Liberty Health Rhodes Trail Run
This will be Sandes' first foray into the bitterly cold and snow swept southern Drakensberg area that hosts South Africa's iconic trail run. July will see the 21st staging of the event, hosted for the first time by Liberty Health.
The 52km Liberty Health Rhodes Trail Run has a reputation for sub-zero temperatures, that relatively strange phenomena ‘African snow' and generous hospitality. Last year runners battled, and enjoyed, a start temperature of minus 15°C, iced rivers and frozen drinking bottles.
In the secluded Victorian-era hamlet of Rhodes Sandes' will meet up with Lorette Mostert, world renown for being a survivor in a very different multi day endurance event. Lorette was the winner of Survivor South Africa Malaysia and 2009 will see her running her third Rhodes Trail Run. Surviving three Rhodes Runs is an achievement in itself and Lorette will be in line to receive her personal ‘snowflake' permanent number.
Sandes, who recently competed in the Racing The Planet Namibia multi day event, will not have it all his own way at Rhodes as fierce competition is expected.
In addition to defending champion Johnny Young who has shown good fitness this year finishing 28th overall and 3rd in his category at Ironman South Africa in April and running a well paced 6:55 at Comrades, there are a number of strong contenders for top spot.
Two time previous Rhodes winner Mike de Villiers is back after an absence of a few years and is hungry for his third win. Also returning is Nic Kinsley who will be making his 6th appearance at Rhodes. Nic has only ever finished once outside the top 5 and that was his 9th position in 2003. He showed good strength finishing 12th overall and 1st in his category at Ironman South Africa this year. Also expected to show in the duel at the sharp end of the race is Bruce Arnett winner of the recent Addo 100 Miler who, like Sandes, will be looking for his first Rhodes victory.
The ladies race is wide open as five time winner East London's Tammy Kelly has suffered a severe injury and is unlikely to compete.
A keen race for Ladies honours can be expected from the girls who followed Tammy home last year with Erina du Toit, Miema Murray and Sarah Scott back for the 2009 Liberty Health Rhodes Trail Run. Durban's Gina Hinchliffe had a very comfortable and strong Comrades and could prove to be a wild card this year.
