TRAIL
Mistakes Were Made !
I survived the Ultra-Trail Drakensberg 100 Miler , and if I learn from my mistakes , the experience gained could be invaluable in my future mountain and running endeavours ! – BY ANTON NEETHLING
I
flew into Durban for the UTD160 at lunchtime on the Thursday , just in time to hop on the shuttle for the three-and-a-half-hour drive to the race village at Glencairn Farm . That was my first mistake . Less than 20 hours after leaving sea level in Cape Town , I would be running at an elevation of over 3200m , with a full pack . But more about that later …
Glencairn Farm is beautiful , and extremely well geared to host events such as UTD . The event has five different distances on offer , so there were lots of runners and supporters to look after , but the organisers and host venue were on the ball , and the logistical side of things ran very smoothly . I went straight from the shuttle to registration and gear check – there is quite a lot of compulsory equipment for runs like this – and then went off to find my tent .
After getting all my things ready for the morning , including clothes , pack , drop bag , etc , I headed up to the huge restaurant for supper and a chat with some fellow runners . My attempts to have a good night ’ s sleep were thwarted by excitement , nerves , some loud and talkative tent neighbours , and some impressive snoring from one specific neighbour .
Ready to Run
In the morning , after a quick shower , I donned my
running kit and went to have some breakfast , before climbing into a 4x4 to head up Sani Pass to the start . The drive is spectacular , and our driver was a very entertaining and knowledgeable local guide . Our passports had been double stamped ( out and in ) by the SA authorities at registration , and at the Lesotho border post , they were similarly double stamped ( in and out ), so we wouldn ’ t have to bother doing so during the run .
After hanging around for a couple of hours , the 65 runners lined up for the start , and I was far more excited than nervous , which I think was my second mistake . On paper , this was an “ easier ” 100-miler
Images : Anton Neethling
42 ISSUE 168 | www . modernathlete . co . za