Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 168 May 2024 | Page 39

TRAIL

The UTD100 began at Silverstreams Trading Post in crisp conditions , with clouds hung just low enough to cool the field . The flowing climbs of the Giant ’ s Cup Trail yielded a strong early pace , with Nicholaas du Plessis , Kennedy Sekhuthe and Skye Clark heading the field , closely followed by Oli Morris and Chris Ngaka . By the time the men approached the 60km mark and exchanged the Giant ’ s Cup trail for the tar of the Sani Pass climb , they had jostled into the positions that would prevail until the end of the race .

In the women ’ s race , the early pace was set by Tarrin van Niekerk , who led level with Melissa Laing into Castleburn before building a narrow lead on the second half of the Giant ’ s Cup Trail . Meanwhile , Carla Whitehead was building on her measured start to move into the podium positions . From the unrelenting Sani Pass to the finish , the biggest winner was Laing , overhauling Van Niekerk ’ s lead and beginning to build a lead of her own before the final turn off from Sani Pass at the Twelve Apostles Aid Station . Her focused and calculated descent towards Sani Valley Road Aid Station in the fading afternoon light saw her eventually stretch her winning lead to more than an hour .

Mvuyisi Gcogco

UTD100 Men

UTD100 Women

An hour behind the UTD100 , the GCU65 was let loose at a ferocious early pace , and a mere three minutes separated the first seven runners into the customary ‘ halfway ’ aid station at Castleburn , with top three Remaketse Lekaka , Mvuyisi Gcogco and Ofenste Mokgale leading Bradley Claase into this key checkpoint . The decisive moves only came late in the day , on the last of the ‘ mountain leg ’ part of the course , past the Stromness timing point , heading towards the 56km Sani Valley Gate Aid Station , when Gcogco took the lead and Claase moved into the final podium spot .

In the women ’ s race , the early pace was dictated by Maryke van Zyl , who ran into Castleburn a minute and a half ahead of Kerry-Ann Marshall and Simone Malan . Van Zyl then put on the afterburners , surging on the runnable climbs in the second phase of the race , and by the next crewed aid station at Cobham , she had built a seven-minute lead over Marshall , and would continue to extend the gap right to the finish . Having reached Castelburn in sixth place , Jada Linstrom showed tactical awareness and disciplined execution to take the final podium position .

GCU65 Men

GCU65 Women

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