As 21km ‘course best’ times go 1:53 seems somewhat pedestrian. After all, when last was 1:53 not only good enough to be the fastest ever time over 21km, but to have stood as a course 'best' for nearly 30 years?
Since our inaugural run in 1989 there have been many Kings and Queens of the Kloof. Some have held the front spot to go on and be first back to the village, while others have paid the price for their early lung-bruising triumph through the Kloppershoek Kloof.
Dirkie Moolman blitzed the kloof in 1995 reaching the Mavis Top Check Point in an ice-melting 1:53:00.
Since Rodwell Sims in 1996 no-one has reached ‘Mavis Top’ in under 2 hours. That magical sub 2-hour run through the kloof remains the domain of only four runners.
Jannie le Roux 1:57:15 (1991) #47
Uys Grundling 1:58:30 (1992)
Dirkie Moolmam 1:59:00 (1994) #552
Dirkie Moolman 1:53:00 (1995) #552
Rodwell Sims 1:58:02 (1996) #279
Will anyone in our Class of ’23 run sub-2?
By 9a.m. on 8 July we will know if Mavis has smiled kindly on our 'King or Queen of the Kloof' or if Dirkie's time will remain the 'best' for another year.
Note: The distance from the Start to the Mavis Top Check Point is loosely referred to as 21km. The distance varies slightly from year-to-year and will also depend on how exaggerated the runner zig-zags up Mavis.
Image: Craig Muller | Backyard Adventures
