I’ve always been a firm believer that when you run ultras you need to know yourself. You should have been through a bit of adversity to really be able to handle the pain cave that comes with running 100km+. I have had a lot of those in my life. It didn’t define me. It just changed how I approach and handle situations. I guess it helps a lot in my running.
MUT by UTMB 100 miler 2026 was a special one. It was one that was trained for intentionally, mentally prepared for and absolute teamwork. You just don’t decide to tackle that distance. You feel it first, a feeling deep down in your gut that you are ready. And then you enter.
I remember standing at the finish line of MUT 2024 with my one-month-old daughter handing out medals. I phoned my coach and asked if he thought it would be possible for me to run the miler in 30 hours. He laughed and just said: “hell yes!” I decided that day that I am going to do it in 2025. It was hard work to get back to training and to my routine after Klara was born in April 2024. I consulted my gynae and GP to make sure I can go back to training. I discussed it with Divan, my husband, who supports me 200%. We said we are going to give it a go. A lot of hard work went into getting fitness and endurance back. The cold and rainy runs felt harder, the waking up early, very early. We put in the time and I felt prepared. And then I got sick the Tuesday before the race started on the Friday. It was mentally tough to get through that. To realise by the Thursday that I might never even get to the start. We decided that if I was able to hold down food for 2 hours, we are going to start the race. And I did. I got ready and toed the line, started well up until Cradock Peak and then it all went south again. It was hard to know the time and effort that went into it, and suddenly it felt that everything was in vain. It was a long Friday afternoon and night, but I managed to pull myself together and finished the race, one I would forever be very proud of. I did run under the 30 hours I was once aiming for, but it was an hour longer than we planned. I knew that there was more in me. I knew that there was more to explore and to push. And my children would be older.
It was going back to the drawing board. Because I am working an office job of 8-10 hours a day, I can only train when I have time, usually in the afternoon after a long day at work. And there is no time to waste. It needs to be of good quality, because I still have a household to attend to, a family to feed, a child to spend time with and a husband to share life with. One can quickly get caught up in the adrenalin rush of going full force into something, getting a bit selfish, but you need to keep the balance, which is very difficult if you really want to do well but need to manage all of the above. Every training session needs to be intentional, and you need to commit – rain, wind or sun. I was constantly reminded that a lot of time is being spent preparing for what I believe is something I can achieve. The goal was something that was cherished and discussed between myself and Divan weekly, as well as with my coaching team. It was something I want to share with my children when they are focusing on dreams themselves. It made the long hours on the trail worth it, especially when Klara needed to be dropped with her godmother because I need to put in the time. The night runs on a Friday night with Divan getting home at 00:00, just to get up at 05:30 to get ready and go watch my boys play rugby, to return, get dressed and do a 5-hour run. And get up Sunday morning again. It is the belief that what you put in is for the bigger plan, what you are aiming for is in your sight and the constant reminder that this phase is only temporary.
This year I took leave during race week, which was a game changer. I could go through everything in my mind, be relaxed and really just focus. I spent time with Divan and Klara and that was the best – to spend those precious hours daily with them after being on a strict routine and schedule for months of literally functioning by the hour. We had a meeting 2 days before the race discussing what the strategy would be and to be honest – it scared me. But I am also a firm believer that if you never try, you will never know. And if your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough.
This year standing at the start line was different. It was a feeling of being content, but as I looked up to the spectator point and further up to George Peak, the tears rolled down my cheeks. Yes, even for us milers the thought of that distance is intimidating, scary and so unknown. I remember I just prayed and promised myself that I should trust my body, my gut and just enjoy it. So much can happen on the day, but you should never give up. I invested too much and I wanted to show my appreciation towards everyone who was in my corner by running a race filled with grit and joy. The start felt like the neutral zone of a Grand Prix race. Everyone just idling, until you turn left towards the mountain. Then suddenly everyone drops a gear, and you just know the race is on. Once my feet hit the gravel, I once again looked up to George Peak and again said a little prayer: “Oh God, this is fast and we still have 166km left! Please be with me, and please calm my mind to enjoy the experience”. Getting up to the spectator zone was amazing and an experience unique to MUT. The weather was amazing and by the time I got to Cradock Pass aid station I was on par with my plan. Where last year Cradock Pass was supposed to be the section I would have made a move, it ended up being the worst section of the race. That was kind of fuel for my thoughts for this year. I also doubt there was anyone else who trained that section more than me! Reaching the next aid station was so positive as this year I wanted to go where last year I actually told the aid station I am out.
