Lucky Miya in action in this year's SkyRun 100 km. Miya won his second title in five years. Photo: Xavier Briel Lucky Miya in action in this year's SkyRun 100 km. Miya won his second title in five years. Photo: Xavier Briel
CAPE TOWN - Skyrunning has taken the mountain running world by storm in the last decade and come to represent some of the toughest mountain-trail challenges on the planet. But long before the name became globally famous, the Eastern Cape’s 100 km SkyRun had gained a foothold on the South African Calendar.
Johannesburg veteran trail runner, Lucky Miya, raced to his second K-Way SkyRun 100km title in three attempts in tough hot and dry conditions, crossing the line almost an hour ahead of Grobler Basson in a respectable 13 hr 56 min 22 sec.
“It was a wonderful day today, but very tough,” laughed Miya. “The 2nd half was brutal, but I am glad I managed to hold on and take the title!”
Basson closed in the second half but still finished well back in 14:49:35, with Jaco Barnard third in 15:56:20.
Well-known adventure racer and trail athlete, Jeannie Dreyer, was the first women home in ninth overall in 17:48:25 – well clear of second-placed Tarrin van Niekerk. “What an amazing feeling to have finished this incredible race,” remarked Dreyer. “I now understand why people keep coming back to do this event every year. The mountains and vistas out on the course are like nothing I have ever seen before!”
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/KWaySkyRun2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KWaySkyRun2019100km in a time of 13:56:22.
This is his second win - Lucky won the 100km #SkyRun in 2017.
Well done Lucky!! @kway_za @Suunto_Fitness #HellofaRun #AuthenticallyAfrican #MovesCount #GearUpGetOut #SkyRun pic.twitter.com/MdOxgRXm09
— Pure Adventures (@PureAdventures)
Miya was in no mood to play the social game, speeding into the lead from the off, and was already four minutes up on his nearest rival, Craig Carter-Brown, at the first check point. By half way at the compulsory 20 minute stop at Balloch, Miya had opened an hour and twelve minutes over Basson.
Miya’s pace in the hot conditions started to take their toll and the Gauteng athlete slowed in the final quarter, but never enough to give hope to his pursuers and Miya raced home to a clear victory.
Former SkyRun 100km champion, AJ Calitz, was in top form in the 65km, winning in record time in 8:40:54 to finish 6 minutes inside Ryno Griesel’s 2016 previous mark, with Jade Pickard taking the women’s title in 12:23:06.
Jarryd Dunn won the 38km race in 4:43:15sec, with leading South African trail athlete, Nicolette Griffioen, finishing just 4 minutes behind to take the women’s title in a record 4:47:11.
1 Lucky Miya 13:56:22; 2 Grobler Basson 14:49:35; 3 Jaco Barnard 15:56:20
1 Jeannie Dreyer 17:48:25; 2 Tarrin van Niekerk 20:18:46; 3 Shale Biggs 21:33:06
1 AJ Calitz 8:40:54; 2 Bradley Claase 9:12:10; 3 Thomas de Beenhouwer 9:38:46
Women:
1 Jade Pickard 12:23:06; 2 Meghan West 12:29:03; 3 Sofi Ackerman 12:48:37
1 Jarryd Dunn 4:43:15; 2 Delphinus Sauer 5:31:16; 3 Mawetu Chale 6:38:41
1 Nicolette Griffioen 4:47:11; 2 Kristen Heath 6:11:05; 3 Dorothy Jordaan 7:32:29