Since I began Ultra running in 2001 I had always wondered whether I would be capable of running over 1,000 miles, I knew at some point it would be something I had to try.
In 2010 I was looking for a big project to get my teeth into and my first choice of country was South Africa, so I asked a few of my equally mad South African friends if they had any bright ideas of routes I could run. There were a few suggestions but one in particular caught my attention – The Freedom Trail, a 2,000 +km route starting in Pietermaritzburg and finishing in Paarl just outside Cape Town – this sounded like the challenge I had been looking for, time to look into it more closely.
Each year in June/July there is a mountain bike race called The Freedom Challenge that takes place along the Freedom Trail, set up by David Waddilove. He has put a huge amount of time and effort into not only finding the route but also getting the support of the local communities.
With great anticipation and excitement on the 24th September 2014 Samantha Gash and I started a journey neither of us will ever forget, running 2,000km over 32 days along the along the beautiful Freedom Trail.
The planning that went into this project was huge! It took over two years and as well as trying to get the funding for the expedition and charity, which you can imagine, in this current economic climate was really tough; there was also the logistical side of the expedition; this was extremely time consuming and difficult, especially as Samantha and I lived on opposite sides of the world and in different time zones.
It was my job to organise the route/accommodation. There was a lot of information on the Freedom Challenge website but trying to work out daily distances to match up with accommodation was difficult, especially as not all the accommodation was listed on the website.
I put together the initial plan and Andrew King, who has been involved in the mountain bike race since the beginning, rejigged it, then nearer the time the Freedom Challenge organisers re-tweaked it again (bearing in mind we were running the route not cycling) from a safety point of view.
All the maps and route descriptions were printed off, one for each vehicle and a set for the runners plus a spare just in case, but if Samantha and I were to spend the time reading maps it was going to add a good two plus hours onto each day, thankfully Andrew and the Freedom Challenge guys provided me with GPX tracks for each day, which I down-loaded onto two GPS devices, one for the runners and another for the vehicle, this part of the planning alone took months and months!
It wasn’t only the route for the runners that had to be considered, there were occasions each day when the vehicle wasn’t able to access the areas we ran through, they had to go round on dirt roads to meet us on the other side – these diversions were sometimes 60km plus!
Next was the transport, this we thought would be the easy part, how wrong we were!! Luckily through a contact of mine in the UK, VW Commercial came on board to support us, so amazing and the 4×4 was perfect for the job.
I was very conscious of security during the run. I have never felt unsafe in South Africa in all the years I have been going over there but felt that it was important to take safety seriously, we didn’t want South Africa getting bad press for something that we could have prevented. A friend of mine who had provided me with two personal protection officers during my Double Comrades in 2009 very kindly agreed to provide us with a PPO for the Freedom Run, we had a lovely guy called Iggy (Ignatius) who spent the 32 days with us and became an integral part of the team.
The support team were great. Initially we had five support crew two of whom were there to film the expedition for a possible documentary and Iggy our Personal Protection Officer, but they all mucked in and helped us in every-way from filling our water bottles, making sure we ate, massaging when necessary, making our lunch as well as running sections with us and of course the most important part keeping us on track and motivated.
Halfway my marvellous husband and two other amazing people joined us. Everyone slotted into their own roles and worked amazingly as a team making our jobs of running much easier.
The whole team arrived in Cape Town on the 19th September , here we testing the satellite phone up to the top of Table Mountain to see if we could get a signal – a cable car up and a hike down (at the time I remember thinking how stupid I was doing this type of hiking SO close to the big run as I could have fallen or twisted an ankle, what a plonker).
Finally we were on our way to Durban where we picked up our 4×4 vehicle, filled it to the gunnel with luggage and food then drove to Pietermaritzburg where we stayed at the Aintree Lodge a lovely B&B, tomorrow we were off!
We had received a message from the Freedom Challenge organisers on the evening of the 23rd saying that they considered it extremely unsafe and dangerous for us to run from the City Hall in Pietermaritzburg (PMB) even with a vehicle behind us as there would be lots of traffic (even at 5.30 a.m. when we planned to start) and no hard shoulder for us to run on, so it was suggested that we drive to a certain point (approx. 20km further along the route) and start from there. Although not very happy with this it certainly made sense and we felt it was important to take their advice. However on the plus side we could add 20km to the end of the day and actually finish at our accommodation Allendale rather than 20k short and spend time having to drive back and forth. Also day 4 was a BIG day in terms of mileage and terrain so by adding 20km extra to the first day it would mean less to do on the long day 4.
D-day had arrived. I was up and awake at 3.30am, dressed, packed and heart rate high (no change there then!!).The boys had the task of packing the vehicle which took longer than they had anticipated (this became a very slick operation by the end of the trip!), meaning our departure that should have been at about 5.30 am was delayed until about 6. I have to admit I found this very frustrating as I’m not very good at being delayed but there was no way the boys could have packed any faster it really was a job and a half.
