Team OCR performs well at world champs

ATTRACTING over 4 000 athletes from 43 countries, the Obstacle Course World Championships took place at the Blue Mountain Resort in Canada, over the weekend of October 14 to 16.

The Obstacle Course World Championships is a single event created to unify, promote and increase participation in the sport of obstacle course racing (OCR), while celebrating its amazing athletes and community.

It was a tough but very rewarding weekend for Team South Africa athletes Thomas van Tonder, Jay Jay Deysel and Carina Marx, who participated in the ultimate platform against the best in the world.

Jeep Team’s Marx and Van Tonder raced in the Pro Race with 914 male and female athletes from 43 countries. All converged on the 15km-long course tackling over 40 obstacles with names such as Dragon’s Back, Skull Valley, Mini Platinum Rig, Floating Boards, F5 Skyline, Urban Sky, Warped Wall, Wreck Bag Carry and more.

This Pro field race had no age groups, with mixed genders racing together. All the world’s best obstacle course racers competed for the title of world champion and some of the biggest cash prizes in the sport.

Marx performed at world-class level, leaving no prisoners and finishing an outstanding 12th female overall out of 43 women challengers, in a phenomenal time of 2:18:27. The average time taken to complete the Pro Race, across male and female racers was 2:53:24.

South Africa’s top OCR champion, Van Tonder participated in two races at these OCR World Champs. The Pro Race, as his first race, was as tough as they come. Van Tonder gave it everything, finishing in a phenomenal 16th place out of 169 male participants overall, in a time of 1:37:40 – just eight minutes behind the overall winner.

Jon Albon (UK) won the Pro Men’s event in a time of 1:24:36 for his third OCR World Championship title.

For the women, Canada’s Lindsay Webster took the win – her second OCR World Championship triumph – in a time of 1:45:45.

Both world champs dominated their races on the same course by taking the lead early on and never looking back.

Jay Jay Deysel took part in the OCR World Champs 3km race and finished 35th out of 136 participants in the 18 to 24 age category, in a time of 20:36. Deysel also completed the 15km-long course, finishing in 43rd place in 1:54:02..

Marx and Van Tonder also participated in the OCR World Championship Make-a-Wish Open Challenge, which took place on October 16. A 15-km standard-distance challenge to test OCR strength and skills, this course was created for the best in the world to raise funds for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

No qualification was required for this special charity event, allowing all athletes an opportunity to give something back. There were 429 finishers, of whom 268 were men and 161 were women.

For free daily local news in the south, visit our sister newspapers Alberton Record, Comaro Chronicle, Southern Courier and Get it Joburg South Magazine.

Remember to visit our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. You can also email our offices on cvdwalt@caxton.co.za, juliem@caxton.co.za or luckyt@caxton.co.za

Add us on WhatsApp today! Comaro Chronicle: 079 427 8074 and Southern Courier: 079 404 5789.