Karkloof – Zimbabwean Nomore Mandivengerei emphatically retained his title in the men's 18km trail run that kick-started the 2018 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival on Saturday while Comrades runner Sarah Gray dethroned Kim Westbrook in the women's 18 km race.
35-year Mandivengerei, based in Pietermaritzburg, said he thrived on the fast, twisty trails and the superb early morning running conditions. "You needed power to be fast on all those sharp corners," he said. "The trails were superb and well-marked," he added.
Valley of a Thousand Hills athlete Mthobisi Mzolo stayed with Mandivengerei for most of the race but was unable to match the Zimbabwean man's kick three kilometres from the finish.
"I tried as hard as I could to catch him but he was too good," conceded Mzolo, who added his praise to the trail builders.
"It was an awesome route, but the switchbacks were quite difficult," said Mzolo who was pleased to realise his goal of making it into the top three against a strong field.
The women's race saw defending champion Kim Westbrook beaten into second by Sarah Gray, in the key stage of her training for the upcoming Comrades Marathon.
She managed to break away on her own and gradually drive a two-minute wedge between herself and Westbrook.
"It was a beautiful morning on the trails and great Comrades training," she said afterwards.
Westbrook, who is aiming to ride the MTB Enduro in the afternoon and the 60 km MTB ultra-marathon on Sunday, conceded that Gray was in a class of her own over the 18km.
The 9km trail runners made light work of the Karkloof layout, running in ideal cool and clear morning conditions as the mist lifted in the Karkloof Valley, with Mxolisi Zondi winning the sprint finish to the line from Hlelani Radebe, while Roxanne Vale was a very comfortable winner of the women's 9km race.
Trail runners have another chance to enjoy the Karkloof trails with another 9km trail run being staged at 9:20am on Sunday morning.
SUMMARY OF RESULTS
18km Karkloof Trail Run
Men
1. Nomore Mandivengerei 1:09:54
2. Mthobisi Mzolo 1:09:55
3. Zolani Dlamini 1:10:18
4. Bongani Zuma 1:11:44
5. Mdu Zondi 1:14:12
6. Joe Maphumelo 1:15:15
7. Matt Dove 1:15:45
8. Zwelihle Ndlovo 1:17:48
9. Xolani Mathalane 1:17:54
10.Derek Wasserfall 1;18:01
Women
1. Sarah Gray 1:30:21
2. Kim Westbrook 1:32:02
3. Apiwe Gaga 1:33:11
4. A Halstead 1:33:14
5. Tarryn Blake 1:37:30
6. Trish Eksteen 1:38:05
7. Nedene Cahill 1:38:42
8. Megan Wassung 1:39:13
9. Sandy Cromie 1:44:20
10.Gina Treleaven 1:45:03
9km Karkloof Trail Run
Men
1. Mxolisi Zondi 38:12
2. Hlelani Radebe 38:17
3. Dumisa Shabalala 38:40
4.Sifundo Sithole 39:38
5. Unknown 39:57
6. Samkelo Shangase 40:37
7. Raymond Radebe 40:53
8. Bheki Bangisa 43:50
9. Bernhardt Herbst 47:19
10.Andrew Tarpey 48:32
Women
1. Roxanne Vale 46:31
2. Alta van der Watt 52:50
3. Jen Theron 54:15
4. Emma Pons 55:58
5. Jennifer Neumann 56:15
6. Kerry Drummond 58:14
7. Heather Carruthers 59:27
8. Natacha Smith 1:01:01
9. Brenda McCann 1:01:02
10.Larissa Bohmer 1:01:12
Schedule:
Sunday, 27 May
07h30 - 60km Sappi Karkloof Marathon
08h30 - 40km aQuellé Half Marathon
09h20 - 9km Karkloof Trail Run
09h30 - 20km aQuellé Family Ride
10h00 - 10km aQuellé Kids Ride
The 2018 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival takes place at the Karkloof Country Club on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 May 2018. More info can be found at www.karkloofmtb.co.za
Pictured here: Runners taking part in the Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival enjoy the trails through the Sappi plantations as the early morning mist burns off on Saturday.
Photo credit: Anthony Grote/Gameplan Media