Underson Ncube and Marion Leiberich produced the performances of the day at the Pass to Pass Ultra-Trail presented by Hoka, while Zimbabwe-born Admire Muzopambwa won the gruelling ‘Hundred’ in one of South Africa’s most testing ultra-trail challenges.
Now in its third season in the Boland mountains, the Pass to Pass offers significant added value to the sport. The concept to offer trail athletes the opportunity to race on a myriad of single-track trails in the surrounds of the historic Du Toit’s and Bains Kloof Passes, was conceived by local trail enthusiast, Ruan Eygelar.
The event has evolved rapidly from a tentative inaugural event offering three races (15km,25km and 35km) in 2023 through a fire-impacted five race programme last year (10km, 25km, 35km, 45km and 62km) to a six-race event, ticking almost all the boxes of organizational excellence.
Fears of athletes facing the threat of heat injury, as temperatures in the valley soured to over forty degrees during the week, were eased as the weather changed dramatically on Friday. The only downside was the loss of majestic scenic vistas from high points along the routes, as much of the racing took place in low cloud and light rain.
Oudtshoorn-based Ncube won last year’s 25km at a canter and opted to ‘upgrade’ to the 35,9km ‘Challenge’ this year, just two weeks after a convincing win at the Winelands Maxi 30km in Stellenbosch.
While athletes in several races found the actual distances raced were longer than advertised, Ncube’s navigational error 3km into the race saw him running 3-4 additional kilometres, before he found his way back onto the track.
“When I rejoined the route the race sweep told me I was the last runner in the field (135 runners)!” Ncube said. “Initially I felt deflated but then I thought I’d just give it my best shot and I started to overhaul the runners in front of me.”
Ncube lay 11th through the Du Toit’s Kloof Aid Station halfway through the race and a yawning twelve minutes behind race leader, Brandon Keeling.
“Ten kilometres from the finish I was told I was in third position but that the leader, Brandon Keeling, was far ahead. I was now more determined than ever and after passing the second athlete, I drew level with Brandon, just less than 5km from the finish.”
Showing his fitness and form, Ncube soon moved ahead before going onto win by four minutes in 3:27:36.
French-born Olivia Dubern won the women’s contest in an impressive 3:41:28, eighteen minutes clear of Nicola Vahrmeijer, with adventure racer Carla Collins making up ground on the technical descents to clinch the final podium position.
German-born Leiberich is a qualified veterinarian, specializing in rhino conservation, and has excelled on South African trails in recent years. Having entered the 36km ‘Challenge’, she chose to downgrade to the 28km ‘Lite’ and turned in an impressive performance, eventually finished in second place overall, just four minutes behind Namibian Wano Katjiri, who won the race in 2:30:12.
Popular Cape Town trail athlete, Josh Chigome, found himself in a race-long battle with Stellenbosch ultra-trail specialist Grobler Basson in the ‘Ultra’ which proved close to 70km.
After running together for much of the first half, Chigome took the lead at 40km, and was almost three minutes clear at Du Toit’s Kloof Aid Station at 44km. But Grobler pulled that back on the climb to the 1300m high communications tower and the two were together through the cloud-covered final Aid Station at the top of Bains Kloof.
“We had tried everything to win it up to that stage but on the day there was nothing to separate us,” said Chigome. “So we decided not to contest the final 4km descent to the finish and crossed the line together.”
The pair were timed at 7:12:20 – 22 minutes clear of third-placed Roelof Mostert.
“I’m feeling stronger with my running this year,” Chigome remarked. “An important difference is that I’ve completed my MBA, so I’ve been able to invest that substantial time into increased training, and it’s paying dividends.”
American-born Erika Holland ran the race of her life to win the women’s ‘Ultra’ race by almost 30 minutes in 8:35:04, and there was no one more delighted than second-placed finisher, Tarrin van Niekerk, who now coaches Holland and who won the inaugural Pass to Pass 35km in 2023.
“I really enjoyed the race and just felt strong the whole way,” said Holland. “I felt I could just run and run forever!”
North West University graduate, Armin Botha, is a relatively new addition to the sport, having graduated from a track and field base to competitive cycling before settling on trail running as his chosen sport.
Botha won the Pass to Pass Marathon last year, shortly after switching to trail, and defended his title with consummate ease in a manner which suggests he can go further in the sport.
Botha won in 4:06:29, 24 minutes ahead of proven marathon elites, John April and Iain Peterkin and while neither of the latter pair enjoyed their best day out – April after a strong run in the Winelands Maxi 45km just two weeks earlier where he placed third, just ten minutes behind world-class Daniel Claassen, and Peterkin after pre-race illness – there is no detracting from Botha’s performance and potential.