On reaching the starting point Samantha and I made sure we had some water, packs on and we were ready to go – PHEW this was it, no going back now! South Africa is a country that I have a real love for so you can imagine how much I was looking forward to seeing some of the most beautiful parts while doing what I enjoyed – running!
During the planning process HWMBO asked me what would happen if both Samantha and I became injured during the run and couldn’t continue – this run had become much more than two women running across the Freedom Trail, it was about running to support South African young women to help them continue in education and therefore giving them choices about their future – the answer was simple, we would have to find people to continue the journey for us, I know now that our crew would have done it without a question.
I felt as though I was going to have a heart attack my heart was racing. We knew the world was watching us so this could either be the biggest success or the biggest flop in my running history, either way it didn’t matter. I knew if my body behaved I was capable of running the distance and my mind-set was strong. By the simple fact that we were both there and attempting something that many people wouldn’t even consider doing was testament in itself that we were focused and determined to complete the journey especially as the cause we were running for was/is so important to us.
I was feeling a lot more relaxed about an hour into the run (once I actually realized this was it!!) The scenery took my breath away, round every bend it seemed to get better and better. The river crossings started on day one (I lost count of how many we actually waded across/through during the trip) Attempting to keep my feet dry failed miserably, so on subsequent water crossings I just waded across, far easier and quicker.
lot of this first section of the route I had seen before when I had come over in November for a Recce, but it was wonderful to see it properly from a runner’s point of view. It was very hilly today with some spectacular cross country sections.
The last section of the day were views overlooking villages in the valley below. The houses are called rondavel’s, circular houses with corrugated roofs but painted in the brightest of colours, yellows, pinks, purples & bright green, they could be seen for miles around, this really felt like the true Africa
My main concern for the first few days was that my knees wouldn’t hold up. In January I had suffered from a very bad over-extension injury during The Spine that had only recovered 95% by the time I flew out to South Africa, so you can imagine my constant worry that it wouldn’t behave or one slip and I would be back to square one again. I had to really make an effort to stop thinking about it and think positive thoughts – luckily for me someone up there was looking after me and apart from some slight swelling at the end of each day (fine in the morning) it didn’t cause any more problems. It was such a relief to get the first day under our belts and more importantly I was OK!
The first week of the expedition went by in a flash. On the second day we as we were running down towards a village we were joined by some of the school children who ran with us for about 2km, this was a great reminder to me of the reason we were actually out in South Africa running.
Each time Samantha and I had a long section away from the vehicle we would always be accompanied by one of the crew, they would carry additional water and be there from a safety point of view. There were a few times when we managed to head off alone, we felt like naughty school girls but I loved these moments.
Due to the added 20 km or so at the end of each day we had an hour and half drive on the 4th morning to get back to where we had finished the day before. The first few kms were on sand, so poor Tom, who was driving, could hardly see in front of
his nose due to the huge amounts of sand being churned up and the boys in the open back of the VW had turned orange by the time we arrived at our destination!
The weather was always cold for the first half an hour or so, but once the sun. made an appearance the temperature rose and would vary from between 25 to 40 degrees.
One of the best piece of kit I had brought out with me (not including my running kit) was my hot water bottle, everyone teased me about it but it kept me warm at the end of each day and in bed. In South Africa there is no central heating in the houses they are kept warm by fires, so once the sun goes down at that time of year it gets cold very quickly.
The most uncomfortable night’s sleep was in a traditional African village called Vuvu on the border with Lesotho. After a very good long day of running we finished at the school where they fed and watered us. At about 7.30 p.m. we were taken by the locals (without our luggage that had to be locked up for safety) to our accommodation for the night – a home stay with one of the families. For me it felt very dusty (not great for my asthma) and although I was with three of the boys, as a group we had been split up which caused problems the following morning when trying to leave. I didn’t re-hydrate properly as there were no loos and I didn’t fancy going outside in the middle of the night and get bitten by one of the many dogs so decided it was easier just not drinking!! Sadly this was not the experience we were hoping for, although the villagers were delightful.
The following morning we climbed to the highest point of the Freedom Trail, 2,700m above sea level, there was no path as such to follow and at one point we ended up hiking through thorn bushes (one minute the GPS had us following the track the next we were heading in the wrong direction – oops!). The views were absolutely spectacular and literally took my breath away. The wind was so strong near the top that at one point we were virtually blown off our feet. Samantha gave me one of her poles to help me keep my balance. Coming off the mountain we had a long 18 km run down to Rhodes. At this point we were running into a strong headwind with ice-cold rain, the only way we could keep warm was to keep running, the second we stopped the shivering began. We both ran faster than perhaps we should have done but the reward was a lovely room with a roaring fireplace, a bath and a massage.
We ran through and saw so many beautiful and amazing things in the first 7 days, I could be here for a week telling you about it. We ran through forests, passed a motor museum in the middle of nowhere, ran though a private game reserve – game spotting antelope and wildebeest.
