GEORGE NEWS - Local athletes Etienne Plaatjies and John April won the male teams' category of the 2018 Rhodes Dryland Traverse which ended in the isolated town of De Hoek on Sunday.
The sell-out event brought 370 adventure-seekers to the Klein Karoo for four epic stages of trail running.
Title sponsor Rhodes Food Group jumped at the opportunity to invest in local talent by sponsoring seven local runners, among them Plaatjies and April, with entries to the event and trail running attire.
Taking centre stage was Robert Rorich who won the solo male category in a time of 5:34:05.
The 22-year-old has fast become a favourite on the trail running scene after his new South African record
at this year's Otter African Trail Run.
Over four days the athletes were exposed to unique features of the South African landscape like the Unesco World Heritage site of the Swartberg mountains, Cango Caves and Raubenheimer dam.
Plaatjies balances his trail running dreams with a job as a security guard, and squeezes in his training sessions at extreme hours in between long shifts.
As no stranger to the sport, Plaatjies was the first coloured male to become the 800m South African Champion in 2010.
"It's an incredible experience to be welcomed by this trail running community who encourages and enables you to pursue your dreams, said Plaatjies. "It makes me want to reach for more in this sport and gives me a platform to encourage the youngsters looking up to me.
"John is feeling so motivated - he even told me he wants to enter the Comrades next year."
Taking the title in the solo women's category was Jo Mackenzie, who completely dominated her class in a time of 7:39:36.
Etienne Plaatjies on the move during the Dryland Traverse.
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