By Courtney Meiklejohn
I am a born and bred country girl who grew up on a dairy farm outside the small town of Underberg, and I have a deep love and passion for the outdoors and running. My love for running began in high school at fifteen when I joined the cross-country team. My passion then grew when I met Mdumiseni Zondi, one of the staff members at St John's D.S.G. Zondi, who has a contagious passion for running, and he never says no to a run. There were many occasions when he would take the time out of his day to go running with us, sharing his valuable knowledge about the sport along the way. He inspired me daily to become a better runner through his insane discipline, motivation, and encouragement. Over my high school years and first year of university, I've entered quite a few trail races and a handful of road races. The farthest race that I completed was a half marathon at the Euro Steel Run the Rivers event.
Euro Steel Run the rivers 2023 with some awesome weather on day one. Photo by Neil Prior
2023 is the second year I've participated in the full Euro Steel Run the Rivers event, which comprises of 22 km on day one and 23km on day two on the Underberg farmlands near the Olde Duck and along the uMzimkhulu River. This event took place on the 28th and 29th of January and made for an epic Drak Mountain Clash weekend! The Drak Mountain Clash caters for all! Canoeists, cyclists, runners and even your partygoers! Multiple events occur during the weekend, from the two cycle races (which include two different distances) to the two trail runs (again with two different distances) and lastly to the Drak Challenge Canoe Race! And I can say with absolute confidence that this year's Drak Mountain Clash did not disappoint!
The butterflies started when I was sipping a steamy latte on the new Balam River Deck Café just before race registration on Friday afternoon. Jodie Shaw (one of my good friends) and I thought we'd grab a quick cuppa at the new café since it was just up the road from the Olde Duck. Balam not only has great coffee, but the deck hangs just over the uMzimkhulu river and looks out towards spectacular views of the Southern Drakensberg mountains! What a way to start the weekend!
Image provided by author.
Not long after our coffee stop, we found ourselves at the Olde Duck for registration to collect my race number, and oh boy, I tell you, the excitement was real! I've always loved the hype and excitement before a trail run. Friday night was an early night since my race would start at six the following morning, and luckily for me, the morning came fast! I arrived at the start with my supportive parents, ready to shout my name from the side-line. The morning air was crisp, and the mountains gleamed in the near distance. My ears filled with excited chatter from the runners, and the race commentator hyped us up as the time drew closer to the start of the race. Before I knew it, the countdown began, and we were off on the trails! This race always has cleared tracks with picturesque views, making the race even more enjoyable. The first few kilometres of day one had quite a bit of elevation but levelled out and meandered on some nearby hills, allowing for fantastic photo opportunities! When I reached the water table at about the nine-kilometre mark, I was greeted with smiles and much-needed sweets! At this stage, everyone was still in such high spirits, which was encouraging. I crossed the finish line in just over two and a half hours with an extremely red face, hands on my hips and a huge smile. The celebratory chatter, the sound of the commentator's voice, and the smokey smell of the boerewors rolls added to my sense of accomplishment. The long run called for an afternoon siesta so we could all prepare for an evening of live music, good food and jolling!
The live music at the Olde Duck on Saturday night was insane! The artists and bands were incredible and had the crowd buzzing! The bands "Angus" and "Black Whiskey” had the people in the crowd dancing, jumping, and screaming the lyrics of the songs.
It was a bit of a challenge to wake up on day two, especially after the late night and the rainy weather, but spirits were still high, and the trails were calling us. Sunday's 23km run was quite muddy, with some slipping here and there, but the cooler weather allowed it to be my strongest run of the two days. At times during the runs, when I thought, "why am I doing this?''. Another runner would often pitch up at just the right time to unintentionally encourage me with kind words or humour reminding me why I love trail running so much. By the end of day two's race, I had reached the finish line in two and a half hours, and I savoured yet another sense of accomplishment with the delicious chocolate milk supplied by the Run the Rivers Team and a toasty, warm cappuccino.
Photo by Neil Prior
The weekend ended with a tired but content drive home, a hot shower, and some fluffy socks. Sitting on the couch at home, I felt incredibly grateful for my exciting weekend with friends and family on and off the trails. I suppose that's why I love trail running so much. Not only is it exhilarating to race and compete, but trail runs also create a space to spend quality time with loved ones and allow you the opportunity to meet some incredible people along the way. I'm already looking forward to the Euro Steel Run the Rivers 2024!