TRAIL RUNNING
AJ Adds Yet Another Win
AJ Calitz has had his fair share of victories at the THIRSTI AFRICANX TRAILRUN . He and Bernard Rukadza claimed gold in the Men ’ s Team category in 2014 , 2015 and 2018 , and in 2016 , AJ and Ben Brimble were the team to beat , while in 2017 , he and Nicolete Griffioen dominated the Mixed Team Category of the event . This year AJ teamed up with Comrades gold medallist and UTCT winner , Kerry-Ann Marshall , and they were in a class of their own all weekend , claiming the category win in 6 hours 13 minutes and 36 seconds .
“ Kerry-Ann and I have been friends for a long time , and I was pretty sure that our strength was bound to be her speed and my stubbornness , while our goal was to have fun , while racing hard !” says AJ . “ There were parts where we really pushed it up the climbs and then took it easy down the long hills . I think that paid some dividends . We wanted to run as well as we could , and we really left nothing out on the field , we actually burnt everything . It was a great and very fulfilling race . The trails are beautiful , the routes are spectacular , and Kerry-Ann was an absolute machine .”
“ I love the energy and community of AFRICANX . The event brings together runners from different backgrounds and levels of experience , and everyone cheers each other on , while the aid stations are fun . After the years that we ’ ve had with COVID , this was just super special as we reunited with everyone again ,” says Kerry-Ann . “ It ’ s super important to choose the right teammate when you ’ re racing AFRICANX . You have to have the same attitude and values when you ’ re out there . AJ is superhuman on the climbs , so I just held on to his pack while he pulled us all the way up . He ’ s a legend of the sport and such a gentleman . I felt like a princess out there even when I was dying . I ’ m just super happy that the body held out and that we could claim the Mixed Team Title .”
Open Mixed Teams
Kerry-Ann Marshall and AJ Calitz
1 Kerry-Ann Marshall and AJ Calitz ( Team K-Way NewBalance ) 6:13:36 2 Paige Botten and Josh Van Niekerk ( Team First Ascent ) 7:00:00 3 Greg Erlangsen and Melissa Laing ( Team Pura ) 7:17:37 4 Brett Nattrass and Ronel Nattrass ( Team Nattrass ) 7:33:01 5 Jada Liinstrom and Clinton Bosch ( Team Limpuma Mojo ) 7:46:43
Images : Chris Hitchcock .
All the AFRICANX Action
Thanks to great videography by Chris Taylor , you too can enjoy all the wonderful scenery and fantastic vibes of the 2022 THIRSTI AFRICANX TRAILRUN . Simply click on the race vids below to watch .
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