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GEORGE NEWS - An action-packed weekend in George saw South African trail runners Ryan Sandes and Sylvie Scherzinger claim victories at the first ever Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) World Series event to be presented in Africa, when they won the MUT Miler - a distance of just over 100 miles - at the inaugural Mountain Ultra Trail (Mut) by UTMB this weekend.

This internationally recognised event was hosted in the Outeniqua Mountains and saw 1 450 local and international trail runners cross the finish line.

The event gave runners six distances from which they could choose: the Mut Miler, the Mut 100, the Mut 60, the Mut Marathon, the Mut Challenge and the Mut Lite.

Bruce Arnett, who is no stranger to the Outeniqua Mountains, and Tarrin van Niekerk won the 100km men's and women's categories.

Joining the list of champions were Johardt van Heerden and Kim Schreiber (GER) in the 60km category, Ian Peterkin and Jacques Buys shared the men's 42km marathon distance with Bianca Tarboton in the women's category. Anderson Ncube and Lijan van Niekerk won the 25km category.

Big honour for George

George Mayor Leon van Wyk said it was a great honour for the city to host this UTMB World Series event. "We were highly impressed with the organisation of the event, from the first visit to the race village at Witfontein as registrations commenced. The good weather conditions should have assisted the participants. 

PHOTO GALLERY: Mountain Ultra Trail (MUT) in Outeniqua Mountains

"Congratulations not only to the winners, but to all participants. We trust that your visit to George and our Outeniqua Mountains has been enjoyable. We look forward to your next visit," he said.Women's Mut Miler winner Sylvie Scherzinger. Photo: Sportograf

Mut Miler

The 100-mile trail runners kicked off the weekend of racing at 14:00 on Friday 26 May. The men's start list featured the likes of Ryan Sandes, Omar El Sawy (EGY), Grobler Basson and Douglas Pickard, while the women's start list featured Sylvie Schezinger, Michelle Gordon, Danelle Joubert and Colleen Browne. However, it was Sandes and Scherzinger who took the top spots in a time of 21:46:32 and 38:4524 respectively.

"I started out feeling really good but I felt a little tired and sleepy early morning at around three to six," said Sandes. 

"That was probably the toughest part for me, but other than that I felt comfortable the whole time. It was tough out there as the conditions were muddy and technical, which meant slow moving. The route itself was amazing and the event had a cool vibe. I am excited that South Africa has a UTMB World Series event now. I really wanted to qualify for the UTMB World Series final in France at the end of the year. So, I am happy to have achieved that."

Scherzinger said that albeit muddy, the course was fantastic. "That was insane! It was like a mud bath. It was so slippery which made it difficult to run. I was aiming for around 35 hours but with that mud, I was slowed down drastically. The course is fantastic. Those were some of the best views I have ever seen. The whole course is just breathtaking, the wilderness, the mountains, it is all just mind-blowing," she said. 

Mut 100 

The 100km race distance saw runners starting their Outeniqua Mountain adventure early on Saturday morning. Arnett compared this year's 100km distance to last year. 

"This year was tougher, I wasn't as strong. It was also so much muddier; that mud really made the conditions a lot tougher. I was slipping and sliding everywhere, I had several falls. I had a really bad spell at about 20km into the race, whereas last year I was strong the whole way. I actually dropped back to third place at one stage, luckily, I recovered well. All in all, it was a good day though a tough day. I enjoyed it," he said.

On defending her 100km race distance title, Van Niekerk said it was a totally different course to last year. 

"It was so muddy this year, which made the run very hard and the course a lot slower. It was still a spectacular race; it is such a beautiful course with amazing views. The last stretch to the finish line, I lost my humour a little bit, I was so tired. It was hard work. Sometimes those hard races make it even more worthwhile."

Tarrin van Niekerk won the 100km women's category. Photo: Mut By UTMB

Mut 60

The 60km race distance saw Johardt van Heerden and Kim Schreiber (GER) both setting new course records in the Outeniqua Mountains. Van Heerden and Schreiber took the top spots in the men's and women’s categories in a course record time of 05:55:18 and 07:19:18 respectively.

