10/11/2014
Varsity College Students getting Involved... does it fit with Our Setup?
Varsity College Multi Series finishes in style:
An incredible spring day dawned on the final event of the Varsity College Multi Series at the beautiful Baynesfield Estate situated just 20 minutes from Pietermaritzburg. Baynesfield Estate is situated in KwaZulu-Natal near Richmond and was founded by the late agricultural pioneer, Joseph Baynes, who left Baynesfield Estate in a trust for the benefit of South Africans when he died in 1925 without heirs.The Estate is over 9000 hectares in extent and is run as a working farm, by a Board of Trustees, farming pigs, timber, maize, avocados, cattle and soya beans. Joseph Baynes started the bacon industry in SA and the Estate still has the largest breeding piggery in the Province.
Just over 450 athletes across the Mountain Bike, Trail Run and Muticross events took part in the event and there was some great support from family and friends as well as the three KZN Varsity College based campuses.
The 5kms fun run / walk and the 15kms trail run continued to attract the runners and walkers from the serious to the not so serious in the fast growing trail running community.
Solicitor Manduwa took the win in the mens 15kms trail run in a time of 52 minutes and 14 seconds and said "I really enjoyed the run, Baynesfield is a fantastic venue with beautiful views, the route was really well marked and fast and technical, I'll be back for the next one for sure. Daneil Feldmann took the line honors in the womens race with another impressive run.
The 19kms intermediate mountain bike was won by Rob Craig in 51 minutes 17 seconds with youngster Beanie Thies winning womens race in 57 minutes and 8 seconds. She had the following to say, "It was a hard course but extremely fun with technical single track, everyone should really get out here and ride more often, the trails are incredible."
The 40kms mountain bike classic was won by Evan van der Spuy in a classy 1 hour 33 minutes and 27 seconds over 3 minutes ahead of second placed Marc Adam, van der Spuy had the following to say, "The hardest part of the route was the 12kms climb to the highest point, but from then on the fun fast single track was incredible - I managed to get a lead off the climb and hold it from there. Baynesfield is an awesome venue and I love the trails here." Paddling ace, Brittany Petersen, continued to enjoy her time out of the boat and on the mountain bike taking the win in the womens race.
The long course Multicross event provided a fast, fun course for the athletes and was convincingly won by Mitchell Ginsberg across the 5kms trail run, 20kms Mountain Bike and 2,5kms trail run route in a time of 1 hour 10minutes and 31 seconds. Experienced multisport athlete Landy Puddu won the womens race.
With the Varsity College Campus challenge once again providing fun and games for the athletes and spectators the Pietermaritzburg Mammoths came away with the victory on the day in the glider challenge with the Westville Cowboys taking the overall win across all three events in the series.