“After the big descent and quickly stopping from some refreshment at the Cypress aid station, there comes this very technical, dark and humid section with lots of ups and downs (more ups than downs), plenty slippery wet roots waiting for your distraction, rotten and lose wood planks, steep creek crossings....
“As runners neared the top of Black Mountain, the sound of the vuvuzela grew louder. Music played in the trees, and a festive celebration was taking place at the summit. Spurred on by cheers and encouragement, smiles were aplenty as runners caught sight of the Black Mt. Biergarten banner. The...
“After the endless sweaty climb to the highest point in the race, the top of Black Mountain, it’s time to briefly stop, check the water levels, change gears, change muscles and check the brakes, as you need them to go down from Black Mountain to Cypress Bowl. It’s a short...
“At nearly ¾ of the way through the course, the expressions on runners faces were starkly different to those seen at the ¼ mark. Although almost all cracked smiles at the well stocked aid station, there were many faces of pain that provided glimpses into the tough challenges already overcome....
“With their knees already knackered, this upcoming section was definitely going to be a challenge. Yet, they persevered, with smiles on their faces as they traversed through gnarly roots and rocks, inching one step closer to the finish line. The silver lining… the trees provided a nice relief from the...
“I just loved trying to capture the joy and enthusiasm of the runners. Having done some ultras myself, I know what a personal journey it is. But it’s also clearly a very social one too, and seeing the runners and aid station volunteers in action reminded me why trail running...
