Florida Running Club’s Leon du Plessis has added another remarkable achievement to his endurance running journey after completing the gruelling Washie 100 Miler, regarded as one of South Africa’s toughest endurance races and Africa’s oldest 100-mile race.

The race, held from July 31 to August 2, started in Cathcart in the Eastern Cape, taking runners through Stutterheim before finishing at the Buffalo Club in East London.

Du Plessis produced an impressive performance, finishing ninth overall out of 111 finishers and third in the 50 to 59 age category, which featured 36 runners. His overall time was 18:50:41.

Du Plessis’s Washie journey came after he missed out on securing an entry for the 2026 Comrades Marathon. Rather than allowing the disappointment to discourage him, he decided to enter the Washie and stepped up his training.

“It was always on my bucket list, but I never had enough courage to do it,” he said, adding that he overcame a few challenges during the race.

“The 70km mark was difficult because there’s a Comrades left 90km. At sunrise it was very cold, maybe 3 to 5 degrees. The last 2.3km because my watch was already at 160km/h. That was tough,” he said.

His preparation for the race was just as demanding. From January to May, he covered just over 1 000km in training before increasing his mileage during June and July, when he ran about 400km.

For him, conquering such a tough distance takes more than physical strength. It requires determination, mental toughness and a strong support system.

“First and foremost, you need very good seconding people for the race. They waited for me every 6km, and that made a huge difference. My wife, Eurika, my son Donovan and my brother-in-law Marius were there supporting me throughout. You also need a lot of willpower to keep going when things get tough.

“I’m feeling a massive sense of accomplishment and achievement, and glad it’s over. And then the pain sets in after the finished.”

With the Washie 100 Miler now conquered, he is already looking ahead to his next major challenge: running the Comrades Marathon next year.