Ingeli hosts successful marathon & trail run for second year running

“The challenging route is a combination of mountainous, rocky track, as well as jeep track and some beautiful single track through our indigenous forest and pits the athlete against themselves and the elements,” says Race Director, Katherine Thorneycroft.

A mixed bag of forty ‘weathered’ and ‘newbie’ SkyMarathon® runners gathered at the start line at 06:00 for the 42km test of skill, technique and endurance, while over 80 half-marathon athletes set off a little later for 21km Mountain Challenge (half the SkyMarathon®). In addition, the 10km and 5km forest trail runs drew an impressive number of runners, with ages ranging from 5 to 65 years.

News from the mountain came in quickly with the expected athletes, namely Jock Green and Nceba Mahlawe, leading the men’s race, and Driekie Black leading the ladies. Local runner, Simon Armour, received the biggest cheer from supporters, when it was announced that he had summited the mountain as the 3rd male! These results remained unchanged for the duration of the race, however with only 4kms to go to the finish line, Mahlawe ‘put the hammer down’, and overtook Green which saw him crowned ‘Men’s Ingeli SkyMarathon® Winner’ for 2015, in a time of 4 hours 12 minutes. Driekie Black ran a phenomenal solo race, and claimed the Ladies Ingeli SkyMarathon® title, in a time of 5 hours 17 minutes.

Philani Shalata, another local athlete, won the 21km Mountain Challenge in a time of 1 hour 44 minutes and Adel Terblanche took the ladies honours, in a time of 2hours 11 minutes. Amazing efforts from both athletes!

“The race was a huge success, and certainly tested the tenacity and will of many runners,” continues Thorneycroft, “but also left them with great memories of one of the most spectacularly beautiful parts of the province and the amazing Ingeli Mountain range and beautiful indigenous forests.”