Fochville’s own ultra-marathon star, Cornel Metcalfe, has hit a massive new sporting career milestone.

Cornel has officially been invited to compete in the UTMB Mont-Blanc in France at the end of August. Her husband, Mark, confirmed the news this week, noting that she has secured a spot in what is widely considered the “pinnacle” of world trail-running. The UTMB is the world series final for trail running. It is a gruelling 170km trek that takes runners through Italy, Switzerland, and France. To finish, athletes must climb a total of 10 000 metres around the famous Mont-Blanc.

Cornel is no stranger to breaking records. Her impressive CV includes SA Ladies 6-Day Record of 640.5km (set in 2020), and SA Ladies W50-54 Record, which she broke just last month, where she beat the previous record by a staggering 77km.

While Cornel has the talent, the trip comes with high costs for flights, visas, and accommodation. To help her get to the start line, her family has set up a Back-a-Buddy page for donations.

You can donate to her journey at backabuddy.co.za/campaign/lets-get-cornel-metcalfe-to-utmb-mont-blanc-2026.