Hearps, with Liam Matthews two minutes back in third.
Nicola de Villliers won the women’s contest in 1:53:27 – just over a minute outside Marie-Tinka Olivier’s time last year.
Charl Cronje and Amy Burton were the respective winners of the long ‘10km’ race, run over Aasvoelkrans.
The return of the Van Heerdens to trail racing after growing their family proved the most notable feature of the Bastille Day Trail Races in Franchhoek the previous weekend, with South Africa’s leading marathon-distance athlete, Johardt van Heerden, comfortably winning the 25km in 2:14:50 – four minutes clear of Noah Stevens – and his wife Sumé taking the honours in the 15km, placing 7th overall in 1:45:13.
Nelius Swart won the 50km in 7:45:01 with Emma van der Merwe winning the womens race in 8:04:32, placing third overall. Ben Hoseus (3:45:03) and Lezl Swart (4:32:27) were the respective winners of the 35km.
Results
Cogman’s Trail Run 50km
Men
Women
Cogman’s Trail Run 34km
Men
Cogman’s Trail Run 17km
Cogman’s Trail Run 10km
