Reed and Pascall are table-toppers
AMERICAN Cody Reed and British athlete Beth Pascall enjoyed table top performances in Cape Town yesterday, winning the 2019 edition of the Ultratrail Cape Town 100km over Table Mountain and beyond in warm and windy conditions.
British paediatrician Pascall delivered the performance of the day in the absence of two injured star-rated athletes, former winner Lucy Bartholomew of Australia and American worldbeater Courtney Dauwalter, both relegated to spectator roles with similar hip injuries.
But Pascall provided her own fireworks, racing superbly over the variety of terrains on offer in the UTCT to become the first female athlete to better the 11-hour mark, smashing Bartholomew’s 2017 time by all of 27 minutes in clocking 10hr 55min 25sec.
“It was one of those days when everything seemed to go right,” Pascall admitted. “My shift work as a doctor means that I train less than many of the athletes I’m racing against, although I have managed to train Moores consistently since Ultra Trail Mont Blanc three months ago ( where Pascall placed 4th) and it think that paid dividends.
“(Polish athlete) Dominika Stelmach overtook me going up Platteklip at 25km, and then I overlook her again on the descent to Constantia Nek. I was expecting her to take the lead again on the next climb but I never saw her again.
“I felt strong from there and fortunately there were no major wobbles along the way. So yes, a good run for me!”
Reed, one of the self-styled Coconino Cowboys of trail runners based in Flagstaff, Arizona and bringing their track speed to trail competition, was over the moon at achieving his first major win on the Ultra-trail tour.
“Wow! I can hardly believe it – it means so much to me. I’ve been here for about ten days and Cape Town has just grown on me. So even before the race I felt it would be special.”
But unlike Pascall, Reed had to grit through pain to achieve his win. “My adductor muscles were giving me a hard time,” admitted Reed. “But I just felt I could not quit today. It was something in the air ... fortunately I was able to keep things under control and finish quite strongly.”
Cody took the lead for the first time after 86km, overhauling early leader Nicolas Martin of Spain, before racing to victory in 10:04:58, 23 minutes outside South African Prodigal Khumalo’s 2017 mark.
Cody upset strong favourite coming into the race, French athlete, Francois D’haene, who struggled to hold his race together, and never really felt his usual racing self, nonetheless holding on to clinch second just 6:24 behind Reed. Spare a thought for Martin who looked every inch a winner after 70km until his calves turned against him.