Local runners, Kevin Rafferty and Martin Bekker, took part in the Liberty Health Rhodes Trail Run. The 52km race path was on trail, dirt and sand tracks.
Local runners, Kevin Rafferty and Martin Bekker, took part in the Liberty Health Rhodes Trail Run. The 52km race path was on trail, dirt and sand tracks.
Starting at the town of Rhodes, the route took athletes along the Bell River and into Kloppers Hoek Valley, crossing the Bell River several times via causeways and low-level bridges.
Followed by an off-road section along footpaths and cattle and sheep trails to Mavis Bank. A steep 1-in-3 ascent took athletes from the valley to the Lesotho border checkpoint.
The route then followed the Lesotho border road through snow fields and past the ski slopes of Ben Macdhui, reaching 3001 metres above sea level. The highest point of the run lies on this section when passing Lesotho View at 2670 metres above sea level.
After this, the route went onto the Hooggenoeg Ridge, where there were no footpaths and athletes had to follow the ridge line over Hooggenoeg Point to the next check point.
Athletes ran through terrain that was extremely uneven and rough underfoot, with hidden rocks and holes.
<strong> Runners finish strong in high altitudes </strong>
Along the final stage, the route dropped from the mountain plateau into Carlisles Hoek Valley, dropping sharply by several hundred metres per kilometre, before returning to Rhodes.
Martin Bekker, a member of Albany Road Runners, finished 58th overall in a time of 6 hours 48 minutes 29 seconds, while Rafferty, a member of Grahamstown’s Run/Walk For Life Athletics Club, finished 62nd overall in 6:53:46.
The overall winner was Trevor Toerien who finished in 4:30:50, while the first woman was Erina du Toit who finished 13th overall in 5:40:29.
“It was an amazing experience to run at a high altitude 2600km above sea level and in the snow, the whole weekend in Rhodes village is absolutely awesome,” adding that it is a very tough run but spectacular at the same time.
Rafferty said that the feeding stations in the mountains were “fantastic and the people running the stations make you feel really special”.
<strong> Race is by invitation only </strong>
Entry to this race is by invitation only with a substitution facility, and the field is limited to 325 runners for reasons of safety and logistics.
It can take about 5 years to get off the waiting list and onto the invitation list. Rafferty was lucky enough to run as a substitute for another local runner who was unable to take part.
“I look forward to being able to take part again one day,” said Rafferty.
