TRAIL RUNNING
All Roads Lead to
South Africa ’ s premier three-day stage trail running event , the THIRSTI AFRICANX Trailrun , will take place at the end of March , but due to COVID , this year ’ s event will be very different to previous years . And we ’ re not just talking about safety protocols , here , but also about the fact that the event has attracted some seriously speedy road running elites who want to give the trails a run for their money . – BY BY JACKY McCLEAN & SEAN FALCONER
It ’ s been a full year since the COVID-19 pandemic saw all running events in South Africa put on hold , and while this has been frustrating for the ‘ Average Joe ’ runners that make up the bulk of the running community , it has been doubly frustrating for the professional and elite-level runners who rely on the sport to earn a living . While some of the pro clubs have continued paying their athletes basic retainers , there has been very little prize money available since last March , and very little in appearance fees , either .
As a result , these elites have been desperately hoping to see races return to the calendar , but at this stage there is still little opportunity for them to race on tar . This is due to a combination of ongoing COVID safety regulations that limit the size of race entry fields , and the exorbitant costs of putting on road events for only a small field .
Meanwhile , several trail running organisers have been able to keep the sport ticking over with their events , even offering prize money in some cases , and thus it should come as no surprise that several road running regulars are now looking to try their hand at trail running , both to try make some prize money and to give their clubs and sponsors some return on investment , through media coverage and publicity . This means that the 2021 edition of the THIRSTI AFRICANX Trailrun , taking place on the weekend of 26 – 28 March in the Grabouw area of the Western Cape , looks set to be one hell of a race !
Over the years , this three-day stage event for teams of two runners has often attracted the country ’ s top trail runners , including several athletes that have competed on the international stage , both individually and as part of national teams at World Champs events , but this year will be different . The 2021 race will also feature a number of ‘ roadies ’ with serious racing credentials , who will be looking to challenge the recognised trail runners for line honours . And that seems rather appropriate , not only due to the lack of racing for the past year , but also because the event slogan is , after all , “ Let Nature Give You A Run For Your Money .”
Comrades Credentials
One of the roadies taking the proverbial plunge at AFRICANX will be 2016 Comrades Marathon women ’ s champion Charné Bosman . Her 27-year career in running has seen her rake in an impressive list of achievements , including three SA Marathon Championship titles , a national title in the half marathon , and four SA Cross Country Champs titles . She has also represented her country well over 20 times , including running the marathon at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
Images : Tobias Ginsberg
38 ISSUE 139 MARCH 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za