Salomon Skyrun in South Africa faces extreme conditions

Posted on November 18, 2013 by talkultra

Lady Grey, the start of the 2013 Salomon Skyrun powered by Red Bull, was ravaged by some of the worst weather seen in the 16 year history of this extreme race. Testing from the begining with monsoon conditions greeting the runners at the 4am start on Saturday morning, fierce winds gusting up to 80km/hour were the order of the day as rain and low cloud cover made visibility very poor. The runners were battered by these conditions throughout the day, as the temperatures plummeted and the terrain became very tricky for both athletes and marshals. The very real risk of sever hypothermia and exposure to the brutal elements, left event organisers with no other option but to shorten the race. Always a difficult decision however the safety of runners was top priority. The Salomon Skyrun is an extreme mountain challenge at the best of times but when conditions are as hard as during this year’s race, the need to carry all compulsory equipment as well as a solid event organisation are critical to ensure that all athletes come off the mountain safely. “This year’s race will be spoken about for many years to come by all who were at the Salomon Skyrun 2013 and can only add to the reputation that makes this race one of the toughest ultra-mountain runs in South Africa, if not the world” said Race Director Adrian Saffy.

The Skyrun Lite remained unaffected by the decision and all athletes that reached Balloch completed the race in its entirety. The Skyrun Lite was won by Chris Cronje, with Murray Sanders in 2^nd place and Justin Short in 3^rd. The Ladies Lite was won by Laura O’ Donoghue, with Taryn Mc Donald in 2^nd and Janneke Laesk in 3^rd.

Iain Don-Wauchope took 1^st position in the shortened Men’s full route, with Hylton Dunn in 2^nd and Steven Erasmus in 3^rd. The runners will however have to wait another year in order to take a crack at 2012 winner Ryan Sandes’ lightening quick record of 12hrs36min. Salomon sponsored Sandes did not compete in this year’s event as he will be racing in The San Francisco 50 Miler at the beginning of December. In the ladies race, 1^st place in the full route went to Annemien Ganzevoort, with 2^nd going to Su Don- Wauchope and 3^rd to Tatum Prins.

There is no doubt that athletes will look back on this year’s running of the legend that has become the Salomon Skyrun with a mixture of frustration, relief and respect as so well put by AJ Calitz “ I was humbled by the route, weather and our Maker….felt pretty small out there in the mountains. The fact that everyone is safe is testimony to Pure Adventures incredible team. Well done Mike and Adrian, your team and the mountain rescue crews. 2013 is a year I will never forget…all the athletes are truly bound together by this EPIC experience. See you in 2014.”

For full results and pictures please visit www.skyrun.co.za

Images ©kelvintrautman

Results:

Men’s 100km

Iain Don-Wauchope
Hylton Dunn
Steven Erasmus

Ladies 100km

Annemien Ganzevoort
Su Don- Wauchope
Tatum Prins

Lite Men’s:

Chris Cronje
Murray Sanders
Justin Short

Ladies Lite:

Laura O’ Donoghue
Taryn Mc Donald
Janneke Laesk

2013 Salomon Skyrun powered by Red Bull

Posted on November 5, 2013 by talkultra

ARE YOU READY TO RUN IN THE SKY?

Trail runners and adventure junkies from all over the world are putting their final preparations together for the 2013 Salomon Skyrun powered by Red Bull, that will be taking place in Lady Grey on the 16^th of November 2013. Now in its 16^th year, the race has become known as one of the must-do ultra-wilderness-mountain-runs in the world. “The Salomon SkyRun is an Epic 100km Mountain run considered by many athletes to be the toughest Trail Run in South Africa. The event is made up of two options; the SkyRun Lite, a 65km one day run, or the big daddy of trail, the 100km SkyRun,” explains Race Director and Organiser, Michael de Haast from Pure Adventures. “What makes this event so unique is that it is fully self-supported and athletes must navigate themselves between the check points on the route.”

Some top names taking part this year include two of the greatest adventurers of our time, the legendary Steve Black and Sean Wisedale. Other top names include AJ Calitz, Salomon athlete Ryno Griesel and Dreyer van Huyssteen amongst the men, and Megan Mackenzie, Annemien Ganzevoort and Donna Green amongst the ladies. The race starts in Lady Grey at 4am on Saturday the 16^th and will take the athletes anywhere between 14 – 30 hours.

