Conquering the Hill will prove test for the most adventurous road warrior

RACES that identify with a city landmark often capture the imagination of runners, and the much-feared Diesel Depot Hill draws people.

Tomorrow morning, hundreds of runners will align themselves with the Mazars Diesel Depot 15km Challenge, organised by Hamiltons.

So dominant is the Diesel Depot Hill that most runners truly believe the course is an uphill one. It is true that there is a 3km stretch that is quite daunting, but the race offers an overall drop in altitude of 12m.

The 6am start is from the corner of Chamberlain Road and Pearce Street, which has a lovely, gently downward start gradient before turning into Old Transkei Road and the eventual big plunge down to the Nahoon River.

A sharp left has runners heading for Abbotsford and Dorchester Heights, where the first gentle climbs are encountered.

For those who look after themselves, there is a bonus that awaits in that the final 3km is mostly downhill and offers very fast running. Strong runners at this point are able to pick off many a broken athlete.

Other special features of the race are the quality of the T-shirts the first 600 runners receive and the free breakfast included in the very reasonable R70 entry fee.

The race has won awards in the past for its organisation. The Comrades Marathon is only four weeks away, and this is the last chance those runners will have to race locally before the iconic event Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

The actual Diesel Depot Hill may not be as long as Fields Hill out of Pinetown, but it is steeper and could well send the odd chill up or down the spine.

In the men’s race, there is likely to be runners from Real Gijimas, All Stars, Mdantsane AC, Born 2 Run, Overtakers, Cheetahs and Nedbank, who will contest for

between podium finishes through the various age categories.

The women’s contest is different, with the most obvious contenders emerging from as diverse a grouping as Born 2 Run, Hlazo AC, Old Selbornians, Foundation AC, Oxford Striders and Mdantsane AC.

The race finishes at the Hamilton Club, with the likely winner coming home in around 50 minutes.