Words: Newsport Media
The picturesque Lievland Wine Estate (Stellenbosch) was a hub of excitement on Saturday, 18 and Sunday, 19 October 2014 when just over 5500 eager sports enthusiasts and lovers of the outdoors toed the line to partake in the action of the much anticipated IMPI Challenge.
Photo credit: Cherie Vale, Newsport Media
Multisport athlete Stuart Marais claimed gold in the men’s IMPI Elite Race with an impressive finishing time of 0 2hours 04 minutes 03 seconds, while Chantel Nienaber claimed a long overdue victory in the women’s IMPI Elite Race with a deserving finishing time of 02 hours 36 minutes 23 seconds.
According to Marais, the IMPI Elite Race was a lot of fun. “There was a battle out front with Iain and myself constantly taking the lead. I got into a good rhythm after the bricks and managed to build a good gap. IMPI is a strong man’s game and the competition was tough. This is great because racing keeps me energised. The IMPI Challenge is different to any other race. It’s fun and doesn’t take all day. There is also an event for the children. All in all it’s a fun day, which is in essence what sport is about”. Iain Don-Wauchope came in second, while Christiaan Greyling finished third.
“This was definitely the toughest IMPI Elite Race yet,” says Nienaber. “IMPI Director, Pieter Du Plessis did warn us beforehand though. I put in a few good runs, just pushing a head in the beginning as I had no idea what would be thrown at us. I was very focussed on this event and trained really hard so I am glad that I finally got the title after many months of hard work”. Dominique D’Oliveira came in second, while Tanya Rabie finished third.
