inTRAIL:
Words: Dominc Strano ǀ Photos: Peter Kirk
Race 2
Merrell Night Run Series
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“Today … be praised for wine was pressed at the Cape,” exclaimed Jan van Riebeeck’s diary entry on the 2nd of February 1659; a welcome and auspicious day for the early settlers who, until that time, had to survive on warm Fanta Grape. Now I too have been known on occasion to offer similar sentiments to Oom Jan, but as I toiled up what was (admittedly and embarrassingly) a moderate incline in the dark, I found myself wondering if the pioneers of viticulture in the Cape could not have restricted themselves to the valleys and avoided locating their vineyards on the side of a mountain. It was this and other less charitable thoughts that were going through my mind as I chased my running partner and 230 other similarly-clad and headlamp-festooned runners on a crisp autumn evening, through the beautiful grounds of Groot Constantia Estate for race two of the Merrell Night Run Series powered by Black Diamond, that was held on Tuesday, 9 April 2013.
Groot Constantia was founded by Simon van der Stel in the heart of what was to become the Constantia Valley and the site of some of the first and most famous early wine production in the Cape. Wine aside, the Estate proved the ideal venue for a night run; a scenic and challenging trail running route through the vineyards, a safe, enclosed area and best of all, Simon’s Restaurant, a warm and inviting place for the spectators and supporters to nestle next to the fire, with a glass of wine, while we toiled in the dark. Simon’s also proved the perfect setting for the post run prize-giving and a bite to eat. The event was split into two runs. One was a testing and hilly 8 km route that had attracted the usual assortment of compression-clad racing snakes; there were young snakes, old snakes and then some really old snakes who were joined by the ambitious and energetic. The second run was a more moderate 5 km race for those less snake like, families and couples, as well as those suffering from post Two Oceans' maladies or a Lindt bunny overdose (me). Thankfully, both Merrell and Black Diamond were on hand to kit out those who had not quite come to terms with the change of seasons, or those (like me) whose previous headlamp resembled something more suitable for going down a mine and was in desperate need of something more lightweight.
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It would be hard to know what the founders of the Estate in 1685 would have made of the assortment of brightly dressed, headlampclutching runners that gathered to listen to the prerace briefing - possibly, “Why go through all the trouble, why not just settle into the warmth of the tavern and drink some wine.” A thought, I must confess, that had crossed my mind more than once as the post-Easter chill descended on Cape Town. However, the enthusiasm of my partner and the rest of the runners quickly put paid to that and off we went at a temperate pace. Setting off at twilight allowed all the runners to take in the amazing views across False Bay and autumn colours of Constantia Valley. The routes wound through the vineyards, past the magnificent Cape Dutch Manor House and past a few surprised locals who were out walking their dogs. As it got dark, the runners in the 8 km race disappeared up the slopes to form a glittering line of headlights, while we chased the headlamp in front of us and kept an eye out for the florescent route markings.
The 5 km route did not force us to reach quite the same heights as the 8 km route and I was very grateful to see the line of headlamps in front of me turning downhill as we headed for home. Having managed to avoid any wrong turns, and the ground underfoot proving to be navigable to even the least nimble of foot, we zipped up our jerseys and made a dash for the warm glow of the restaurant, roaring fire and complimentary wine tasting … known as the finishing line in less interesting races. While we rehydrated on PVM recovery drink and some of Groot Constantia’s finest vintages (not necessarily in that order), we watched a succession of beaming (in both ways) runners cross the line. Hugs and high fives abounded, and war stories of great daring and athletic performance were exchanged before everyone moved to the welcoming warmth of the bonfire, gourmet burgers and cold draft beer.
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As far as the racing snakes went, it turned out to be a dice between the old and young snakes. In the 8 km, it was veteran racing snake Noel Ernstzen who managed to use all his guile and cunning to outpace the juniors in round one. While in round two, junior Dylan Stevenson had wizened up to his tactics and managed to turn the tables on the old man. The 5 km (an event that I suspect the organisers had designed for the less-competitive runner) turned into a dice between another elderly racing snake ('ERS', who shall remain unnamed to preserve what remains of his dignity) and his young daughter. ERS outsprinted his daughter in round one, but she returned the favour in round two. The results were notable for the number of juniors who featured at the sharp end in both races, as well as the amount of novices who had taken on the adventure and novelty of running at night. The well-marked and appointed route made for a safe, manageable and, above all, a fun event that had something to offer for the competitive and non-competitive snakes alike. After the prize-giving, a (surprising) number of runners and supporters, with a healthy disregard for the constraints of Wednesday morning, settled in around the heaters and fire places of Simon’s and continued to sample the fruits of Simon van der Stel’s vision, tell tall tales and offer similar sentiments to those expressed by Oom Jan way back in 1659 … an activity I’m sure even the founding fathers of the Estate would have recognised and thoroughly approved of. Thanks must go to Groot Constantia, Simon’s Restaurant, Merrell, Black Diamond and the team of Tatum Prins and Graham Bird at Mountain Runner Events for putting on a great event. It was an ideal way to kill a chilly Tuesday evening. •
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For full race results and to find out about future events, check out www.mountainrunner.co.za.
èRelated articles:
• Become a Mountain Runner (Issue 24, p. 48) • The Botter Trail Run (Issue 21, p. 22) • Running Wild (Issue 20, p. 24)
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