Fochville’s ultra trail running sensation, Cornel Metcalfe, has once again proven her strength and endurance by successfully completing the Mountain Ultra Trail 100-Miler, one of South Africa’s most demanding races.

The race took place this past weekend, kicking off at 06:00 on Saturday from the Garden Route city of George, with participants weaving through the challenging Outeniqua Mountains. The 160km (100-mile) route saw runners reach Wilderness at the 100km mark before looping back to George for the finish. All runners were required to complete the course within 24 hours.

Cornel crossed the finish line in 44 hours, 45 minutes, placing her as the fifth woman overall and the first in her age category.

Her husband, Mark Metcalfe, described the race as incredibly demanding:

“This is one of the toughest trail races in South Africa, with over 7,931 meters of vertical climbing, including 1,500 meters in the first 8km alone. Out of the 63 starters, only 42 runners finished the race.”

Cornel’s remarkable performance has once again placed her among the country’s elite endurance athletes, solidifying her status as a top competitor in South Africa’s trail running scene.