Recorder breaker Van Heerden said the route was very muddy and slippery in some sections, but he managed. "The last 10km was very hard and I knew I needed to conserve some energy. What a beautiful day out, brilliant course, brilliant race. Very muddy and slippery but it was fun," he said.

Fellow record breaker in the women's category and the only international athlete to claim victory, said this was her second time in South Africa. "I visited Cape Town last year to race, but George is so different to Cape Town. It's crazy how unique and beautiful it is," she said. 

"The race was brutal. To be honest, it was super technical, unbelievably muddy, slippery, and steep. It did not suit my strengths; I am not a technical runner. However, that did not matter today because I was blown away by the scenery and beautiful surroundings, it was so special being out there. The most special thing for me today was the sunrise. I have never started a race in the dark before, so seeing that sunrise in the trails and mountains was just insane."

Mut Marathon

The marathon race distance runners also set off early on Saturday morning. This distance saw another record shattered, this time by South African runner Bianca Tarboton, who completed the course in a time of 04:36:55.

Ian Peterkin shared the top podium spot in the men's category with Jacques Buys. They crossed the finish line together in 04:31:00.

"The race was amazing, it was tough and super muddy. The downhills were slow, but despite all that, I loved it, and it was beautiful," said Tarboton.

"Outside of the muddiness, the weather conditions were good. The course was relentless, there was a lot of climbing. I had a foot injury coming into the race so to not only finish but win feels amazing. I was not focused on the opposition for this event because of my foot. I was running my own race and focused on myself. I was just making sure I was listening to my body the whole time, but I surprisingly felt strong," she said.

Buys said he started off conservatively because he knew the first climb was a make or break. "You don't want to go off hard in the first ten kilometres. Around the halfway mark, Ian [Peterkin] and I decided to stick together, we are good friends too. So, we decided that if we are able to stick with each other until the last two kilometres, we would call it truce and finish together," he said.

Peterkin also described the course as extremely muddy, something he couldn't have prepared for. "I had the tactic to run my own race and not worry about others. When I caught up with Jacques [Buys], we worked well together. It helped to have someone to chat to and get me through the dark spots. It helped that we are good friends and HOKA teammates. So, it was a special win for us," Peterkin said.

Bruce Arnett won the 100km men's category. Photo: Mut By UTMB

Mut Challenge and MUT Lite

The Mut also saw victories in the shorter distances for Anderson Ncube and Lijan van Niekerk winning the 25km race distance in the men's and women's category in a time of 02:01:22 and 02:25:57 respectively.

Lunga Nolakana and Bailee Nell took the spotlight in the 10km distance. Anderson said the day went well for him as he is familiar with the course, having run these trails before. "I didn't know how strong my competition was, so I took the first section easy to scout out the opposition. When I realised the guys were going slower than my goal pace, I decided to up the pace and I took off," he said.

On her victory in the women’s category, Van Niekerk said she felt strong. "However, the conditions weren't the best. It was cold in the morning, there was like a winter wonderland out there. It felt like we were running through fields of frost, it was all white. It was beautiful though. 

"There were even blooming proteas, it was stunning like the Outeniqua Mountains always are. The mud did make the pace a little slower than I would have liked. I took the downhills cautiously so that I don't twist an ankle or hurt myself because I have another important race coming up in two weeks in Austria. I now have two weeks to recover nicely, then back to racing again."

UTMB World Series

UTMB World Series is the world's ultimate trail-running circuit that unites the sport's biggest stars and passionate runners through the best, leading international events in the most stunning locations. 

Built on a passion for the mountains with sustainability at its heart, UTMB World Series gives all trail runners the chance to experience the UTMB adventure across the world, with events taking place across Asia, Oceania, Europe, Africa and the Americas. 

It is the only place where runners can begin their quest to UTMB Mont-Blanc, France, where the prestigious UTMB World Series finals will be held. For more information, visit www.utmb.world.

About UTMB Group

Over the last 18 years, and since the creation of UTMB Mont-Blanc in 2003 by a group of passionate friends, UTMB Group has been the driving force behind the development of trail running. The UTMB Mont-Blanc is the sport's pinnacle event, and every year, 10 000 runners earn their place at the start line. 

