Article from Go Multi www.gomulti.co.za
Records were rewritten on Saturday 14th July at the 19th Rhodes Trail Run when East Londoner Tammy Kelly crossed the line to take her fourth consecutive title. Tammy led the ladies race from start to finish and showed grit after the top of the notorious Mavis Bank climb when she had to dig deep to beat off challenges first from Judy Geldenhuys and then from a fast finishing Annetjie Strydom.
Tammy became the first person, male or female, to take four consecutive titles at the Rhodes.
The early morning temperature in Rhodes dipped below minus 11°C as the 325 runners shivered in front of the Farmers Hall waiting for the start. Runners had been woken in the pre-dawn by the traditional ringing of the village church bell. After a quick pre-race briefing, during which they were warned to carry adequate water and that littering would lead to disqualification, the Race Director, Evie Raubenheimer, sent them on their way with a shrill blast from one of the race rescue whistles.
The first feeding station was after an undulating 8 km at the Kloppershoek intersection where ever cheerful Francois & Hannalie Nel had set up their table for the 19th consecutive year.
The runners then ran through Ronald Dunn’s Mavis Bank farm, after having been checked through their first of four checkpoints on the route. Safety of the runners in this remote part of the southern Drakensberg bordering Lesotho is of paramount concern to Race Director Evie Raubenheimer. In their ‘goodie bag’ at registration, amongst other items, each runner receives a rescue whistle and an emergency space blanket. The Mavis Bank farm checkpoint, this year controlled by Megan Fowler, marks the end of the dirt road and the start of the goat track section which a number of novices found unsettling.
This year a third of the field were running the Rhodes for the first time and as the majority have a traditional road running back ground they found the limited feeding stations and uneven terrain of a trail run foreign.
Once again the children from St Dominic’s Priory (Port Elizabeth) had hiked into the kloof on the Friday with a fully stocked feeding station, camped over night in the inhospitable sub-zero temperature, and set up an extreme feeding station. From the post race interviews this proved to be a very welcome refreshment point as the runners voted them the best feeding station of the event.
The race continues its well earned reputation of excellence. Lisa de Speville, of Adventure Racing South Africa who ran her first Rhodes said “This race is one of the best organized events I have ever attended”.
At the front of the race there was fierce competition for the prized ‘King of the Kloof’ trophy with Ian Adams, Johnny Young, Paul Wolff (Race Director of Ironman South Africa) and Springbok canoeist and previous Rhodes winner Mike de Villiers being shaded by Trevor Toerien.
Tammy Kelly had burst away from her competition at this stage to comfortably take the ‘Queen of the Kloof’ trophy for the fourth consecutive time.
The weather was very mild, with conditions ideal for running and most runners made full use of the conditions, after recovering from the 900m 1:3 climb up Mavis Bank. A few of the runners did not make the 4 hour 30 minute cut-off at the top of Mavis Bank. This check point was manned by a team from DM Kisch Inc, a firm of Johannesburg based attorneys, who travel to Rhodes specifically to look after this crucial and, if the weather turns, very inhospitable point on the Lesotho border.
Along the Lesotho border road the day had turned almost balmy, with runners enjoying the respite and stretching their legs on the run west towards Tiffindell. At Lesotho View they were once again met by Alan & Di Tintinger and family who this year treated the by now hungry runners to not only the standard feeding station fare of water and flavoured sugar drinks, but also to hot steamed ginger pudding. Durban based Alan has completed the event 10 times and the Tintinger’s are themselves Rhodes homeowners.
The huge improvement to the road from Rhodes to Tiffindell over the past few years had necessitated a change of route to keep the trail runners comfortable. Trail runners have a major aversion to roads of any form. Local farmer Cedric Isted had given the event organizers permission for the run to be re-routed over his lands and runners were granted the wonderful experience of running from the Tiffindell check point along the Hooggenoeg ridge, with 360° stunning vistas.
Interviewed at the finish runners declared the Hooggenoeg ridge section ‘tough’, ‘spectacular’, ‘great fun’, ‘stunning’ and ‘awesome scenery’. Experienced trail runner and Sky Run veteran Ray Cranston said “this part of the route was brilliant, should have been changed long time ago”. The new section certainly gave visitors a good insight into the natural beauty of the area.
While the runners were exploring the mountains north of Rhodes their families were being looked after with snacks and meals prepared by the Rhodes School parents.
After having clambered over the high point at Hooggenoeg the runners dropped down to the hiker’s hut and were met by the ever hospitable Dave Walker at the ‘Walkerbouts’ check point. Not many of the participants braved Dave’s extremely tasty protein supplement (Karoo Oysters) or special energy rich oats porridge (flavoured with some of Scotlands finest water of life) before they started on the drop down the Carlislehoek cement strip. This bone jarring section proved to be the undoing of a number of runners as there were numerous position changes over the last 15 km in to Rhodes.
By now the day had warmed up and at the bottom of the cement strip Kobus Buitendag’s well positioned and fully stocked feeding station proved to be extremely welcome as a number of runners had not heeded the pre-race instruction to carry water between feeding stations. Karen Buitendag had prepared sandwiches for the runners, many of whom took advantage of these tasty treats.
With 3 km to go the last feeding station was manned by St Dominic’s Priory past pupils and it was with obvious relief that runners were able to see the finish from this point.
In the men’s section Trevor Toerien, 5th last year, held onto his lead to finish strongly in 4:39:10 with Johnny Young (4:58:22) and Ian Adams (5:01:01) taking the next two places. Previous winner, Mike de Villiers, came in fourth. Trevor Toerien also collected the Matthew Wimpey Memorial Trophy, awarded to the first Male Veteran.
A visibly tiring Tammy Kelly gamely held on to win by 10 minutes from Annetjie Strydom with Judy Geldenhuys 3rd. Tammy finished 12th overall, in itself a significant achievement, being the highest placed lady finisher in the 19 year history of the run.
On completion of this grueling event, each runner received a specially embroidered First Ascent Blade Runner adventure racing shirt, together with a most exquisite dated medal, and the traditional bottle of sherry, to go with their limited edition Rhodes Trail Run Buff® they received at registration.
A most pleasing aspect was that only one runner required medical assistance from the WildMedix mountain rescue specialists who had traveled from Cape Town to support the event.
Maclear runner, Jo Mackenzie, at her first Rhodes finished a highly creditable 5th in the ladies section, having thoroughly enjoyed the off road sections.
When Andrew and Greg Raubenheimer finished the race this year it was a case of frozen helpers turning trail runners. Andrew ran his third Rhodes in 8:04:37 and was one of 45 runners to be awarded their permanent ‘Blue’ number. Greg, who had also been part of the team planting flags in both off-road sections on the previous Thursday finished in 8:43:46. As youngsters both Andrew & Greg had been part of the Klippies feeding station team who froze in the kloof helping runners in the heavy snow hit years 2001 and 2002. They are the sons of Rhodes home owners and Race Director Evie & Darrell Raubenheimer.
A very special moment, shortly before the 9 hour cut-off was when Grobbie Grobler, from Swaziland, crossed the finish line. This meant that all three runners who had lined up at the start for their 19th consecutive Rhodes, Grobbie Grobler, Sham Singh and Danny Holton, completed the run. All three assured your reporter that they will be back for their 20th on the 12th July next year.
