Emotions were high on Monday 21 March as trail running enthusiasts closed off their 2022 Thirsti AfricanX Trailrun Three-Day Stage Race, which boasted a total combined distance of 74 km over three days, at the picturesque Houw Hoek Hotel.
Starting and finishing at the Houw Hoek Hotel, Stage Three featured a +-18 km route. Although the shortest of the three stages, Stage Three did boast a total ascent of 720 m.
Team Salomon’s Kane Reilly and Daniel Claassen pulled out all the stops to secure their third consecutive stage victory and overall event victory on the day. Reilly and Claassen claimed gold in the Men’s Team Category after three days of racing, completing the three stages in a lightning-fast combined time of 5 hours 17 minutes and 33 seconds.
Lovemo Nyaude and Hakeem Smith from Team HTRCrew Goats came in second overall after three days of racing, while Wandisile Nongodlwana and Nicholas Rupanga from Team ASICS Mojos finished third.
Marion Leiberich and local Stellenboscher Lijan van Niekerk from Team The Border Collies secured the top spot on the podium in the Women’s Team Competition after completing the three stages in a deserving combined time of 6 hours 31 minutes and 28 seconds.
“I could feel the tiredness in my legs,” admits Lijan. “The stage was great. I loved the scenery. The trails were high in the mountains with single track and fynbos. It was beautiful. We went out quite hard because it started with a 9 km downhill and it was hard to hold back. It’s amazing to claim the Women’s Team Title today.
“I’ve always wanted to do AfricanX and can’t believe that we won.”
Robyn Gardener and Leonie Schoeman from Team Handle with Flair came in second overall after three days of racing, while Madeleen van Wyk and Marise Prinsloo from Team Jetlagged finished third.
The Mixed Team Title was firmly secured by Team K-Way NewBalance’s Kerry-Ann Marshall and AJ Calitz who completed the three stages in a time of 6 hours 13 minutes and 36 seconds.
Paige Botten and Josh van Niekerk from Team First Ascent came in second, while Greg Erlangsen and Melissa Laing from Team Pura finished third.
