\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Celebrating its 13th<\/sup> anniversary at the Houw Hoek Hotel (Western Cape) the weekend of 17 \u2013 19 March 2023, the PICKLE JUICE AFRICANX TRAILRUN 3-Day Stage Race <\/strong>will boast a strong line-up of trail runners including the likes of Nicholas Rupanga (Kenilworth, Cape Town) with Wandisile Nongodlwana (Meyersdal, Johannesburg), AJ Calitz (Melkbosstrand) with Bernard Rukadza (Gugulethu), the brother and sister duo of Stuart Marais (Addo, Eastern Cape) and Kerry-Ann Marshall (Newlands, Cape Town), and Helderberg Trail Run Crew #HTRCrew members Hakeem Smith (Somerset West) with Lovemo Nyaude (Somerset West) and Jani Kruger (Strand) with Nicola de Villiers (Somerset West) to mention just a few.<\/p>\n In the Men\u2019s Team Category<\/u><\/strong> Nicholas Rupanga<\/strong> will celebrate his 12th<\/sup> running of the AFRICANX TRAILRUN in 2023. \u201cIt\u2019s very important to choose the correct partner because AFRICANX is a team event,\u201d says Rupanga. \u201cUnderstanding each other is crucial over those three days. You win as a team and lose as a team, either way you must help and support each other throughout. Wandisile and I have been running together for more than four years as veterans, so understanding each other well is one of our team strengths. We\u2019re excited to have competition\u00a0in the form of AJ and Bernie, but for me it\u2019s not about winning at AFRICANX, it\u2019s about meeting new people, the camaraderie and enjoying the adventure of the event. Our goal will be to put 100% effort into our performance, while having fun.\u201d<\/p>\n Rupanga is only <\/em>one of two runners that have taken part in the AFRICANX TRAILRUN 11 out of the 12 times that it has been hosted, the other runner is sports journalist Adnaan Mohamed, who will also be back in 2023.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n AJ Calitz<\/strong> is excited to once again team up with his long-time running partner and friend Bernard Rukadza. \u201cChoosing the right partner to run with is like choosing the right partner to marry,\u201d says Calitz. \u201cThings can very quickly go pear-shaped on the trails. My strength lies in my ability to climb and recover well. As a result, I can race hard consecutively. Bernie\u2019s strength is everything \u2013 climbing, speed, recovery – he is a monster! Our team strength is based on years of experience and friendship. We look forward to going up against Nicholas and Wandisile. They are such good mates and incredible athletes, but once the gun goes off, the racing starts. Although our goal is to race hard, we\u2019re also looking forward to hanging out with other trail runners. AFRICANX is something truly special, we can\u2019t wait.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hakeem Smith<\/strong> and Lovemo Nyaude<\/strong> have proven to be a team that should not be underestimated at AFRICANX after claiming the 2nd<\/sup> spot on the podium in 2022 with their combined finishing time of 06 hours 09 minutes 21 seconds after three days of racing.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a great sense of camaraderie at AFRICANX, not only amongst the leaders, but also amongst the rest of the field,\u201d says Smith. \u201cThis together with the fantastic routes and great food is a serious attraction. As a competitive person, I am looking to challenge and better our 2022 results. We have trained hard in preparation and have learnt from our mistakes. We would like to push for 1st<\/sup> place but will be satisfied with any position as long as we\u2019ve given our all and left everything out on the trails, with no regrets. It\u2019s only been a year since I switched from road running to trail running. Winning would make all those 4am early morning wakeup calls worthwhile.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEverything about AFRICANX is amazing,\u201d says Nyaude. \u201cI look forward to challenging our 2022 results with Hakeem. He is very competitive, and I am happy with the way that we work together. I recommend this event to other trail runners. It\u2019s a fun race, it\u2019s tough, but very rewarding and the support that you receive from other trail runners and supporters is guaranteed to energise you.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The brother and sister duo of Stuart Marais<\/strong> and Kerry-Ann Marshall<\/strong> are guaranteed to push the pace in the Mixed Team Category<\/u><\/strong> of the PICKLE JUICE AFRICANX TRAILRUN<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cAFRICANX is SA\u2019s most iconic multi-stage trail running event,\u201d says Marais. \u201cRacing with someone who understands you is critical. Our sports careers have always taken us in different directions, so to have this opportunity to run with my sister is pretty amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI love the competitive side to this amazing event,\u201d says Marshall. \u201cI look forward to cruising along the beautiful trails with my brother. We know each other well. We love to run hard but also have tons of fun in the process.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jani Kruger<\/strong> and Nicola de Villiers<\/strong> will be strong contenders in the Women\u2019s Team Category<\/u><\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve taken part in the AFRICANX TRAILRUN twice. One of the times was part of my honeymoon,\u201d laughs Kruger. \u201cIt\u2019s the vibe and being out in nature that attracts me to this event. I am looking forward to running with a new friend, the views, and the limits. My goal is to have as much fun as possible in the mountains with Nicky. I look forward to learning new things about myself and seeing where we end up. I would be blown away if we are crowned champions after three days of racing, but we don\u2019t expect it as the competition is always tough at AFRICANX.\u201d<\/p>\n De Villiers is excited to make her AFRICANX TRAILRUN debut in 2023. \u201cIt\u2019s the distances, the camaraderie, the team element, the vibe and the location that made me want to enter,\u201d admits de Villiers. \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to pushing new limits, to running with my incredible teammate, Jani and making friends with people who also love crazy mountain runs. Although I have yet to run AFRICANX, I would definitely recommend it to other trail runners, even if it\u2019s just for the training build-up fun that I\u2019ve had with Jani.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n EVENT INFORMATION<\/u><\/strong>:\u00a0 <\/strong>PICKLE JUICE <\/strong>AFRICANX TRAILRUN 3-Day Stage Race<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n