The Addo Elephant Trail Runs

Results & Photos 2007

Due to extreme weather conditions and heavy rainfalls, both the 100Miler and 50Miler were re-routed.
100Miler
Position Participants Time Country
1 AO Okreglicki 21:30 South Africa
2 Reiner Stucky 22:54 South Africa
3 Raymond Cranston 23:33 South Africa
3 Mike Webb 23:33 South Africa
5 Jo Mackenzie 23:39 South Africa
6 Susan Hurter 23:46 South Africa
7 Michelle Fookwe 25:35 South Africa
7 Brian Collings 25:35 South Africa
9 Gunnar Nilsson 27:18 Sweden
10 Freddie Michaels 27:18 South Africa
11 Brian Marshall 27:40 South Africa
11 Mike Henning 27:40 South Africa
13 Andy Cox 28:52 South Africa
13 Emily Lee 28:52 South Africa
15 Dirk Staal 29:05 South Africa
15 Yvette Van Der Westhuizen 29:05 South Africa
17 Bruce Arnett DNF South Africa
18 Linda Fioravanti DNF South Africa
50Miler
Position Participant Time Country
1 Michael Hendricks 7:04 South Africa
2 Aaron Benzi 7:04 South Africa
3 Chris Antonie 7:15 South Africa
4 Hylton Dunn 7:22 South Africa
5 Joseph Sampies 7:28 South Africa
6 Arno Lawrenz 8:08 South Africa
7 Herbert Yafela 8:26 South Africa
8 Chris Hills 8:40 Australia
8 Anton Millar 8:40 South Africa
10 Paul Kuhne 8:49 South Africa
10 Patrick Rawlins 8:49 South Africa
12 Jan Labuschagne 8:53 South Africa
13 Pieter De Bruin 9:08 South Africa
14 Philip Burger 9:22 South Africa
15 Laura Forster (1st Lady) 9:32 South Africa
16 Raymond Van Tonder 9:46 South Africa
17 Peter Bezuidenhout 10:04 South Africa
18 Karen Addison (2nd Lady) 10:41 South Africa
19 Michael Mnyungula 10:43 South Africa
19 Siyabulela Ngxonono 10:43 South Africa
21 Marissa Kilian 10:50 South Africa
21 Greg Nerf 10:50 South Africa
23 Erika Gibson 11:25 South Africa
24 Edward Chapman 12:00 United Kingdom
25 Darrell Raubenheimer 12:31 South Africa
25 Greg Raubenheimer 12:31 South Africa
27 Claire Crowther 13:25 South Africa
28 Kelly Lim 14:02 Singapore
28 Ian Ross 14:02 South Africa
30 Anne Centner 14:22 South Africa
30 Tracy Millar 14:22 South Africa
32 Godfrey Harris 14:56 South Africa
32 John Hewitt 14:56 South Africa
34 Helen Andre 16:18 United Kingdom
34 Lucy Rautenbach 16:18 South Africa
36 Rob Rutter DNF South Africa
37 Cindy Van Wyk DNF South Africa

Article ~ 28 April 2007

Despite heavy bouts of rain and cold conditions, 16 of the 18 participants successfully completed the third annual 100-mile (160-kilometre) Addo Elephant Trail Run through the Addo Elephant National Park.  The event also included a shorter 50-mile (80-kilometre) course which attracted 37 entries this year, with 35 of those successfully finishing the course.  The trail run once again attracted international interest with representation from Singapore, Australia, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
A first for 2007 was the growing contingent of women who took part in the 100-miler with six women entrants this year.
Contestants had to keep an eye out for some of the Park’s Big Five species on sections of the course. However, their safety was ensured by Park rangers who patrolled these sections to ensure no incidents occurred.  The trail run also saw contestants cross part of the Zuurberg Mountain range in the Park, with its breathtaking views and pristine fynbos, grassland and forest vegetation.  Heavy rain the day before the event forced the organizers to re-route the course due to extremely muddy and slippery conditions on the original trails. Feedback from the contestants was still positive, however, with many still commenting on the scenic beauty of the alternate trail.
AO Okreglicki from Cape Town took first place in the 100-miler in a time of 21 hours and 30 minutes.  Second place was claimed by Reiner Stucky in a time of 22 hours and 54 minutes while joint third place went to Raymond Cranston and Michael Webb in a time of 23 hours and 33 minutes.  The first lady to cross the 100-miler finish line was Jo MacKenzie from Maclear in a time of 23 hours and 39 minutes, which earned her fourth place overall. Two times 100 miler defending champion Bruce Arnett was forced to retire at about 110kms. due to an injury.
Local runner Michael Hendricks took first place in the 50-miler in a time of seven hours and four minutes, with Vuyisile Aaron Benzi finishing a few seconds behind Hendricks. Another local runner, Chris Antonie, finished third in a time of seven hours, fifteen minutes.  The youngest competitor in the 50-miler race was 20-year old Greg Raubenheimer. 
The tough 100-miler course saw contestants running through the night, with only torches and luminous markers for direction, with temperatures dropping to below freezing in places, and into midday of Sunday.
A group of cyclists traveled the route in pairs accompanying the 100-mile contestants who had to report to marshals at regularly-spaced checkpoints. This ensured that any runners who strayed off course or injured themselves could be found if they failed to check in.  The professional Medi-Clinic team looked after the participants along the route and at the finish; a 4x4 ambulance and vehicles from the Mountain Rescue team also followed the route, ensuring the safety of all the runners.
Race dates are chosen each year for their proximity to the time of full moon to provide the 100-miler contestants with better light as they run through the night.  The date for next year is 01May 2008.

Thanks to the incredible commitment and dedication of the crew manning the check points and on the route, both the 100Miler and 50Miler were extremely successful and without incidents.