The Maganicent Seven had alsobecome ten with the addition of Kylie, Roger and Filippo. Ray was still ploughing a speedy furrow on his own.
We had about 28 kms to do to get to Surfers and it was a great mixture of rocky paths, boulder hoping and sandy beaches before 11 kms of firm running on sand as the tide started to go out.
Lots of marine life today too, saw a whale 'blowing' before we set off and then pod after pod of dolphins surfing the waves , some really quite close in to the beach.
Once at the start line of Surfers we were fed with fresh pasta and had about two hours to relax before the race and our last leg.
While we were waiting the local radio and TV crews parked up next to us including three celebrity runners. I'll have to check their names out later, but one was Shaun who finished top 10 and one former Comrades winner
Bruce Fordyce, a real Comrades legend having won the race 9 times. Bruce also organises parkrun in South Africa and that was my cue to get chatting. As far as bragging rights go, well I've got 100 parkruns, he has just passed 50!
As a treat to us weary ultra runners we were allowed to start 15 mins before the main race to help us avoid some of the early congestion on rocks and boulders (except Ray who set off with the main race and was to finish in the top 20!).
This caused some amusement and confusion amongst the spectators who lined much of the 18 km route, and we also found ourselves being filmed by motorbike camera crews and the helicopters over head!
The route was a nice mix of earth and grass tracks, then sandy beach followed by rocks and then some very tricky steep boulders. Fillippo, , Jonathan and I reached the first of the two river crossings before the first of the fast runners passed us, and then we hit about 6 km of tar.
It was tough going, but we eventually hit the beach again and good firm sand for the long run home, and it long!
At some point on the long, long beach I was passed by Myrette, the third of the celeb runners who surprised me by saying 'well done Paul', unfortunately she stopped and slowed down later, clearly having a bad day , but a nice touch from a top runner. I then felt a bit guilty finishing ahead of her (she was third woman).
Once at the end of the beach it was a shortish swim across a fast flowing river (not too hard, but the runner ahead of me collapsed and had to be taken from the river by the lifeguards) and a 200 metre dash up soft sand to the finish. I clocked about 1:35, which I think is an OK time and was third home of the WCU runners.
After that if was a quick shower and change, then beers as we waited for Chris and Charmsine to arrive, the last of our runners. We were also awarded our WCU medals as part of the Surfers medal ceremony! Real celebs!
So. All in all , lekker, lekker!
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