OUDTSHOORN NEWS - The 14th Dryland Traverse wrapped up in the Little Karoo this past weekend, reaffirming its reputation as one of the best organised four-day trail running adventures on the calendar and a fitting finale to the year for the organisers at Dryland Event Management.
From the prologue beneath the stalactites of the Cango Caves to the final stage through the Swartberg foothills, runners and hikers covered more than 70 km of rugged terrain and 2 570 m of elevation.
The routes delivered a mix of technical mountain trails, winding singletrack and vast Karoo plains - and so did the weather - but the atmosphere in the race village remained constant: focused during the day, festive by night.
Although the front of the race produced strong performances, the Dryland Traverse continues to be defined by its inclusive nature. Every participant, runner or hiker, shared the same caves, climbs, checkpoints and finish lines and continues to be a bucket-list adventure that truly offers something for everyone.
Saturday evening's Stage 2.5 brought the shift from racing to celebration, with the traditional dress-up party adding colour, music and a few questionable costumes to the race village.
"The Traverse has always been about more than results," said Race Director Bernard le Roux. "It's about ending the year together on the trails, and doing it properly."
Dryland Event Management extends its thanks to all participants, sponsors, volunteers and the Oudtshoorn community for their support in making the 14th edition another standout event.
Only a handful of seconds separated top contenders on the opening stage, but by the end of the weekend, the general classification had settled clearly:
Solo men
1. Lloyd Bosman (5:27:49)
2. Keith Jansen (6:30:02)
3. Johnny Wolf (6:49:42)
Solo women
1. Tarrin van Niekerk (6:54:51)
2. Helen Bosman (7:09:16)
3. Anel van Wyk (7:42:56)
Men's teams
1. John April and Underson Ncube (5:41:50)
2. Keegan Cooke and Darren Benecke (6:38:49)
3. Neil Gultig and Alexander Bester (6:58:19)
Women's teams
1. Jeanne Brink and Mary-Lee Botha (7:39:46)
2. Marina Egorov and Amri Williamson (7:59:42)
3. Erin Morkel and Sarah du Plessis (8:09:57)
Mixed teams
1. Landie and Christiaan Greyling (6:34:33)
2. Simone and Lucas Malan (7:26:04)
3. Eugenie Lombard and André Gerber (7:46:13)
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