She was the first South African woman to cross the finish line at the Ultra Trail Drakensberg. Cornel finished as the third woman and came twentieth overall.
The race starts at the top of Sani Pass, at the Sani Mountain Lodge, with the highest pub in Africa.
The runners traversed 73 km of high-altitude terrain, above 3,000 m altitude, in the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho. This could cause altitude sickness if the runners are not well prepared.
The participants crossed Thabana Ntlenyana, which, at 3,482 m, is the highest peak in southern Africa and the highest point south of Kilimanjaro on the African continent. Tagging it is a significant milestone for runners.
After 73 km, the runners returned to the Lesotho border post. After entering South Africa, they descended the first six kilometres of the Sani Pass and into the trail, with its numerous climbs and descents deep within the World Heritage Site of the Drakensberg Mountain range.
The last 25 km re-connected with the Giant’s Cup hiking trail, with the final descent down the spectacular Gxalingenwa Gorge before emerging onto the Sani Pass Hotel golf course and the last few hundred metres to the finish.
The runners had only 48 hours to complete the gruelling distance, known as one of SA’s toughest 100-milers. This year, there were 48 entries, only 42 of which made it to the start line. Only 35 crossed the finish line to earn the coveted UTD160 cowbell.