Greyling’s King and Queen of the Mountain at Ultra-Trail Drakensburg

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DRAKENSBERG, KWAZULU-NATAL, 3 MAY 2017 – Saturday, the 29th April, saw Jeep Team trail runner, Christiaan Greyling, run the tough 62km Giant’s Cup Uncut Race at Ultra Trail Drakensberg, and win it by more than 50 minutes.

Giant’s Cup Uncut (GCU) is hefty 62km non-stop traverse of the entire Giant’s Cup Hiking Trail, a certified 5-Day hike, with 2400m of vertical climb and occupies an altitude window between 1600m and 2150m. The race started at the Sani Pass Hotel and finished at the Bushman’s Nek Hotel and is entirely on mountain trail, providing runners with a uniquely pure trail running experience.

Greyling crossed the finish line in first place in a time of 06:41:39. Second place went to Ben Brimble in a time of 07:32:10, and finishing in third place was Landie Greyling, in a time of 07:50:19.

“In every Ultra, you reach a point where you want to give up, or at least question yourself why you are doing this. These thoughts come regardless of your speed, preparation or talent. My race went arguably well, but again I learned how easy things can go pear-shaped in an Ultra,” says Christiaan Greyling, adding, “I ran the 62km GCU in a time of 6:41, followed by Ben Brimble in a time of 7:32. We ran together for the first 25km, but the technical downhill around halfway suited my skill and I got away from the quicker Ben Brimble.”

But as he explains it wasn’t all smooth sailing, “The lesson? Hydration and nutrition is the most important items on race day. My first mistake was to drink less because of the colder weather. I only suffered the consequences of this after 30km, but by then it was difficult to rectify. The section from 33km to 46km had no river crossings, huge climbs and a baking morning sun. When I reached the Swiman hut (46km mark), I had to consume about 10 cups of fluid not to suffer from dehydration. Drinking water alone can further dehydrate your body as we lose both water and important minerals when we sweat. To counter negative thoughts, think positive thoughts of previous successes, future races, bible verses, or even a song or two.”

Race Results – 62km Ultra – Giant’s Cup Uncut
MEN
1. Christiaan Greyling 6:41:39
2. Ben Brimble 7:32:10
3. Ross Michaux 8:36:16

WOMEN
1. Landie Greyling 7:50:19
2. Andrea Devine 10:34:14
3. Mmamapudi Kubjane 11:24:58

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For more information please contact Bronwen Blunden on 079 060 1905 or email bronblun@gmail.com.

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