Warriors test their limits
Michael Joubert and Hanneke Dannhauser took the Black Ops Elite Men’s and Women’s titles at the Jeep Warrior Race.
Over 6 500 participants faced extreme challenges during the third race of the 2016 Jeep Warrior Series at Noordheuwel’s Hobby Park.
Only 26 of the 70 athletes who raced in Black Ops Elite, a course with 30 obstacles that is 16 kilometres long, completed the race on the weekend of 23 and 24 April.
Arguably the toughest of the 30 obstacles, Breaking Point, lived up to its name, and proved to be the game changer in the Elite Men’s race.
Breaking Point required athletes to get through a 15m sequence of ropes, rings, chains and monkey bars without falling. Nearing the end, athletes needed to move themselves over a few metres using only their fingertips, in a stretch known as the Cliff Hanger.
At this point, many fell.
Read more: Warrior Race — muddy, merciless and tough
Michael Joubert completed this course the first time in one hour, 37 minutes and 30 seconds and went on to claim the men’s title.
“It was a great race. I started a bit slow, trying to keep my pace and my energy. Breaking Point was really tough this time around after so much up and downhill running on the course. I kept an easy pace from the start, and this luckily gave me the edge, giving me enough energy to get through Breaking Point first time round,” Joubert said.
The Black Ops Elite women entries compete on exactly the same course as the men and the top three women elites were placed in the Top 10 overall male and female athletes to finish the race.
The second Warrior Race winner, Hanneke Dannhauser from the USN team, once again dominated the women’s elite race, securing the lead at the start and going on to conquer Breaking Point on her first attempt. She claimed the women’s crown in two hours and 12 seconds.
“It was a close race. The course was a great challenge, but I definitely didn’t enjoy all the uphills. I loved the Hobby Park venue because of the beautiful setting with lots of trees. It was also really spectator-friendly, which made for a great festive atmosphere,” Dannhauser said.
The next Jeep Warrior Race is taking place from 16-17 July in Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal.
Related article:
Tough, muddy but fun at Warrior Race
