TRAIL RUNNING
Eric Ngubane ( front , left )
Juan van Deventer and competing in various World Half Marathon and World Cross Country Champs events .
Charné can look back on many wins on the local road running scene , including the Soweto Marathon , but she is best known these days for her exploits in ultramarathons , having gone beyond the marathon for the first time in the 2012 City to City 50km . She finished as runner-up in that race , and then in 2013 added another runner-up finish at the Two Oceans Marathon as well as a fifth place in the Comrades Marathon . She finished second in the 2015 Comrades , and then in 2016 came her big win in Durban .
Now Charné says she is ready for the new challenge , especially given what has happened over the past year . “ I am not sure if any road races will take place in the next four months , and I ’ ve always wanted to take part in the AFRICANX Trailrun . I don ’ t have a trail running background , but I have represented South Africa at six World Cross Country Championships , and actually started my running career as a cross country runner . I did some trail running in December while on holiday in Jeffreys Bay and absolutely loved it . I wanted to do it every day , and I love the toughness around it ,” she says .
“ I am really looking forward to AFRICANX , and I ’ ll be teaming up with Karel Burger , who ’ s no stranger to the sport . We will be running for the Murray & Roberts Running Club , and our team strength will definitely be our mental toughness and collective competition experience . Our goal is to do well , and I have been training on the trails every weekend , to ensure that we do well . I am really looking forward to this new experience .”
Strong Nedbank Contingent
Twelve elite athletes from the Nedbank Running Club will also put their off-road prowess to the test when they take on AFRICANX , and they will bring an unprecedented mix of running pedigrees to the event . Between them , the Nedbank contingent boast a long list of impressive and very diverse achievements , including an appearance in the Olympic 1500m final on the track , through wins in the Om Die Dam and Comrades ultramarathons , to wins in various trail events , including the most recent SkyRun last November .
As National Manager of the club , Nick Bester , explains , “ Currently it ’ s not clear when road races will start again in South Africa . It ’ s been a year since SA went into lockdown , and our athletes are hungry to race . There have been virtual races , which have
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Charné Bosman
ISSUE 139 MARCH 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za
been great , but nothing beats the thrill of an actual race , so we are excited to enter six strong teams into the AFRICANX Trailrun . Although they predominantly focus on road races , some of our runners do enter the occasional trail race . They are all , however , fit , strong , fast and extremely competitive , and we guarantee that they will give the trail runners a run for their money .”
One of the notable men ’ s teams to watch will be the combination of Eric Ngubane and Juan van Deventer . Eric has proven himself on both road and trail , recently winning the 40km Drakensberg Northern Trail Run at the beginning of March , and he is no stranger to the AFRICANX Trailrun , having placed second in the men ’ s team category in 2015 when he teamed up with SA international trail runner Thabang Madiba . “ I ’ ve done a few stage races now , and you have to take every stage as it comes , staying as close to the leaders as possible . We will work hard from the first kilometre to the last minute of the race ,” says Eric .
His partner , Juan , won the bronze medal in the 1500m at the 2008 African Champs and then went on to finish sixth in the 1500m final at the 2008 Beijing Olympics . He is still the SA Record-holder over 1500m and 3000m , and also represented SA at the World Indoor Champs in 2010 , but has subsequently made a successful transition to the road , and in 2020 he won the Om Die Dam 50km ultra-marathon . “ My main focus for 2021 would have been to compete on the ultra-running scene , focusing on the Comrades Marathon ,” says Juan . “ I love to compete and race , and with most of the road races not taking place , I think AFRICANX is a great opportunity to try something new .”
Ultra Specialists in the Mix
Anybody that can win seven consecutive gold medals for top 10 finishes at the Comrades Marathon , including the 2012 win , has proven speed and endurance in his legs , but Ludwick Mamabolo is quick to admit that he has entered AFRICANX to test
Ludwick Mamabolo his abilities as an athlete , alongside teammate Collin Kanyimo . “ It ’ s a three-day stage race , it ’ s going to be painful , but I am excited by the new challenge . Our team strength will be our ability to persevere ,” says Ludwick .
Zimbabwean star Collin adds that he is also raring to race . “ Where I live , we only have countryside roads , so most of my training is on gravel with occasional single trail river sections . I entered AFRICANX because it is my dream to see more of this country and compete in these beautiful races , and Nedbank Running has made it possible for me to get closer to my dream . A three-day stage race does not scare me , though … I was born for this !”
A third notable Nedbank team to watch will be the combination of Deanné Horn and Chrizell Roberts , who are hoping to challenge for women ’ s category podium honours . Deanné was part of the SA women ’ s team who took the silver team medal at the World 100km Championships in Croatia in 2018 , and she placed 12th in the 2019 Comrades , but her most recent exploit was winning the women ’ s title in the 65km K-Way SkyRun late last year , in a new course record . “ Running is physically exhausting , but mentally and emotionally recharging ,” she says . “ Every run represents a new challenge , a new opportunity to push myself , and a time to reflect on everything else going on . I love to run in the mountains , and our goal is to stand on the podium and make Nedbank proud .”
Chrizell adds , “ I live on a farm with loads of pathways and uneven surfaces , so there is definitely an element of trail running in my training . Currently the options of competitive racing are few and far between , so when this opportunity arose , I did not think twice . AFRICANX sounds brutal and challenging , but also like it could be a whole lot of fun . My toughest challenge will be having to slow down a notch , as road racing is all about speed and I love running fast .
Deanné Horn
Images : Action Photo SA , SMacPix , Tobias Ginsberg & courtesy Nedbank