Other News
Don-Wauchope smashes the SkyRun record─── 09:55 Mon, 24 Nov 2014
Iain Don-Wauchope of KwaZulu-Natal has smashed Ryan Sandes’ record to win the gruelling 100km 2014 Salomon SkyRyn held in the Witteberg Mountains between Lady Grey and the Wartrail Country Club from 22 to 23 November, 2014.
Don-Wauchope set the record for the torturous mountain run at 12: 08: 15 seconds to narrowly miss out on the US$ 10 000 up for grabs for the ever elusive sub-12 hour run.
The 100km run took its’ on numerous of the countries and worlds best runners, and Don-Wauchope told OFM Sport how he nearly quite the race at Balloch, more or less at the halfway mark.
“By the time I got to Balloch I was finished…I was really knackered. While they did the medical I actually sat there with my eyes closed I was just like I don’t know if I could keep going.
“I said that to Mike de Haast, the race organiser.
“He no you can’t you’ve got to keep going, you’re on record pace, not just record pace but the twelve hour pace,” said Don-Wauchope.
“10 000 US Dollars for first place under 12 hours is not just something you can forget about, so I thought I’ve got to peel myself off this chair, get out of the transition and get going,” the champion added.
The event boasted with an exceptionally strong international field with some of the worlds’ leading trail and ultra-runners such as Gary Robbins (Canada), Nick Clark (USA) and up and coming 23-year-old German runner, Philipp Reiter.
Reiter made it over the infamous “Wall” in second with Robbins hot on his heels after make the most of his experience and the previous days scout of the trailing. Sadly the German runner pulled out of the race shortly afterwards.
Clark himself took a serious pounding going over the “wall” and retired from the race before the seventh checkpoint at Edgehill.
Robbins kept his pace steady throughout the course smiling past each checkpoint and came in second in the time for 13: 36: 21.
Robbins admitted that the race may have been a lot tough than he anticipated, however said know that he knows what the course entails he will be able to prepare a lot better next time around.
“I thought the race was stunningly beautiful. It was just a visual journey the whole way through and physically it’s one of the toughest km-for-km, mile-for-mile races that I’ve ever done,” the Canadian told OFM Sport.
“It’s very tough, it’s very different in the physically demanding department. It’s not single track, it’s half-track, there are lengthy stretches where there are no trails, there’s off-camber terrain from start to finish.
“I got blisters on my feet where I’ve never got blisters before and normally my feet are pretty good.
“It’s just incredibly mentally challenging. You don’t get a single step from free on this course, you just don’t.
“It comes at you full force right from the start and it doesn’t stop all day long. You have to be mentally locked-in from the second you start this thing because it’s just too easy to quit this thing as you’re going,” Robbins added about the demands of the course.
Gary Robbins of Canada at the "Turn". Photo: Morgan Piek / OFM News.
Local runner, Jock Green who also took a hammering by the course he knows all too well edged SkyRun veteran, Hylton Dunn, by four seconds in a sprint finish to claimed third in 14: 12: 53.
South Africa’s Landi Greyling won the women’s 100km race in a time of 16: 14: 13 and placed 7th overall. Germany’s Julia Boettger was the second lady over the finish line in 19:53:27. Sue Chapman took the bronze in 23:33:53.
Morgan Piek / OFM News
Iain Don-Wauchope speaks to OFM Sport about his record winning run:
