TRAIL RUNNING
Tankwa Runner ’ s High
There ’ s something about running in a spectacular setting that makes the soul soar … as can be seen in some of the Tankwa Trail race pics captured by Ewald Sadie of Shift Media .
night . There were fridges stocked with Rhodes fruit juices and Bavaria beers , coffee and tea on tap at all times , and a massive tin of hot chocolate ( which proved very popular ). To say we were spoilt is a complete understatement .
Alexis ( at the back ) enjoying the trails with new friends
Images : Ewald Sadie / Shift Media and courtesy Alexis Olds , Nicole Hayes
After dinner , we were treated to an epic comedy skit by Race Director , Bernard Le Roux . Well , he called it the race briefing for stage one , but it was more like a comedy routine . I am still not entirely sure if he intends to be so funny , but I ’ ve never laughed so much at a race briefing before . Then it was time to wind down with a drink in hand in front of the fire in the bar area , before heading to our tent for race prep . It was at this point that we realised just how cold it was going to be , so I filled up my hot water bottle , added my extra blanket and snuggled in for the night … It wasn ’ t enough , and I realised that they did not exaggerate when they called it the Koue Bokkeveld . It was freezing !
Warming Up Quickly
On Saturday morning , after spending a good while questioning my life choices , I crawled out of bed , put on my running gear and headed out to breakfast . We were lucky that the race only started at 8:30am , so we could lie in ( by normal race standards ), have a relaxed breakfast , and warm up in the early morning rays of sun . By the time the race started , we ’ d all stripped down to our base layers for what was turning out to be a perfect day for running .
The 21.7km route for the first stage was relatively flat , with just 355 metres of elevation gain . However , don ’ t let the flatness of this race lull you into thinking it
The Tankwa offers a wonderful setting for running
was easy , because it wasn ’ t . The sand in this part of the world is thick , and it is abundant ! That said , the route was pretty , running through rocky outcrops and mini forests , and across wide expanses of veld and fields . Also , the terrain was such that you could run in groups , but still space yourself nicely on the wonderful flowing single-track sections , and my favourite part of this stage was striking up conversations with fellow runners and feeling the kilometres pass by enjoyably . It also helped that the water point ( on both stages ) was stocked with sweets , savouries , beer ( both alcoholic and non-alcoholic ) and lots of “ gin , gin , Biogen ” ( as the marshal joked ).
This stage had a sting in the tail , though . The route took you back to the race village , but with 2.5km still to go , it then took you on a loop around the farm . By this stage your legs were tired from plodding through thick sand , and I had a few choice words for the route designer . Unnecessary and evil were some of the printable ones . And then as you ( finally ) made it to the finish line , the voice of commentator Sean Falconer welcomed you back , demanding to see your teeth ( in a smile , not a snarl ). It was a tough finish to the day , but in spite of our moans and groans , we loved it .
As everyone congregated at the finish line , the area was buzzing with run reports , ‘ war stories ,’ cheers as another runner finished , and general happiness of having enjoyed a great run in a beautiful place . And to ensure we were ready for the final stage the next day , Biogen sponsored bucketloads of their ElectroLite drink . ( See , I told you we were spoilt .)
53