Michael has some great advice for the athletes, especially those doing it for the first time, for those who might have forgotten and for those who would like to take part next year:

1. You will more than likely have stomach issues. You may vomit. Somewhere between Balloch and the Turn, you may see God (or a lion) and that, in and of itself, will make you want to puke. Don’t worry; you’re not going to die. Just puke, deal with it and move on. Don’t let “I couldn’t keep anything down” be your excuse for a DNF.

2. Sometime during the day you might feel like you have a tiny little pebble in your shoe. For the next hour or so you’ll have this little debate with yourself as to whether you should stop to take the pebble out or just wiggle your foot around a bit to move the pebble to a more comfortable position. Don’t have that debate! That little pebble is possibly the beginning of a blister. If you deal with it the minute you feel it you’ll probably be fine. If you ignore it or wiggle around with it you may end up finishing but you’ll do so with a dagger in your shoe.

3. Finally, you will undoubtedly have a moment between Skiwdor and Edgehill when you feel like you need a Quad Transplant. Everyone feels this way. The downhill pounding you put your legs through at Salomon Skyrun grinds the muscles in your quads into sausage. Don’t let it bother you. Assuming the pain you’re experiencing is less severe than someone sticking a red hot poker into your quad, just slow down, stay hydrated, and shuffle on.

One of the main reasons why the race was first started in the mid 1990’s was to raise awareness and fundraising for the local charities and home based care givers who look after the local children whose lives have been seriously rocked by misfortune. The charities rely heavily on the race for support, and the organisers encourage athletes and supporters to bring along any donations including stationary, writing paper, clothes and money. These donations make a huge difference to these children’s lives and the charity chosen for this year is the House of Light.

For more information please visit www.skyrun.co.za, and find them on facebook and twitter.

Thule 4 Peaks Mountain Challenge – South Africa

Posted on August 16, 2013 by talkultra

The 11^th THULE 4 Peaks Mountain Challenge in Association with SALOMON takes place on the weekend of the 23^rd / 25^th August 2013. The 24km mountain run is through the beautiful and challenging Witteberg mountain range near Ficksburg in the Eastern Free State. Last year saw the introduction of the ‘Pyramid Challenge’ where athletes have the chance to take on the ‘beast’ 40 % gradient vertical ascent and descent of the first pyramid at Moolmashoek Nature Reserve. The THULE 4 Peaks Mountain Challenge provides a weekend festival of Free State hospitality and an introduction to ‘mountain-running’ where both the accomplished trail runners and weekend warriors get to challenge themselves. The hospitality is rooted in the management of the Moolmanshoek Guest Lodge and the beautiful private nature reserve serves as HQ for the weekend activities.

Moolmanshoek Private Nature Reserve is situated 360km from Johannesburg and 230km from Bloemfontein and the unique scenery with mountain peaks such as Visierskerf, the highest in the Witteberg mountain range, provides a perfect venue to run, to explore and to challenge yourself against the elements. The 24km mountain run is a great introduction to the ultimate running challenge – mountain -running, with the 24km distance being the equivalent of a road ultra-marathon. The THULE 4 Peaks Mountain Challenge is an un-supported off road run, the concept derived from British ‘fell running’ whereby runners will conquer slopes to then enjoy superb vistas that the Witteberg mountain range ridgelines provide. The course is not marked but follows a circular route starting at 1460m, with a total vertical ascent over the race of 1420m to the highest point at 2312m. The concept of mountain running is one of expedition and adventure, where crossing the finish line is about conquering the elements, navigating your way through the rough terrain the course provides and feeling a sense of achivement not matched by any traditional running event. Participants must be totally self sustainable carrying their own fluids and nutrition for the entire race. The top competitors usually complete the race in 3 hours or less with some runners taking up to 9 hours, the cut off, to receive the revered Four Peaks medal.

The weekend see’s the main event, the THULE 4 Peaks Mountain Challenge kicking off at 6am on Saturday the 24^th. Entries received already include Salomon runners such as Thabang Madiba, Ryno Griesel, Jock Green and Matt Kretzmann against the local knowledge of multiple winner Isaac Mazibuko . In the ladies race we expect to see Salomon’s Jackie Moore racing with Takalani Ndandani and Megan Mackensie. This front pack of runners will be followed by the weekend warriors challenging themselves to the next level of running – building some bravery for ‘the ultimate’ the Salomon Skyrun hosted in November each year. After Saturday’s nights festivities, we kick off Sunday morning with the Red Bull Pyramid Challenge which will see runners tackle a net altitude gain of 850m over 3km ascent and descent of the first pyramid.

More details from: HERE