| Wednesday, 14:30: South African team USN was the first to cross the Bull of Africa 2008 finish line at Balugha Inn today. Team members Martin Dreyer, Jeannie Bomford, John Collins, and Iain Don Wauchope were exhausted, blistered and bruised – but absolutely elated – when they arrived here at precisely 09:57 this morning.
It took the four athletes just under 97 hours to hike, paddle and cycle 570km across the diverse, harsh, yet breathtakingly beautiful terrain of the Eastern Cape. Even though they only slept for three of those ninety-seven hours, the team members were eager to share their experience:
“We came into the race hoping to do very well,” explained Martin Dreyer, “But there are some big names and strong teams out there and we would have been satisfied with a top five position.”
According to Iain Don Wauchope, “It was only after the paddle today that we were confident about winning”.
When asked about the Bull of Africa 2008 and how it compares to some of their previous adventure racing experiences, Martin stressed, “The effort of the race organisers was huge. They really included the locals and did a good job of showing off our country. We were blown away by the diversity of checkpoints – being up in the dry mountains and then coming down to the wild coast… every day was just ‘wow’.”
On the topic of the route and the Eastern Cape’s natural beauty, Jeannie Bomford said: “From the start of the race we were exposed to the most beautiful scenery; that’s one of the reasons why we do this sport – we get to see these beautiful places that many other people don’t ever get the opportunity to see. The race took us through many nature reserves and we saw plenty of wild animals; it was a true African experience.”
Catching up with race organiser, Hano Otto: “USN was always high on my list of possible winners. This event is hosted by South Africa and I think it’s fantastic that a SA team won.
It’s a weight off my shoulders once the first team crosses the finish line, because then I know that everything has worked well and that the route is realistic. We now know that our time estimations are correct, and this means that the remaining teams out there in the field will have enough time to finish the course if they keep on going and not lose momentum.” |
