Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
AfricanX Trailrun could mirror Epic as an international showpiece
The AfricanX Trailrun, run over 91km in three days, ended in style at Houw Hoek Inn last month, as another iconic endurance event – the Cape Epic – got under way. And the “corridor talk” amongst AfricanX race organisers suggests that plans are afoot to elevate the foot race to similar levels achieved by their cycling counterparts.
The two endurance races invite comparisons – both are team events and both reward high achieving pairs with substantial prize money. Both take place in late summer along some of the finest off-road trails in the Western Cape.
Both events have been acknowledged as brilliantly conceived and organised, attracting the attention of international competitors.
And some athletes, such as the charismatic Songo Fipaza, have competed in both. The Kayamandi-born endurance sport junkie has completed seven Cape Epics and six African X’s, and together with Swiss world-class mountain biker and five times Epic winner, Christoph Sauser, has used the events to support developmental projects in the Stellenbosch township.
But while the two events have several connectors, there remains a chasm in their respective standing internationally. The Cape Epic is recognised as the mountain biker’s “Tour de France”, attracting most of the world’s top bikers, while the African X, a top-class national race attracting the elite from around the country, has only flirted with international recognition in its nine year history.
“We see the key selling point of the AfricanX as a challenging race attracting runners relatively new to trail racing, in addition to providing good competition for the elites,” Stillwatersports head, Michael Meyer, reflected. “This has led to the ‘gees’ which keeps runners coming back year after year. And we would not want to do anything to compromise that.
“However, we would also like to consider the introduction of some special new elements to the event next year to celebrate AfricanX’s 10th anniversary. We will be working hard in the next weeks to define what these will be, but we are looking to build further on the success of the event.”
While being cautious about going on record on what these elements might be, there is the prospect of new routes, potentially moving annually between iconic Western Cape venues.
But the possibility of drawing elite international athletes to compete in a competitive team event at a similar level to the Cape Epic would help change the face of trail-running in South Africa. Potentially a five day stage race for elites, held in conjunction with the current three day event for the masses, could prove a winning formula.
“You have some of the best trails in the world,” said German athlete Christian Alles, who raced the AfricanX this year as part of the ASICS Frontrunners team with teammate Max Kirschbaum. “And the organisation is world-class. So you have some of the elements in place and I’m certain that athletes would love to compete.”
“We suffered a little from coming from the European winter to running in conditions close to 40 degrees on the first day,” added Kirschbaum. “But I got stronger on days two and three and really enjoyed the race.”
A significant increase in event sponsorship, partly to offer prize money attractive to international athletes, could be an item high on Meyer’s checklist as he debriefs with sponsors – arguably the most important element to take the AfricanX to the next level and follow in the cycle-tracks of the Cape Epic.