by Ryk Visser
(from Magnolia Club newsletter)
Put up your name on the waiting list for what I believe in my mind is surely one of the most challenging events any road or trail runner can enter, but also I believe one of the most spectacular and rewarding races. It takes on an average of seven years to get an invitation from the waiting list, but if you are lucky enough (like I was) you could use a substitute number after minimum two years been on the waiting list. Thanks to my friend Freddie du Plessis of Magnolia Club, I could use his number.
The Rhodes Trail Run, South Africa's iconic breathtaking trail run is a 52km event and is staged in the tranquil beauty of the southern Drakensberg mountains surrounding the Victorian-era hamlet of Rhodes with about 30 permanent inhabitants. Yes it is a good 9 hour drive from Pretoria, and yes the potholes and road works add to this long journey, but it is well worth while, believe me.
The Liberty Health Rhodes Trail Run has a reputation for being a cold tough thin air event and the 23rd edition lived up to its reputation.
Registration went jovially with runners treated to a glass of sherry while waiting in the queue on the Friday afternoon. With the start temperature a mild -10°C the Saturday morning, about 290 of us lined up for what became a very challenging event.
After the first river crossing splashed iced water over ankles and realisation struck that this could become a classic even by Rhodes standards. By the way, you cross these ice water rivers MANY times during the race. The Kloppershoek kloof was iced in most places and with the cliff sides slippery many runners who dared to do rock hopping, ended up on their backs. One could see some waterfalls in the mountains, completely frozen!
The event starts at an altitude of 1800m, and climbs (at one stage the gradient is 1:3) to 2670m at Lesotho View (on the Lesotho border) running along the Ben MacDhui snowfields before returning to Rhodes. The notorious Mavis Bank climb, is the downfall to many runners, for you have to be at the top of this section within 4.5hours, this is the cut-off point, and you also lose your race number if you miss this time. And this is only 23km into the race.... It really sounds strange to think you will battle to do this distance in 4.5hours.
The temperature dropped at some places to -18°C...We experienced a lot of snow and mud on the top onwards, and it forced most runners to walk and run where possible.
The scenery was absolutely mind blowing, but the difficult terrain slowly works your muscles the whole way. Once down the mountains again, and down the steep concrete road back to the dirt road, it was a nice 10km run back to Rhodes. A bottle of sherry, nice medal and good quality T shirt were part of the hand outs.
The organisation is done to perfection, and the unforgettable Rhodes village hospitality, everyone you have met there, to mention a few aspects, makes the long trip more than worth doing.
The Rhodes Trail Run, South Africa's iconic breathtaking trail run is a 52km event and is staged in the tranquil beauty of the southern Drakensberg mountains surrounding the Victorian-era hamlet of Rhodes with about 30 permanent inhabitants. Yes it is a good 9 hour drive from Pretoria, and yes the potholes and road works add to this long journey, but it is well worth while, believe me.
The Liberty Health Rhodes Trail Run has a reputation for being a cold tough thin air event and the 23rd edition lived up to its reputation.
Registration went jovially with runners treated to a glass of sherry while waiting in the queue on the Friday afternoon. With the start temperature a mild -10°C the Saturday morning, about 290 of us lined up for what became a very challenging event.
After the first river crossing splashed iced water over ankles and realisation struck that this could become a classic even by Rhodes standards. By the way, you cross these ice water rivers MANY times during the race. The Kloppershoek kloof was iced in most places and with the cliff sides slippery many runners who dared to do rock hopping, ended up on their backs. One could see some waterfalls in the mountains, completely frozen!
The event starts at an altitude of 1800m, and climbs (at one stage the gradient is 1:3) to 2670m at Lesotho View (on the Lesotho border) running along the Ben MacDhui snowfields before returning to Rhodes. The notorious Mavis Bank climb, is the downfall to many runners, for you have to be at the top of this section within 4.5hours, this is the cut-off point, and you also lose your race number if you miss this time. And this is only 23km into the race.... It really sounds strange to think you will battle to do this distance in 4.5hours.
The temperature dropped at some places to -18°C...We experienced a lot of snow and mud on the top onwards, and it forced most runners to walk and run where possible.
The scenery was absolutely mind blowing, but the difficult terrain slowly works your muscles the whole way. Once down the mountains again, and down the steep concrete road back to the dirt road, it was a nice 10km run back to Rhodes. A bottle of sherry, nice medal and good quality T shirt were part of the hand outs.
The organisation is done to perfection, and the unforgettable Rhodes village hospitality, everyone you have met there, to mention a few aspects, makes the long trip more than worth doing.
