GALLERY: Mad runners return triumphant

Twelve mad runners have returned from their successful run to Cape Town.

They are the Mad 2 Run runners who completed a relay run from Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge to Cape Town in eight days, between 27 March and 4 April.

They ran the 1 490km with a person running at any given time, day or night.

“The run was incredible,” said Dylan Hobson, a former pupil at the school. “We came out injury free, except for minor niggles and sore knees.” He explained that the first few days were “boring”, with “not much to see”. But after reaching Colesberg, when runners were physically and emotionally tired, the scenery was beautiful. “It was quite spectacular,” he said. “You feel special and blessed, particularly when the sun rises behind you.”

Parktown resident Ryan Lancefield said that the run was an “amazing experience”, and the runners saw a great deal of the country. “We saw towns we would never have seen,” he said. Lancefield’s favourite part of the run was entering Cape Town, where the scenery was beautiful, with winelands all around the runner. Hobson ran 4km in a mankini, due to a dare he made with his former school.

Lancefield called this “absolutely hilarious”. “It proves he would do anything for the cause,” he added. Both runners said that the hardest part was running through the night, when their bodies were tired. Despite this, Hobson said that the Mad 2 Run team “had superb strength and courage to push through the hard times.” The group did not reach its target of raising R1 million for the Mad Charity, but only raised R275 000. “We are not disappointed at all,” Hobson said. “We still achieved an amazing feat.”

Details: Mad 2 Run info@mad2run.co.za