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Matthew Healy Ultra runs himself onto the podium

Tanika LaskeyFeatures, NewsLeave a Comment on Matthew Healy Ultra runs himself onto the podium

After a 4 week high altitude training camp in Dullstroom in January, Matt made the long haul to New Zealand for his first race of the year at Tarawera Ultra-Trail By UTMB

Designed to capture the stunning and diverse landscapes of the Rotorua region and showcase what #TrailsFullofHeart is all about – connection with land and people in breathe taking surroundings on 105km of runnable trails with roughly 3000m of ascent.

The pace on Saturday was fast from the start and Matt was with the lead bunch. Last years winner Daniel Jones piled the pressure on, Matt measured his efforts to maintain a consistent pace throughout the race picking off runners one by one and moving into third place where he would manage a comfortable gap and find himself crossing the finish line to stand on yet another UTMB World Series podium behind now two times champion Daniel Jones(NZ) and Justin Grunewald(USA).

Races of this nature are not run on a weekly or even monthly bases as athletes need time to prepare with each Ultra Trail Run presenting its own unique challenges but then there is the recovery time post the race. The consistency Matt is showing is incredible and testament to his meticulous training and strategic race craft, in the past two years, Matt has accumulated incredible accolades:

• 2022 Mozart100 by UTMB, Austria – 10th overall, 5th in Category
• 2022 Nice by UTMB, France – 5th overall, 3rd in Category
• 2022 UTCT, South Africa – 6th overall and in Category
• 2023 Trail Alsace Grand Est by UTMB, France – 2nd overall(behind 1st by 58seconds)
• 2023 Julian Alps Trail Run by UTMB, Slovenia – 5th overall, 3rd in Category
• 2024 Tarawera Ultra Trail by UTMB, New Zealand – 3rd overall, 2nd in Category

49 and Counting

Tanika LaskeyFeatures, NewsLeave a Comment on 49 and Counting

It takes a special type of athlete to line up year after year for the Comrades Marathon and finish this ultra-marathon challenge 40 times or more, and that’s why just 18 runners have done so in the 102 years since the Comrades was first run. Leading that list is Barry Holland, who will be aiming to become the first athlete to achieve 50 Comrades medals in June this year, and a chat with this South African ultra-running legend is guaranteed to inspire. – By Sulette Ferreira with Sean Falconer 

The Running Mann: Searching for Pots, Chefs, Strooms

Tanika LaskeyFeatures, NewsLeave a Comment on The Running Mann: Searching for Pots, Chefs, Strooms

Now that I am finally back to enjoying one of my favourite hobbies, travelling the country to try run every marathon or ultra in South Africa, I recently found myself in Potchefstroom for the LetsGo Potch Marathon, and besides enjoying a good run with various running friends, I also delved deep down into the darker side of my sense of humour. – By Stuart Mann