Pretoria banker, Maryke van Zyl, continued her steady progress in the sport and won the women’s contest in 5:09:13, eight minutes clear of another promising trail newcomer, Nadia Reuter, who started out just six months ago.
Like old wine, Muzopambwa seems to improve with age and the Johannesburg-based veteran chalked up another impressive ultra-trail victory in the Pass to Pass ‘Hundred’ this weekend, but not before Italian-born Capetonian Andrea Biffi ran him close.
Muzopambwa won in 12:24:39 with Biffi just ten minutes in arrears – a virtual sprint finish in the context of the mega marathon.
Muzopambwa, Biffi and Anele Bans were together through Welvanpas Aid Station 22km into the race, but when the terrain and gradient challenges loomed, ‘Adi’ took control, opening twelve minutes on his rivals on the tough stretch to Du Toit’s Aid Station at 44km.
Biffi bounced back, using his speed on the tarred climb to the communications tower and just five minutes separated the athletes at the top of Bain’s Kloof, 70km into the race.
The tough terrain through the final Limietberg circuit played to Muzopambwa’s advantage and he raced home to a convincing victory.
Meanwhile South African Michael Coles achieved a convincing win in the Addo Elephant Trail Run, which also took place this weekend in the Eastern Cape, winning in a course record of 22:46:15, almost four hours ahead of Thomas Vermaak and Great Britain’s Thomas Adams.
Emma van der Merwe won the women’s race in 29:31:29 ahead of Annemarie Breitenbach and Nicky Booyens.
The Addo 50km delivered tied results in both the men’s and women’s competitions with Ruan Viviers and Romeo Alexandrov crossing the line together in 6:46:49, just four minutes clear of Josh Searle while Phia and Cornel Kennedy tied for first place in the women’s race in 7:32:47, 18 minutes clear of Nina Edmunds.
Jason Peach took line honours in the 21km, winning in record time of 1:54:51, ahead of Anele Khalipa and Mfuneko Mqukwana, while Jeanne Brink came in first in the women’s contest in 2:12:03, also a record, with Alexia Loizou and Kristin Dunn completing the podium.
Pass to Pass Ultra-Trail presented by Hoka – Results
Hundred 96km (4705m vert)
Men
1 Admire Muzopambwa 12:24:39; 2 Andrea Biffi 12:34:59; 3 Anele Bans 13:45:50; 4 Demetrius van Rooyen 14:23:09; 5 Nelius Swart 15:00:14
Women
1 Caro Jordaan 17:42:56; 2 Megan Loftie-Eaton 18:49:36
Ultra 65,8km (3290m vert)
Men
1 Joshua Chigome 7:12:20 and Grobler Basson 7:12:20; 3 Roelof Mostert 7:34:55; 4 Matt Clarke 8:31:46; 5 Rudy Oliver 8:31:46
Women
1 Erika Holland 8:35:04; 2 Tarrin van Niekerk 9:03:19; 3 Suz von Broembsen 9:29:59; 4 Chantel Nienaber 9:48:32; 5 Quinta Joubert 10:00:51
Marathon 45,3km (2170m vert)
Men
1 Armin Botha 4:06:29; 2 John April 4:30:05; 3 Iain Peterkin 4:30:09; 4 Mark Winter 4:38:35; 5 Robert Hobson 4:44:43
Women
1 Maryke van Zyl 5:09:13; 2 Nadia Reuter 5:17:53; 3 Jo-Mari vd Mescht 5:47:48; 4 Maria Marincowitz 6:05:59; 5 Michelle Rolfe 6:10:52
Challenge 35,9km (1525m vert)
Men
1 Underson Ncube 3:27:36; 2 Brandon Keeling 3:31:13; 3 Didier de Villiers 3:37:02; 4 Mtulisi Maramba 3:41:15; 5 Andrew Whiley 3:41:16
Women
1 Olivia Dubern 3:41:28; 2 Nicola Vahrmeijer 3:59:50; 3 Carla Collins 4:08:00; 4 Amelia Bergh 4:13:37; 5 Anja Gerber 4:13:53
Lite 27,6km (1350m vert)
Men
1 Wano Katjiri 2:30:12; 2 David Takaruza 3:37:31; 3 Ryan Swanepoel 2:39:20; 4 Travis Oosthuizen 2:49:09; 5 Alexandre Rab 2:52:48
Women
1 Marion Leiberich 2:34:45; 2 Nicola de Villiers 3:07:55; 3 Kate Mapham 3:08:35; 4 Corlia Meyer 3:14:53; 5 Quart le Riche 3:18:39
Dash 14,4km (470m vert)
Men
1 Brode Gleeson 58:18; 2 Lovemore Nyaude 59:44; 3 Ruben Hanekom 1:07:15
Women
1 Danica Prout-Jones 1:13:51; 2 Liza du Toit 1:14:29; 3 Monique Agenbag 1:14:45
