Need ultrarunning inspiration? Meet Tobie Reyneke

If there is one thing Tobie does not like, it is the limelight. Which is unfortunate, because when you have completed over 80 100mile races in just over a decade, you tend to get noticed.

This former clublevel prop forward has turned into the most prolific ultradistance athlete in South Africa and I was lucky enough to meet him at Karkloof, before his 80th 100Miler. Since then, he has run some more.

“If you cannot go fast, go far,” jokes the conveyancing attorney. “I grew up in the Northern Cape, where you can see three days into the future. So I like the idea of the open road. Wherever you draw a line … that is your finish. Find a finish line that suits you!

“People may think I am mad but I am the sanest person I know. This kind of running is not for everyone but it balances my lifestyle, and in my day job I concentrate for hours.” Tobie says he likes running in the night and it is one of the many elements of uncertainty that make trail running and ultratrail, particularly, so appealing.

“If I set out knowing I will finish a race I would not do it – there is no such thing as an easy 100miler. In fact, a 100miler only really begins after 100 km. I am a lowkey guy, so I also like the solitude of the longdistance runner – knowing that nobody knows where you are, is liberating. I like the kind of people who do this too. You can work stuff out there – there is a lot to be said for those moments and those middle of the night conversations.”