Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 165 February 2024 | Page 45

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Awards

MODERN ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Short Distance & Mountain Running ( Up to 32km ) | Women ’ s Nominees

Lijan Burger • Rebecca Kohne • Meg Mackenzie • Nwabisa Mjoli • Bianca Tarboton

( Honourable Mentions : Tarryn King , Emily Djock )

Nwabisa Mjoli made her presence felt in her first high-profile trail race with an impressive last-gasp nine-second victory over German Marion Leiberich at the UTD 21km in April , booking her place to the World Championships and her nomination in this category . While she found the 15.5km Mountain Classic in Austria tough going , she will certainly be back stronger than ever in races to come .

Lijan Burger finished strongly at UTD to take third behind Mjoli and Leiberich , before warming up for the World Championships with a 10-minute win in 2:25:57 at the MUT by UTMB 25km in George . Burger raced consistently at the 15.5km mountain running championship in Austria , finishing 67th in the women ’ s race and second South African behind Bianca Tarboton .

Young Rebecca Kohne took two SA Skyrunning titles at Langeberg and Mont Rochelle , with Taryn King and Landie Greyling sharing the other two , while Emily Djock was a model of consistency in the series , bagging three second places and a third . Earlier in the year , Kohne raced impressively in Croatia , winning the 20km at the Istria 100 by UTMB in record time , finishing ninth overall in 1:31:13 .

France-based Meg Mackenzie also suffered navigational challenges while leading the UTCT 23km in November , handing Burger a two-minute victory in 2:29:16 , but Mackenzie secured her nomination in this category with an excellent 13th behind Kenyan Joyce Njeru at the competitive 19.5km Montee du Nid D ’ Aigle in France in July .

Bianca Tarboton was the highest-placed South African at the World Championships , leading the way with an impressive 1:13:54 for 34th position against the world ’ s best in the 15.5km mountain-running event , before racing to 22nd place in 3:19:41 at the Sierra Zinal 31km in Switzerland in August , in one of the world ’ s most competitive trail races .

Marathon Distances ( 33km to 49km ) | Men ’ s Nominees

Daniel Claassen • Jacques du Plessis • Kane Reilly • Robert Rorich Johardt van Heerde •

( Honourable Mentions : Iain Peterkin , Jacques Buys , Christiaan Greyling )

The classic marathon distance of 42.195km commands prestige and popularity on the roads , and several of South Africa ’ s most prestigious trail races are held over a ‘ marathon distance ,’ – a less exact science off tarmac . The marathon-distance races at Ultra-trail Drakensberg ( UTD ), MUT by UTMB in George , Hout Bay Trail Challenge , Otter African Trail Run , Cape Town Trail Marathon and Ultra-trail Cape Town , together with several prestigious international races provide the yardstick for this category .

Jacques du Plessis clinched his place on the team to the World Championships in Austria with a pillar to post victory in the UTD 32km in April , and although he struggled with the competitiveness of the mountainous marathon-distance World Championship race , his victory at the 45km Cape Winelands Maxi later in the year clinched his nomination .

The Otter remains the country ’ s premier marathondistance trail race in respect of depth of quality , and

Kane Reilly ran his best race in 11 appearances along the iconic Southern Cape coastal trail . He crossed the floating finish line on the Grootrivier Lagoon just one minute 58 behind race winner , the world-class Scot Robbie Simpson . Reilly ’ s 4:14:34 in heavy and slippery muddy conditions represents one of the best performances at Otter by a South African .

Only a well-judged race from Daniel Claassen prevented Reilly from retaining his Cape Town Trail Marathon title , once again just seven days after the Otter , but his 4:27:55 for second place in tough conditions , 13 minutes outside his own record , represented another solid effort for one of the country ’ s most consistent trail athletes of the past decade . Adding to Reilly ’ s 2023 CV was a solid 33rd position at the competitive Mont Blanc Marathon in June , a 22-minute win over Kyle Bucklow at one of his favourite local races , the 40km Hout Bay Trail Challenge in July , and most profoundly , his 72nd position and first South African home at the 45km

‘ Short Trail ’ race at World Mountain and Trail Running Championships . Reilly faced a staggering 3600m of vertical and the deepest quality field of any trail race on the planet .

Ultra-trail specialist Daniel Claassen demonstrated his ability over the marathon distance with a 4:25:08 win over Reilly in the Cape Town Trail Marathon , enough to clinch a nomination in this sector . Also , Robbie Rorich ’ s third place in the 46km Cape Town Trail Marathon behind Claassen and Reilly narrowly clinched his nomination ahead of Christiaan Greyling , who had edged him by just 12 seconds for fifth place at the Otter .

Meanwhile , marathon-distance specialist Johardt van Heerden ran his best races in the short and ultradistance categories in 2023 , but his third position at the Otter , four minutes behind Reilly , and a 76th place at the World Championships , just two minutes behind Reilly , earned his nomination in this sector .

Daniel Claassen