Police constable wins ultimate trail challenge
A Roodepoort police constable recently ran the 160km RMB Ultra-trail Drakensberg and emerged victorious in the men's category.
Roodepoort — Constable Kennedy Sekhuthe, of the Roodepoort police, was crowned the champion of the RMB Ultra-trail Drakensberg race recently.
The 163km ultimate test of human endurance kicked off on Friday, April 25, from the rooftop of Southern Africa – Lesotho.
The first section took runners on a loop along the remote Lesotho highlands, guided by Basotho shepherds on horseback, before traversing the rugged spines of the southern Drakensberg escarpment.
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These athletes battled isolation, altitude, and challenging weather conditions before re-entering South Africa via Sani Pass at nightfall. Kennedy dominated the race, and in just over 24 hours on Saturday morning, April 26, he entered Race Village and emerged victorious in an impressive time of 25:08:26.
For Kennedy, running is a lifelong passion that ignites his spirit. He says his passion for long distances stems from his patient nature, allowing him to tap into a deep reservoir of endurance and mental toughness.
“The overall race was really good. I worked hard the past three years to achieve this goal.
“The last time I ran in the same race, I ran 100km and placed third, which was the year I was aiming to win it. However, it happened this year.
“The time I will accept it, however, I planned to finish exactly in 20 hours and set the record straight,” he says.
His passion for endurance racing started at a very young age. However, he stopped due to the lack of facilities where he came from.
“On my arrival in the big city, I continued where I left off,” he recalls, saying, “I call myself an endurance runner because I go for longer distances, which my body can take. It does not come easily to prepare for them, as they take much time.”
Going forward, Kennedy is set to race in the Mountain Ultra Trail in George for 100km, where he is planning to gather more points for the world championships in France, called Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc.
“It is my dream to get there,” he says.