UTMB Group also pioneered the Live Trail technology, an innovative digital service that supports the management of endurance races. Revered by hundreds of thousands of athletes, UTMB has become a global, premium, and leading brand.

In May 2021, UTMB Group partnered with the Ironman Group to launch the UTMB World Series, which brings together many of the best international events on the planet to provide exclusive access to the sport's pinnacle event, UTMB Mont-Blanc. 

The UTMB World Series is built on the founding principles of UTMB Mont-Blanc: surpassing oneself; fair play; respect for people and the environment; and solidarity. Find out more at www.utmb.world.

Germany's Kim Schreiber won the women's 60km category. Photo: Jeff Ayliffe

About the Ironman Group

The Ironman Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the Ironman Triathlon Series, the Ironman 70.3 Triathlon Series, 5150 Triathlon Series, the Rock 'n' Roll Running Series, Iron kids, World Triathlon Championship Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon and City2Surf, UTMB World Series events including the Canyons Endurance Runs, Tarawera Ultra and Ultra-Trail Australia, Epic Series mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic, road cycling events including Haute Route, and other multisport races. 

The Ironman Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world and provides more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company's vast offerings. Catering to the full athlete experience, the company portfolio also includes FulGaz virtual cycling, the most realistic indoor riding experience connected fitness application aimed at preparing athletes for real-world events. 

Since the inception of the iconic Ironman brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that anything is possible by crossing finish lines around the world. 

Beginning as a single race, the Ironman Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across more than 55 countries.

Bianca Tarboton. Photo: MUT by UTMB

2023 MUT by UTMB Results

Mut 100-Miler | Men:

1. Ryan Sandes (21:46:32 | New Route)
2. Douglas Pickard (22:54:50 | +1:08:18)
3. Gabriel Kriel (23:56:07 | +2:09:35)

Mut 100-Miler | Women:

1. Sylvie Scherzinger (38:45:24 | New Route)
2. Colleen Browne (42:32:35 | +3:47:11)
3. N.A.

Mut 100km | Men

1. Bruce Arnett (13:39:13)
2. Michael Molyneaux (13:49:40 | +10:27)
3. Guido Tagge (14:20:40 | +41:27)

Mut 100km | Women:

1. Tarrin van Niekerk (15:02:39)
2. Kelly Freeth (15:14:00 | +13:21)
3. Sveta Becker (15:34:33 | +31:54)

60km | Men:

1. Johardt van Heerden (5:55:18 | New Record)
2. Jeshurun Small (6:15:32 | +20:14)
3. Mvuyisi Gcogco (7:04:27 | +1:09:09)

60km | Women:

1. Kim Schreiber (7:19:18 | New Record)
2. Jada Linstrom (8:03:56 | +44:38)
3. Samantha Reilly (8:09:04 | +49:46)

Mut Marathon | Men:

• =1. Iain Peterkin (4:31:00)
• =1. Jacques Buys (Same Time)
• 3. Rikus Saayman (4:43:32 | +12:32)

Mut Marathon | Women:

1. Bianca Tarboton (4:36:55 | New Record)
2. Rebecca Kohne (5:16:12 | +39:17)
3. Sumé van Heerden (5:25:08 | +48:13)

Mut Challenge | Men:

1. Anderson Ncube (2:01:22)
2. Christiaan van der Heever (2:05:17 | +3:55)
3. Ruben Diepu (2:21:33 | +20:11)

Mut Challenge | Women:

1. Lijan Burger (2:25:57)
2. Vicky Welham (2:36:20 | +10:23)
3. Nadine van Driel (2:43:18 | +17:21)

Mut Lite | Men:

1. Lunga Nolakana (55:03)
2. Rainart Behrens (55:40 | +37)
3. Liam Painter (57:21 | +2:18)

Mut Lite | Women:

1. Bailee Nell (1:05:41)
2. Neelke Stadler (1:06:35 | +54)
3. Melandé Stadler (1:15:18 | +9:37)

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