TRAIL
The Spartans
Take on
Treverton
After three editions in Joburg , the Spartan Baby Badass Ultra fundraising endurance run made its first foray outside Gauteng with the inaugural running of the Treverton ( Trail ) Edition , and once again the Spartan Babies rallied to the cause as they lined up hour after hour , running through the night and overcoming all challenges , to raise money for childhood cancer care and research . – BY ROBBIE RICCARDI
The Spartan Baby Badass Ultra ( SBBU ) is no ordinary endurance race . Each participant – dubbed a ‘ Spartan Baby ’ – runs either 100km or 100 miles within 24 hours , completing 4.167km or 4.167miles every hour , on the hour . If time allows between laps , participants can eat , sleep or get some running repairs , but if they are unable to finish a lap in time to start the next one on the hour , or cannot get themselves to the startline , then they are disqualified and eliminated , usually marked by the solemn playing of Taps on the bagpipes .
Equal parts grit and tenacity , the SBBU , in partnership with extraordinary fundraising team The Cows , has raised over R1.1 million for CHOC ( Childhood Cancer Foundation South Africa ) since the first SBBU event in Joburg in 2022 , followed by two more editions in Joburg in the following years .
In April 2024 , Jade O ’ Shea , a scholar at Treverton College in Mooi River , pitched the idea of bringing the event to her school in KwaZulu-Natal . “ Treverton is a beautiful place . You won ’ t regret it ,” she told SBBU organisers Johnny Cobra ( aka John Sikiotis ) and Belloc72 ( aka Roberto Riccardi ). By November , the organising team , which included Trav-A-Nator ( aka Travers Pellew ), Garry Townsend , and Travis Hesom , had transformed the idea into a reality .
Race Day Arrives
At 6pm on the 1st of November , 44 runners lined up for the SBBU Treverton Edition . Run on the sprawling 270-hectare campus of Treverton College , the course wove through rolling farmland , dams and trails , and the weather , true to Mooi River ’ s reputation , oscillated between bone-chilling mist and searing midday heat . The event also marked several ‘ firsts ’ for the SBBU :
• Trail Edition : The first off-road racing version .
• School Edition : Treverton ’ s debut as the hosting venue .
• Team Edition : Runners competing in groups for the first time .
The event featured a mix of solo participants , two-person and four-person teams , all tackling the challenge . Among them was Hazel ‘ Crazy Hazy ’ Moller from Gauteng , who stood alone in attempting the 100-mile distance . The rest of the field comprised eleven solo 100km runners , 24 runners in teams of 4 tackling 100km , and one two-woman team doing 100km .
Johnny Cobra , as one of the wizard minds behind the SBBU , mustered all his stoic resolve to ensure that he manned the barracks for the duration of the event without any sleep . Because sleep is overrated ! And with that , the SBBU Treverton was afoot … and it did not disappoint , leading to many memorable stories of endurance , and friendships forged for a lifetime .
Moments to Remember
With a new venue , new faces and a slightly changed format , the SBBU Treverton produced a number of unforgettable moments .
1 Lost and Found : Mike Kenny , the ‘ Irish Spartan ,’ got
Images : Courtesy Treverton College , The Cows
44 ISSUE 175 | www . modernathlete . co . za