The Windhoek Light Fish River Ultra (WLFRU) is the only trail-running event to be hosted in the awe-inspiring Fish River Canyon, which is the Southern parts of Namibia. Just 75 participants have the privilege of running at the foot of these dramatic, rugged and majestic cliffs. The landscape is as harsh as it is beautiful: the descent into the canyon is technical and slippery; and there are sections of deep sand, rocks and boulders.

It’s unsurprising that this unique race – which comprises a 100-K and a 65-K event – is on the bucket list of South Africa’s best trail runners: the likes of AJ Calitz, Bennie Roux, Naomi Brand, Rory Scheffer and Chad Gordon.

On the night before the start of the seventh edition of the race, participants stayed in a race village on the edge of the enormous canyon, which was lit up by a full moon. The weather was on their side: they awoke to a windless morning, not as cold as expected. It got hotter during the day, but it wasn’t unbearable.

AJ Calitz dominated the men’s 100-K from the start, claiming his fourth win and retaining his ‘King of the Canyon’ title (his time: 8:28.45. Calitz set the men’s course record in 2014: 8:04.15). Bennie Roux – the Centurion-based runner described as ‘the man who eats ultras for breakfast’ – came in second (in 9:51.03). Dale Herring is only 23 years old, but he fought Adriaan Wooding hard for third place (in 10:25.51).

“I had some tough competition this year,” says Calitz. “I decided to make my move early on, so the other runners couldn’t follow my routes – especially through the boulder fields in the first 30km, which are difficult to navigate. I made a wrong turn in the first 2km that threatened my position; but I managed to correct my route, and picked up the pace to make up for lost time. I ran most of my race alone, which is what I prefer.

“Highlights included swimming through a river during the final kilometres of the race, and seeing my family waiting for me at the finish.”

No-one was more surprised that she’d won the women’s 100-K than Carine Gagiano herself (her time: 10:35.59). The Sabie-based athlete had never participated in the race before, and has only been trail running since 2016. She had to withdraw from the race in 2016, after she was involved in a bicycle accident and sustained serious injuries.

Gagiano only began her training in December 2017, after she had recovered from her accident. In addition, she could only cover around 40 to 50km in mileage per week, due to work commitments. This meant she was arguably less prepared than the other athletes who lined up at the start.

Gagiano started slow. On the descent into the canyon she was lying third in the women’s race, and had no idea how many men were in front of her.

“I ran with Sandra [Le Roux, who eventually came fourth in the women’s 100-K] in the beginning,” recalls Gagiano. “We ran along the canyon and saw the sunrise in the east. Sandra said: ‘Can you guys believe we’re here!’”

Gagiano’s conservative start paid off: as the other women participants began to tire, she felt stronger. She soon left Le Roux behind, and eventually passed seasoned ultra-distance trail runner Naomi Brand. Gagiano came fourth overall in the 100-K. She was followed by Brand in second place (in 10:53.12) and Julia Jansen Van Rensburg in third (11:57.55).

“I passed the final checkpoint at Kochas Drift, and spectators told me I was doing well,” recalls Gagiano. “It surprised me, because it had never been my intention to come first or last. I just wanted to run the race.”

A new course record in the men’s 65-K was set by KwaZulu-Natal’s Rory Scheffer (his time: 5:13.49). The previous record was held by Athanasius Muronga – 6:13.48, set in 2016). Scheffer was followed by Dom Wills in second place (in 5:46.05) and Chad Gordon in third (6:04.05). This was a surprising result, given that Muronga had won the race for the previous four years in a row.

The most unexpected result in the women’s 65-K came in the form of winner Marko Alexandro (her time: 8:30.43). Like Gagiano, she only started trail running in 2016. It was also her first attempt at an ultra-distance race. Heidi Burmeister-Nel took second place (in 8:51.50) and Marilize Raath came third (in 9:32.45).

“Considering the difficulty of the Canyon, I believe credit should also be given to Xavier Briel, who is 75 years old and finished the 100-K in under 14 hours, and Retief Jordaan, who is 70 years old and finished the 65-K in under 11 hours,” says race organiser Nico Gericke. “Then there is Gerhard de Kock, who was the last finisher. In his defence, de Kock is not a trail runner; and yet he endured over 18 hours of harsh, unforgiving terrain, to finish the 65-K just after 2am on Sunday.”

The top three finishers in each race were awarded a marble trophy, upon which their names were engraved. Their accomplishments will be shared with the rest of the world on SuperSport and Sports Unlimited.

Left to Right: (MEN 100KM)

Ian Stevenson (Global Sponsorship & Events Manager) | Tasneem Klazen (Brand Manager) | Bennie Roux (2^nd 100KM) | AJ Calitz (1^st 100KM) | Dale Herring (3^rd 100KM) | Nico Gericke (Race Director)

Left to Right: (MEN 65KM)

Ian Stevenson (Global Sponsorship & Events Manager) | Tasneem Klazen (Brand Manager) | Dom Wills (2^nd 65KM) | Rory Scheffer (1^st 65KM) | Chad Gordon (3^rd 65KM) | Nico Gericke (Race Director)

Left to Right: (WOMEN 100KM)

Ian Stevenson (Global Sponsorship & Events Manager) | Tasneem Klazen (Brand Manager) | Julia Jansen van Rensburg (3^rd 100KM) | Carine Gagiano (1^st 100KM) | Naomi Brand (2^nd 100KM)| Nico Gericke (Race Director)

Left to Right: (WOMEN 65KM)

Ian Stevenson (Global Sponsorship & Events Manager) | Tasneem Klazen (Brand Manager) | Heidi Burmeister-Nel (2^nd 65KM) | Marko Alexandro (1^st 65KM) | Marilize Raath (3^rd 65KM) | Nico Gericke (Race Director)

Left to Right: (Overall Winners)

Tasneem Klazen (Brand Manager) |Rory Scheffer (1^st 65KM) |Carine Gagiano (1^st 100KM) |Marko Alexandro (1^st 65KM) | AJ Calitz (1^st 100KM) | Nico Gericke (Race Director)

 

For more information, visit windhoeklightevents.com/events/fish-river-ultra

READ MORE ON: FISH RIVER ULTRA sponsored trail runner