Running 30 hours for the love of it
For most people the idea running for 30 hours straight through some of the toughest terrain possible sounds like torture, but for a Plettenberg Bay athlete doing just that is a tranquil experience.
“It is just you and your thoughts. You can block everything else out and get into the zone,” Georgie Minopetros, who recently completed the Addo 100 Miler as part of the Addo Elephant Trail Run event, said.
The event includes the 100 Miler – a 160km run – as well as 76km or 44km runs through the Addo National Elephant Park in the Eastern Cape and is designed to test runners mental and physical fitness. The event took place on February 26 and 27, 2016.
Minopetros said 40 athletes crossed the starting line on Friday, February 26 at 2pm and only 25 completed the distance 37 hours later. Minopetros not only completed the run, but finished in eighth position with a time on 29:56:31. And this was only his first attempt at an ultra trail run.
The winners finished the race in under 22 hours with the final person crossing the line in just under 37.
“My goal was 24 hours, but the terrain was very tough. There were many, many hills so I’m happy with the result.”
He added the weather during the run started out favourable. “It was mostly overcast when we started and we had the full moon to provide us with light that night. The following day was however very hot.”
Athletes take on the race with a pack with fluids and other nutritional snacks for the journey with water given to the runners every 12km at drinking stations along the way. “You also have a light with for the night running.”
Minopetros said he mostly did road running before the 100 Miler. “Most of my training is also road running. During the week I would try and do some shorter distances of road running to keep the fitness levels up and over weekends would try and do some long runs and trail running.”
Next on his list of epic races is the Comrades Marathon in May this year.
Related Articles
