Two minute separate top Munga runners
The inaugural Munga Trail race, billed as the toughest race on earth, took place from April 19 to 24 over a 402,4-kilometre route from Belfast to the rim of the Blyde River Canyon.
A total of 23 runners set off for Lakenvlei to chase the final cut-off at the rim of the third largest canyon on earth at noon last Wednesday.
With several runners staying together at a conservative pace over the first 15 kilometres, it was a sensible start.
Navworld runner, Bennie Roux, was the first to up the pace slightly and breezed through the first water point at
26 kilometres in the lead, followed by fellow Navworld runner Naomi Brand.
And as night fell, the field settled into their own rhythm and strategy based on their goals.
Here one can appreciate the many different reasons people have for entering – few enter to win; most enter to challenge themselves, to explore new limits and to understand their own potential.
Also read: Grueling Skymarathon brings out the best in athletes
Dawn on day two saw Brand become the first casualty – scratching as a result of exhaustion brought on by an emotional lead up to the race and apparent flu. It also saw the field tackle the first major climb of the race, Verlorenkloof, with a 630-metre ascent over 3,3 kilometres.
By race village three at Merry Pebbles in Sabie, Roux had a commanding six-hour lead over Hanno Smit and Tatum Prins, who are normally teammates on Adventure Racing team Merrell Adventure Addicts, with Danish runner Carsten Nohr Nielsen running with Nicky Booyens from Mutual Safes following.
From here, with another serious climb of over 1000 vertical metres, Nielsen put in a huge effort to reduce Roux’s lead to 32 minutes at water-point eight, only to squander 90 minutes shortly thereafter by going off route into a jungle.
Over the last 100 kilometres, the lead continued to drop as Roux pretty much managed the race from the front, but a real humdinger was developing in the ladies race between Booyens and Prins.
Booyens was one of two runners aiming to be the first to achieve the Munga Double – a medal in both the MTB race and the trail – along with Riaan Potgieter.
Booyens made it into water-point nine just behind Roux, and left without stopping to take the overall lead in the race by 10 minutes, causing Roux to chase hard and take a wrong turn.
Booyens made it into the final race village in overall first place with 20 kilometres to race, causing Roux and her to run together, eventually with Prins 20 minutes back and chasing like the clappers, having cut more than an hour off Booyens’ lead out of race village four.
Prins’ chase was not to be though as she took a wrong turn inside the last five kilometres to lose more time.
In the end, Roux claimed the first Munga Trail medal in a time of 101 hours 25 minutes, along with R40 000 and the trophy of 2017 champion.
Booyens crossed the line two minutes later, followed by Prins and Nielsen in overall fourth.
