\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The \u201cQueen Stage\u201d, Stage Two of the 2022 THIRSTI AFRICANX TRAILRUN Three-Day Stage Race started at Cape Canopy Tours and finished at the picturesque Houw\u00a0Hoek Hotel on Sunday 20 March 2022. The longest of the three stages, teams of two trail running enthusiasts (male \/ female \/ mixed) had to complete a challenging yet rewarding +-32km route that boasted a total ascent of 920m.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Kane Reilly and Daniel Claassen from Team Salomon secured their second consecutive stage victory in the Men\u2019s Team Category<\/u> with a winning time of 02 hours 09 minutes 58 seconds.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cToday\u2019s start was a long downhill, so we knew the pace was going to be hot,\u201d says Claassen. \u201cI think we averaged 3.5 minutes a kilometre for the first 7 kilometres. It was pretty-hard running, but we knew that we\u2019d be strong on the climbs and just tried to keep the pace as hot as possible. We dropped Siviwe (Nkombi) and Retsepile (Khotle) from Team Here To Win at about 12 kilometres and ran hard in the middle section to make a \u2018lekker\u2019 gap. In the last bit we just tried to save some energy for tomorrow. I am sure the guys are going to come out hot for the last day.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t really take in the scenery, not today,\u201d admits Reilly. \u201cThat\u2019s one of the fun things about these trails, they\u2019re really runnable. It\u2019s quite cool to put your head down and give it beans. The event\u2019s been awesome. I think they\u2019ve done an amazing job with the infrastructure and village set up, it\u2019s amazing. This race is set up for good racing and for all the strong teams to be here. It\u2019s been a vibe. I\u2019ll be back next year and would like to bring a whole lot of other teams. This course is a good leveler. You can come from anywhere in the country and really compete. This should be a place where all people get together and race hard.\u201d<\/p>\n Wandisile Nongodlwana and Nicholas Rupanga of Team ASICS Mojos came in 2nd<\/sup>, while Lovemo Nyaude and Hakeem Smith of Team TBC finished 3rd<\/sup>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the Women\u2019s Team Competition<\/u><\/em>, THIRSTI AFRICANX TRAILRUN newbies Marion Leiberich and Lijan Van Niekerk from Team The Border Collies had a magnificent day out on route. Finishing in 02 hours 35 minutes 55 seconds meant that they were the Overall 4th<\/sup> team to cross the finish line on the day. Ahead of them were two men\u2019s teams and one mixed team.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cToday\u2019s stage was great,\u201d says Leiberich. \u201cWe pulled each other, me on the ups and Lijan on the downs. I think we complement each other well. It was fun. I\u2019ve really enjoyed the event so far. I like the flowy trails and it\u2019s not too technical. It\u2019s my favourite kind of trails so I enjoyed it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe just went as hard as we could, while keeping it conservative in the beginning,\u201d says Van Niekerk. \u201cIt was a +-32km stage, and we are both not used to the longer distances. We normally race around 20 kilometres, so it was a good challenge for us especially after yesterday. Going into Stage Three tomorrow I would like to go full out from the start because it\u2019s only 18 kilometres, but let\u2019s see how the legs feel. Another stage win would be great.\u201d<\/p>\n Robyn Gardener and Leonie Schoeman of Team Handle with Flair came in 2nd<\/sup>, while Madeleen Van Wyk and Marise Prinsloo from Team 373 finished 3rd<\/sup>.<\/p>\n Landie Greyling, unfortunately, had to withdraw from the race before the start of Stage Two due to illness.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Kerry-Ann Marshall and AJ Calitz from Team K-Way NewBalance also secured their second consecutive stage victory in the Mixed Team Category <\/u>in a time of 02 hours 35 minutes 49 seconds.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI conservatively told Kerry-Ann\u2019s coach that we could finish 3rd<\/sup> overall,\u201d says Calitz. \u201cThere were parts where we really pushed it and then took it easy down the long hills. I think that paid some dividends. We really worked it up the climbs, taking our time at the feeding stations refuelling properly. We wanted to run as well as we could. If you win that\u2019s a both, if you come tenth that\u2019s just par for the course. \u00a0We really left nothing out on the field today, we actually burnt everything. It was a great and very fulfilling day out. The trails are beautiful, the routes are spectacular, and Kerry-Ann was an absolute machine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cComing 3rd<\/sup> overall today was AJ\u2019s goal,\u201d laughs Marshall. \u201cIt\u2019s super important to choose the right teammate when you\u2019re racing AFRICANX. You have to have the same attitude and values when you\u2019re out there. AJ told me yesterday that when he comes here, he\u2019s away from his family, so he\u2019s going to give it his best and run as hard as he can just to make them proud. I have the same sort of attitude. AJ is a legend of the sport and such a gentleman. I feel like a princess out there even when I\u2019m dying.<\/p>\n Paige Botten and Josh Van Niekerk from Team 653 came in 2nd<\/sup>, while Greg Erlangsen and Melissa Laing from Team Pura finished 3rd<\/sup>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n NEXT UP<\/u><\/strong>: 2022 THIRSTI AFRICANX TRAILRUN<\/strong> Three-Day Stage Race \/ Stage Three<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Launched in 2009, the THIRSTI AFRICANX TRAILRUN is synonymous with magnificent trails, spectacular views, mouth-watering food, a relaxed atmosphere, great vibe and most importantly, teamwork! Teams of two trail running enthusiasts (male\/female\/mixed) will be seen battling it out on a route varying in distances each day.<\/p>\n