Running on a ridgeline at sunset will always be a special experience and running east on Keurberg at sunset is something else. Reaching Herold 90 minutes earlier than last year was a mental boost. And so was every other aid station when you realise hard work is busy paying off. Reaching Oakhurst and finding my very excited crew there was a highlight. But it is also when the hard work starts, because from there it is only you, the sound of your shoes hitting the trails and your thoughts. Yes, I struggle from there. My foot slipped on a downhill and my right big toenail tore. It was so sore! I was angry that the sun wasn’t up yet (as if it should suddenly rise!). I hallucinated for the first time in my life and by the time I reached Tierkop I was in so much pain from my foot. But I knew the hard work is paying off. I knew I was close. I just needed to push through. From there, all I could think of was the war stories I could share with Divan and my kids. How I can be a testimony that if you put in the work, you will reap the fruit. That support is crucial for success. I was also thinking of how this is so applicable to all the kids I was running for. Having my journey dedicated to Matla A Bana was a real personal journey. Being the mother of 3, having boys and a girl, hits home when you have experienced some kind of abuse in your life. And the thought of my kids going through any kind of abuse broke my heart. I was constantly thinking what those kids must have gone through and still go through. It made the pain in my foot more bearable to push through.
The best feeling was to run towards Trail Kiosk. A crowd cheering and supporting in the midday sun. I felt humbled and just so grateful to be arriving at this iconic spot. Kids running with you whom you have never seen before, and then when you get to the road crossing, they are there again. Colleagues from the George Hospital where I work standing along the last hill towards the finish. People driving past cheering and hooting. Friends and their children cheering you on as you only then realise that everything you have sacrificed for the past few months is eventually going to pay off. And it is a feeling of accomplishment, relief and overwhelming joy at the same time.
It only really dawned on me when I took the flag and took the turn and saw the finish line. It was a feeling of relief. The hard work was done; the race was just the execution of it. And the finish line the cherry on top. The only family at the finish was Klara and her godmother, Brigitte, whom I only saw a few minutes after the finish. Initially, when I crossed the line, I felt alone, but the moment I looked up and saw the people, familiar faces, Zane and the rest of the MUT crew, the community of George, I realised I am truly blessed and definitely am not alone! Sport has this way of uniting people and that was something that I have experienced firsthand this year. People I do not know supporting and cheering, from 22:00 in the streets towards the dam to the crowd at the finish line. All for a common cause – an athlete who made the finish line. I think it would be mentally irresponsible to set your mind on a position. The sport of trail running is getting stronger by the day and so is women’s running. I focus on a goal, on my own PB. I can have 100 PBs and no podium and that would be great, because the focus is on your own individual capabilities. If my personal goal is good enough for a podium on the day, that is a bonus. I am no pro-athlete. I run when I can when there is support available, making the most of every opportunity. I need to dig deep, to run when I do not want to, but still get the joy out of it instead of using it as a coping mechanism. The outdoors calms me. The mountains demand respect. It is a mutual respect between athlete and nature, a sacred relationship which will only be understood if you allow yourself to experience it.
I guess the biggest goal for me is to show that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. That previous failures and setbacks have no impact on current discipline and goals. That hard work and dedication is the key to success. That support forms a critical part of your success and that no human can walk this journey called life alone. That one’s mind is so powerful and if you put your mind to something, you can definitely achieve it. But most importantly I want to be an example to people – an athlete with an organic smile, always proud of reaching the finish line, who celebrates her own victories, who finds the beauty everywhere and in everything and keeps the joy through every run, who supports and encourages while still managing her life as mother, wife and corporate employee. Winning MUT by UTMB 100 miler in our own backyard was a dream come true. But I do hope that it was the seed that was planted for several young children to show what can be achieved if you dream big.
