Four hundred kilometres, five days and one brave local athlete.
This is what supporters can look forward to when the Munga Trail Run kicks off in 33 days’ time.
Kevin Ruthven, an avid hiker and the only Mpumalanga entry into this gruelling race, told Steelburger/Lydenburg News that he has been training for this trial run for the past14 months.
“This is definitely one of the things on my bucket list. I always wanted to take part in the Rim of Africa Hike, but when the opportunity arose to take part in the Munga, this turned into an awesome once-in-a-lifetime experience and I said yes before I really thought about it,” Ruthven joked.
Ruthven trains by jogging and power hiking. Power hiking refers to ordinary trail hiking, but a lot faster.
“Physically I think I am ready for the challenge. You will never be 100 per cent ready, but I think that I have trained hard for this upcoming event. I will be racing against more experienced athletes on both national and international levels and this will be a great challenge.”
He combines his six-days-a-week training with his Lowveld hikes. “I get up on a Saturday before a hike and do a quick 15-kilometre run. After that, I take hikers out on a 15-kilometre hike.”
https://steelburgernews.co.za/212184/lowveld-hikers/
Ruthven said that he is as fit as he has ever been. “Everything is now in place and the stress is starting to build. I am the only Mpumalanga racer taking part in this challenge this year. Last year there were a mere 16 participants. I don’t know if the number increased this year.”
https://steelburgernews.co.za/243373/runwalk-for-life/
He said that it would be a dream come true should he win the Munga race. “When you train, you visualise the outcome of your goal. It would be absolutely amazing to win this challenge.”
The race will start at Lakenvlei just outside of Belfast, and it will run its course through rough mountain terrain and trails, ending at Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve. Ruthven said that the support from the community during this race will be of utmost importance.
“I have never done anything like this before and I hope to showcase the beauty of this part of the country through my participation.”
