Inaugural Brandberg Backyard Ultra set – Several accomplished local ultra runners to take part
The inaugural Brandberg Backyard Ultra is set to take place on 23 July in Uis and the field of entrants is already sporting several accomplished local ultra runners, and still growing, organiser, Riana Scholtz said in a statement this week.
Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) Namibia is the presenting partner of the inaugural race organised by Riana and Nico Scholtz from Namibia Ultra Trails.
The Brandberg Backyard Ultra is a backyard ultra form of ultra-marathon race where competitors have one hour to run a loop of 6,706 km, starting a new loop on top of the hour, every hour.
When each lap is completed, the remaining time within the hour can be used to eat and recover. There is no timing. Runners run as fast or slow as they choose, with the only requirement that they are back in the starting corral at the top of the following hour. Runners who fail to make it back in time or who are not in the starting corral in time for the next loop are out of the race and are marked with a DNF (did not finish) on the score sheet.
“The winner of the race is the last person standing, i.e. the last runner who can complete a single loop by himself. After this final solo loop the race ends,” said Scholtz.
According to Scholtz on the male side, the competition comprises acclaimed runners such as Keletso Nyathi, the medical doctor from Windhoek with several big international ultra-marathons under his belt.
Some of his accomplishments include The North Face 100 in Thailand, Ultra Trail 100 in Hong Kong, as well as 2021 locally organized Gondwana 7 Marathons in 7 Days.
In this potentially 24hour-plus run he will face off with challengers such as Hannes Smit, also not new to the ultra-marathon scene and who has twice completed the Four Deserts (Namibia) 250 km race.
Raising the competition there is talent such as ultra-marathon veterans Johan Bronkhorst, Andre Ross, and Frans Amakali, all multiple Comrades ultra-marathon finishers, who are willing and very able to battle it out for the last person standing to reach at least the 100 Mile (160 km) mark over 24 hours for the winning prize of N$10,000 cash.
“The proceeds of an auction of accommodation packages from esteemed Namibian lodges and high-end hampers from Namibian brands such as Namibian Breweries and Cymot, will all go towards Save The Rhino Trust, Namibia. Entries are still open and available on www.NamibiaUltraTrails.com,” she concluded.
Keletso Nyathi, the medical doctor from Windhoek with several big international ultra-marathons under his belt.
