Fochville’s ultra marathon running star, Cornel Metcalfe, again excelled at a gruelling race this week. Metcalfe participated in the 100 mile Mac Mac race over the past weekend.
The event started in the quaint old gold mining town Pilgrim’s Rest at 12:00 on Friday, June 28. From here the runners had to run the 160 km while ascending to 7 500 metres until they reached the end of the race at the Merry Pebbles resort in Sabie.
According to the race organisers, the 100 mile has lovingly been called ‘Beauty and the Beast’. By linking some of Mpumalanga’s greatest hiking trails, the Mac Mac takes the participants through the amazing natural diversity from the historic towns of Pilgrims Rest, Graskop and the forestry town of Sabie.
They ran through deep natural forest valleys and climbed some of the highest peaks in Mpumalanga with spectacular ridgelines. Runners also passed through some of the world’s oldest plantations. In the end Metcalfe completed the gruelling race well within the finishing time of 44 hours and was the second woman over the finish line.
“It was a difficult race from the start because I could not find my running rhythm, but if I look at my time it was probably all in my head. It just goes to show that even if you have completed numerous 100 milers each one feels like a new one,” Metcalfe told supporters from the Fanatics Racing Club in Fochville, of which she is also a member.
