\u00a0<\/em>Celebrating its debut at the Van Gaalen Cheese Farm (Hartbeespoort, North-West Province) on Saturday 20 August 2022, Stage One<\/strong> of the THIRSTI AFRICANX TRAILRUN 2-Day XPLORE <\/strong>treated trail running enthusiasts of all fitness levels and expertise to a fantastic route experience.<\/p>\n Living up to the THIRSTI AFRICANX TRAILRUN reputation, the 2-Day XPLORE is the perfect prelude to what to expect from the flagship 3-Day event,\u00a0boasting magnificent trails, spectacular views, mouth-watering food, a relaxed atmosphere, and a great vibe.<\/p>\n Retsepile Khotle (Alberton, Gauteng) led the charge in the Men\u2019s Race<\/strong> completing the +-20km Stage One<\/strong> route in an impressive time of 01 hour 16 minutes 24 seconds. \u201cI was going with the lead runners; the pace was smart and gentle. I\u2019m not sure at what distance I made my break, but it was after the water crossings. I wanted to reach the climbs first, so that if it was difficult, I\u2019d have time to deal with it. The down hills were easier and very interesting. When I reached the flat sections I decided to go for it. I didn\u2019t worry about tomorrow, I just believed that it was the best for me today. It\u2019s also what I\u2019ve been doing in my training sessions. I\u2019m used to the pain in training, so I\u2019m used to the pain in racing. Today is the result of my training. I like the AFRICANX because of the friendships that are made and because it has the most beautiful trails.\u201d Thabang Madiba came in second, while Bradley Claase finished third.<\/p>\n Anneleen Swanepoel (Centurion) took the lead in the Women\u2019s Race completing the +-20km Stage One<\/strong> route in a deserving time of 01 hour 37 minutes 44 seconds. \u201cThe Stage One start was quite easy, there weren\u2019t many rocks and it felt good, but then the hills started. At first, I was able to run the hills, but there came a point where I actually had to walk it and I feel like I had to crawl it. The down hills were nice, and I felt like I could recover a bit.\u00a0 The way back was flattish and not too bad. It was a very nice race, and I really enjoyed it. My main goal is to enter the big AFRICANX (referring to the THIRSTI AFRICANX TRAILRUN 3-Day Stage Race), maybe next year or the year thereafter. For now I\u2019m very excited to take on the smaller AFRICANX races. It\u2019s a nice training series for the big AFRICANX.<\/p>\n Tomorrow, I\u2019ll take it slow and see how it goes.\u201d Marise Prinsloo came in second, with Letshego Zulu finishing in third place.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n THIRSTI AFRICANX TRAILRUN<\/strong> ambassadors Franza Landman (East London) and Blake Dyason (Hout Bay, Cape Town)\u00a0\u00a0loved every minute of Stage One of the THIRSTI AFRICANX TRAILRUN 2-Day XPLORE<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cMy friends and I had such a lovely run,\u201d says Landman, who is counting down to the Comrades Marathon next weekend. \u201cThis time round I could take in the beauty of the Stage. The scenery was different to what I\u2019m used to. The sugarcane was absolutely magnificent. My aim was to go and have fun, and I had loads of it. We really had a party on the trails. The vibe was amazing at the water stations, and I had a bit of a dance there with my friends. The route was doable, but not boring. It kept you entertained. There were a few technical down hills, but nothing drastic. It was just the perfect route and distance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis event is amazing. It\u2019s a smaller group, but so intimate and so much fun with such amazing people from all over the country,\u201d says Dyason. \u201cI\u2019ve really enjoyed meeting so many amazing people. It is so special. Today\u2019s route was incredible. Every corner had an unexpected beauty from running through cane arches into single track in a forest like section and then down into open valleys. It was just so beautiful. I think the THIRSTI AFRICANX TRAILRUN 2-Day XPLORE<\/strong> is the start of something that is going to go on for many years and is going to become big and amazing. Everyone is going to leave here with new friends and incredible memories.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOver the two-day period trail runners can look forward to experiencing a massively diverse landscape with plush green overgrowth in some sections and dry rocky terrain like “Poffadder” in others,\u201d says Victor Schipper, Van Gaalen Owner. \u201cThe views are spectacular, and the venue is beautifully set along the Skeerpoort River with orange African sunsets behind a backdrop of the Magaliesberg. It\u2019s a privilege to be working with Stillwater Sports as we host the very first THIRSTI AFRICANX TRAILRUN 2-Day XPLORE <\/strong>at the Van Gaalen Cheese Farm.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n STAGE TWO<\/u><\/strong>: 2022 THIRSTI AFRICANX TRAILRUN 2-Day XPLORE<\/strong><\/p>\n