Wednesday, 06 July 2011 14:13
Cold... colder... smoking hot!
Tuesday 5 July was possibly one of the coldest and rainiest days of Knysna’s winter - but it was a hot day for the Salomon Featherbed Trail Run presented by Petzl.
“It was almost as if we’d arranged it - we ran three events (morning, noon and night), with two races each (the 15 km Coelacanth and the 11 km Seahorse) - and the rain pelted down for the start of each one, and then cleared up during the course of each one. It was incredible - but it added to the atmosphere and spirit of the day,” said race director Mark Collins.
Mr. Collins said that the results were “Blistering, despite the conditions and the fact that we had to put up with 60 mm of rain.”
The Salomon Featherbed Trail Run has become something of a cult event and forms an important highlight of the Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival. It features a ferry ride across the lagoon and “Some awesome running through the fynbos and forest thicket at Featherbed, as well as an exhilarating home stretch across the old railway bridge on the lagoon,” said Mr. Collins.
Piet Jacobs - who won the inaugural Featherbed Trail Run in 2008 - posted the best time of the day - 54:53.
“Each of our sponsors had at least one entrant in the event, and Salomon’s brand ambassador, Nicholas Rupanga, who ran the long course in the morning and the short course in the afternoon, came first in both races - and knocked an incredible 2 minutes off the time set by experienced Salomon team runner Ryan Sandes during last year’s event.
“Featherbed’s own general manager, Sonja Smit, entered for the first time, and she’s now hooked on trail running, while Jackie Moore joined Nicholas on the Salomon team, Jacques Botha ran for Petzl, and Marc Smith and Rebecca Laird ran for Gu,” said Mr. Collins.
In keeping with tradition, a lucky draw at prize giving featured fantastic gifts - including four nights in Namibia for two (with flights included) to the value of R 27,500 which was won by Marike Vreken.
Images of the race will be uploaded to magneticsouth.net next week, and viewers are advised that runners in blue bibs took part in the Coelacanth, whilst those who ran the Seahorse wore red.
Complete results have been posted to www.magneticsouth.net/trail-run/trail-run-results/salomon-featherbed-trail-run-presented-by-petzl
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