Ballito athlete tackles Sabie’s wildest trail endurance event
A small field of ultra runners gathered at the old mining town of Pilgrim's Rest at Merry Pebbles resort to tackle the 100-mile (160-kilometre) journey.
Ballito’s ultra-trail athlete Rosie Carey recently lined up for the 100-mile Mac-Mac ultra trail race in the heart of Mpumalanga.
Dubbed Sabie’s wildest trail endurance event, a small field of ultra runners gathered at the old mining town of Pilgrim’s Rest at Merry Pebbles resort to tackle the 100-mile (160-kilometre) journey set out in front of them.
Fast building a reputation for her ability to dominate 100-mile ultra races, Carey took third place in the woman’s field in 31:36:33 over seven hours and well within the 40-hour time limit.
Her solid performance placed her 11th overall of men and women.
What makes this event even more challenging is the main climb of the race which sees participants go through the mountains from Pilgrim’s Rest to Graskop and then on to Sabie reaching heights of more than 2 100m.
“Mac-Mac has got to be one of the most beautiful 100 mile courses I have run.
“The terrain was challenging and technical with 7 500m of climbing, 2 000m more than the Addo Ultra 100. Navigation also proved to be tricky and I lost my way a few times,” said Carey.
Also read: Ballito power couples tackle Sani2c challenge
An accomplished trail runner, Carey won her first major title last year when she was the first woman home and third overall in the 2018 Al Andalus Ultimate Trail in Andalusia, Spain.
The five-day ultra-marathon is run in intense heat and diverse terrain, covering a staggering distance of 230 km’s.
“Running that far provides me with the opportunity to see how far and hard I can push myself. I love the isolation of these ultras and think of this as my therapy. Recovery is not too bad. I guess I am lucky that I recover quickly. I think it takes more out of my family than me.”
With four 100-milers under her belt Carey has set her sights on a couple more ultra-trail challenges this year.
Could 100 miles be the new marathon?
Be the first to receive breaking news straight to your device with our newly launched push notifications! Simply visit our website and click on the icon shown above.
Do you want to receive news alerts from The North Coast Courier via WhatsApp? Send us a WhatsApp message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 061 718 4438.
Please read our WhatsApp broadcast list disclaimer.
Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news.
Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here, or if you’re on desktop, scan the QR code below.
