Pennypinchers Adventure Racing Team member Jeannette spent her public holiday running around Knysna in the rain with about 30 other crazy people. The weather was actually perfect for the Knysna Ghost which was a small adventure race covering a distance of 50km with 5 transitions which kept the seconds on there toes. It all started with a 5km run at Crabs Creek along the phantom pass rd to a local farm along the Knysna River where we climbed in for a paddle back to Crabs Creek. Onto the mnt bike traversing across the mnt to Buffalo Hills River Deck to clip our second check point, along the road to our next transition at Buffalo Backpackers where the run started. Awesome single track thru the coastal vegetation which then took us the beach all the way to Brenton on Sea where we got back onto our bikes across the railway line just past the St James headland and back into our canoe's to paddle across to Crabs Creek. We had to collect six check points along the way. It was a real good fun event, well organized Thanks to Pax and Louise and all the helper. But big thanks to my super second Colin who made it to every spot in time and collected all his checks points as well which the seconds had to collect as well making it interesting for them to.
Results Jeannette Walder 1st lady and 3rd overall in the solo.
From the local press
LOCALS CLEAN-UP at inaugural Knysna GHOST!!
Two of the Garden Route’s top athletes – Marcel Roos and Jeanette Walder stunned the crowds at the first ever Knysna GHOST Adventure Route held in Knysna last Thursday 16th Dec.
Despite the shocking cold wet and windy weather conditions, hard core athletes turned out in their droves. Solo and team participants set out at pace from the start at Crabs Creek for a 5km dirt road run. At transition 1, the solo competitors rushed for their boats, whilst the team participants switched racing vests for the second leg of the race, a 7km paddle down the Salt River. Transition 2 saw the mountain bikes racing off through some magnificent pine forests, negotiating some tricky sandy terrain, to end up at The River Deck and Buffalo Bay, where a 7km trail and beach run was next on the cards. At Nauticus, Brenton on Sea, competitors again reached for their bikes to negotiate the railway line over the lagoon and back to the Point to grab their boats for the final leg home and back to the finish at Crabs Creek. Race marshals had barely finished eating their delicious breakfasts, when the winning competitors came into sight over the very choppy lagoon!
Local “Younguns” - and team of 3 Bradley Nelson, Grant Ayton and Rory Sandberg won overall with a winning time of 3h13minutes. Hot on their heels, and only 3 minutes behind them, was local “Toppies” team, Jan and Rhoda Zonnestien, and MTB champ, Paul Mickelwood. The first Solo man was local hero and tri-athlete Marcel Roos who completed the 50km route in 3 h 23 mins. He was followed by Danie Leonard from Blanco who came in 9 minutes later. In third place overall, and comfortably winning the ladies solo category was renowned adventure racer, Jeanette Walder who completed the course in 3hrs 39 minutes. Kate Southey took second place in the ladies solo category. The winner of the teen category was Team Merrell consisting of Wouter Bezuidenhout, Benjamin Gilomee and Michaela Beers. In second place in the teen team category, was Oak Hill team Amy Williams, Jonty Andrews and Anola Walk.
Said race organiser Pax Mosterd of Garden Route Events and sponsor Ultimate Cycling, “I am overwhelmed by the performance of the pro athletes on this course who have set some mean times to beat next year. It was equally awesome to see the less competitive entrants having such a blast. See you again next year”.
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