CLEVE Walker of Southbroom recently completed the 200km Richtersveld Transfrontier Wildrun in a time of 40 hours and 10 minutes.
The five-day, unmarked trail race started in Sendelingsdrift and ended at Namibia’s Ai Ais Hot Springs resort – a most welcome feature for the 43 footsore finishers. “It was a fantastic experience,” says Cleve.
“The race was superbly organised and we ran through magnificent landscape – more like moonscape at times. No amount of training could have prepared me for that type of terrain.”
Cleve used the GPS on his phone for navigation, and followed the footsteps of Cape mountain zebra where practical as this was usually the optimal line.
He started well, but got a little too high up off the ideal path on day two and his knees took some punishment. So did his feet: blisters aplenty, and he is still working thorns out of his hands after a stumble.
After day one, the starting times were staggered depending on the previous day’s performance. The weaker runners staggered off first, followed by the quicker ones.
He was a walker for most of day five’s 26km, but managed to run over the line to be met by his wife Julie, who said: “He set off as my husband, came back looking like my father-in-law”.
Driving via Cape Town to visit family, the Walkers travelled more than 5000km in a fortnight.
Cleve will make a presentation about the race at Southbroom Golf Club on Friday, August 12 at 6.30 for 7pm, followed by dinner.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
For news straight to your phone, add us on BBM 58F3D7A7 or WhatsApp 082 421 6033
