A staggered start (to prevent bottlenecks on the tight mountain trails) of four seeded batches, saw the A-bunch depart before sunrise at 06:15. This batch contained some heavy hitters including the likes of Ryno Griesel and Jock Green.
Eight runners from this group reached checkpoint one on top of the ‘first pyramid’ – a five-kilometre climb with 700 metres of ascent that tops out at 2167m (above msl) – in just under 30 minutes, a relatively slow time because of an intense tactical battle on the climb.
"It was a game of cat-and-mouse that first hour," commented Griesel, who’s well experienced in navigating the unmarked route.
"The locals didn’t want to go ahead because they knew they would be followed and I also didn’t want to run in front, for the same reason. At one stage we were all walking…" he said, adding how a very special part of this race the strategic tussle is.
Defending champion Sampie Makoakoe, a farm labourer at Moolmanshoek, and compatriot Chabedi Nyedimane, made their move on the descent from the first pyramid and down the back of Jacobsberg.
The weather had taken a turn for the worse by the time Makoakoe and Nyedimane reached checkpoint two with driving ice rain and strong winds dropping the temperature to well below zero and making navigation exceptionally tough due to the low visibility.
The severe conditions however, suited the local runners who regularly train on the route. Nyedimane and Makoakoe ran together all the way to the base of Sekonyela’s Hat (the final ‘peak’ of the 4 Peaks), chased by a group of around six runners, some three minutes back. Makoakoe charged up the steep Sekonyela’s climb, running in places where Nyedimane had to scramble and walk.
He built up a ten-minute lead this way and held on to it all the way to the finish, completing his successful title defence in a time of 02:45:31. His time is was some three minutes shy of the record set by Ryan Sandes.
The women’s race was absolutely dominated by Jeannie Dreyer. Dreyer nearly missed the start and had to make up a deficit on the A-batch, but still managed to come home in a time of 03:36:54, nearly an hour ahead of second-placed Natasja Kask, and good enough for a top 20 overall placing.
