Stats: Twilight Team Run 2010

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/59103067

Despite the massive crowds, this race was immense fun!!! All the Hillbillies did fantastically well, finishing within 3 minutes of each other!!

Route Profile

We started off mostly together, right in font at the starting line. We soon got separated by the masses, but Chris and I caught Dy and Tanja within the first kay, somehow passed them, and managed to stay ahead for the entire run. Allen was hot on our heels the whole time, but we didn't see him until he came sprinting through the finish line right behind us. Dy was hot on his heels, with Tanja arriving soon after. With a new 5km PB - WELL DONE TANJA!!!!! Despite the crowds and the heat and a mean little hill around half-way, she ran a fantastic time!!!

The route may not have been anything special, but the vibe was something else!! With prizes up for grabs for the best-dressed teams, some teams were really going all-out to win those prizes!!! I was sorry to have left my camera at home, but I'm sure there'll be tv or at least newspaper coverage of this event, with many of the best costumes featured. The one that really impressed me was the team of 'Spartans' - they arrived with a banner, drums, and spartan-kit, banging away at their drums and marching in like a small army!!! The most original costume of the entire event!

The 'race' started out at the Grand Parade in Town. Needless to say traffic was utter chaos, with many people arriving well after 7pm. Luckily most of the Hillbillies had aimed to arrive early and got there in time for the official start. A number of people had decided to do their own thing and set off about 15 minutes before the start. We caught and passed all of them!

Route Map

The route starts heading up Darling Street towards Addreley. Right into Adderley to the last traffic circle, then we turned into Coen Steytler for a short bit before heading left into Long Street. Yes, Long Street is loonnnggg!! With a definite gradient halfway through. At least the guys leaning out of the pub-balconies were very helpful in their offers to chuck down ice and water :P

The heat very nearly reduced me to a walk by this point (thankfully the water tables earlier had been well-stocked and we'd left the crowds far far behind by then!) but I managed to keep pushing, knowing that this hill must end soon. Chris had by this point developed a nasty blister on each foot, and fallen behind me ever so slightly (but he caught me again quickly, blisters and all!), I pushed on. Turned the corner onto Orange, and the road goes up, up and up some more...! 3km done, keep moving, only 2 to go!!!

Welcome respite when we turned off into Government Avenue and headed for the Company Gardens - the road levelled out and I got my second wind, picking up my pace once more. Slow down to grab a cup of Powerade at the next refreshment station, stop and turn around to deposit the cup back on the table, then off again for the last km.

We soon hit Adderly again, from the opposite direction this time, and then the Darling Street turn-off was right ahead. Race almost over, and we were flying!!! One of the marshalls at the Darling Street intersection called out to me that I was the 4th lady in. I'm not sure how accurate that was, but we were definitely well towards the front of the finishers - there couldn't have been more than 50 people ahead of us by this point, mostly men. I'm sure we finished in the top 5% at the very least. Awesome feeling, especially since this will never happen for me again - I'm very much a back-of-the-packer (and proud of it!)

Strangely, 24 minutes into the race, there were still people from the back of the crowd heading TOWARDS THE STARTING LINE!!! No surprise they were mainly SAB teams, dragging a Castle cooler box along with them, many with a cold one in hand!! They seemed to be having fun at least, and cheered wildly as we and the people around us sprinted for the finish line.

25 minutes and 22 seconds later Chris and I crossed the finish line together. The Cokes were still icy cold (actually, the helpers were still busy pouring cokes!) and we gratefully grabbed a cup each. Just perfect after a hot, hard run through Cape Town CBD. We'd barely had a sip of Coke when Allen came strolling out of the finish-shute with a big Ive-just-had-an-awesome-run smile on his face!! Followed by Dy and Tanja, and I can guarantee that Team Hillbilly was one of the very first teams to finish. Well done guys!! You were awesome!!!


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Dean Street Hillbillies