When I first saw the wildebeest it was from a distance so told Samantha that they were buffalo and they could kill us – not sure she was very happy with me but was delighted after leaving the reserve to find out they weren’t actually buffalo!! Crossed endless rivers, saw a giant Heron (they are huge just in case you have never seen one!) had Springbok jump over the fence and across the track in front of us and on one occasion a warthog ran out in front of us! There was a lot of single track, rocks and mountains.
The technical sections always worried me as I’m not a naturally gifted technical runner and other people make rock hopping look so easy, I seem to clomp over the rocks instead of gliding! On these sections I would happily remained at the back so I could do my own thing, I always wore my ankle supports that worked extremely well (they were designed to protect my ligaments & tendons that had been badly damaged in 2008 during my JOGLE World Record). I went at my own pace but was mindful that I didn’t want to hold Samantha up. If you were to compare Samantha and I on these sections she is the elegant gazelle and I’m the baby elephant following. Thankfully I always managed these sections without any mishaps (except for a few falls) and was always relieved to finish in one piece.
The boys (support crew) were fantastic and looked after us well, they took it in turns to run with us each day and entertained us every time we arrived at the car which was lovely for us.
Our accommodation along the route varied from, B&B’s, community stays, a home stay, game lodges and one evening we stayed in the most wonderful cottage in the middle of no-where with no electricity only coarsen lamps for light – I felt as though I was on a famous five adventure.
The community stays were very special. All the money they receive from people staying with them goes back into the community, which is fantastic so everyone benefits. The food they gave us was quite delicious and the accommodation was extremely comfortable and clean, a lovely experience.
I really loved staying with the farmers and their families. They welcomed us into their homes, made us feel extremely welcome and comfortable as well as feeding us the most delicious food. Nothing was too much trouble; they even did our washing which although only a little thing was huge to us.
By now I had got myself into a routine:
Wake up – 3.45 – 4am
Breakfast – 5am
Start Running – 5.30am
At the end of the day:
Shower/bath
coffee & eat
lie on bed, write my diary, roller my legs, cut strapping & sort kit for next day
Supper
Briefing
Visualisation – I would see myself crossing the “finish” line in Paarl, saying “I can and will get to the end, stay strong and focused.”
Bed
My world had become very simple – sleep, eat, run, eat, run, run, eat, sleep – repeat!
The second week took us through a region known as Stormberg (in 1899 there was the Battle of Stormberg) and reaching another mile-stone of 600km (just 1,400km to go!!)
Hylton Dunn joined us for a 16km section on day 8 which was wonderful. I’m sure we were going way to slowly for him but he seemed very relaxed and we enjoyed his company. The next few days would take us up to an altitude of 1,980m above sea level with yet more stunning views. One lady we stayed with had African Grey parrots wondering around the house, very friendly until we sat down to eat when they would began nibbling at our ankles!!
Samantha had been having issues with her gut from day one and unfortunately seem to get a few more problems with her muscles. On day 12 her leg became so painful that we had to stop and call Jane my marvellous physio friend who lived in Johannesburg and ask her advice. Thankfully Mat (Sam’s partner) is a PT so knew where to put the dry needle in Sam’s leg (under Jane’s instructions) I was thankful it wasn’t me, really didn’t like the idea of a very long needle being stuck into my thigh and then twiddled – painful or what! After the treatment was finished Sam had some strapping put on but was advised not to run so we walked the last 10k of the day.
Towards the end of the 2nd week we woke to a very cold morning. Wearing shorts but warm gear on the top we headed out as usual at 5.30am. My asthma played up a bit with the cold but as long as our pace was easy I could keep it under control. Both of us had extremely cold legs, so cold in fact that they felt as though they were burning. We flagged the vehicle down as it passed us 3km down the road and had to get in for a few minutes in order to defrost.
Day 13 we climbed and climbed heading towards the British Fortifications on the top of the Stormberg mountains; with each step the views just got better and better. The run down was amazing but tough going as it was loose rock eventually turning into something like a roller coaster but with ridges, very uncomfortable to run on. As we wound our way down the mountain track we could see in the distance the smoke coming from controlled burn being done by the farmer. It had to be done before the rains started in order that the new grass would start growing.
There were many occasions when we run through private farmland, these off road sections were always something we looked forward to even if we spend about 10 minutes on one of the days trying to work out how to open a gates. Going through one farm we came across a sign on the gate that read “Beware tigers & Lions” prefer meals on Wheels made me laugh!
The GPS worked really well except on a couple of occasions when it would take on a life of its own, taking us slightly off route – not a real problem except that the only way to get ourselves back on track usually mean crawling or fighting our way through thick undergrowth or thorn bushes.
Over the past couple of weeks I had made a real effort to eat (usually I have a real problem with getting food into me while running) I had promised my family that I wouldn’t fail because I had been stupid. In my diary I’d noted on a few occasions that I didn’t feel that either Samantha or I were consuming enough calories – so would make a mental note to myself to do better the next day.
Both of us had lost a lot of weight by this stage even though we were having a big breakfast and evening meal, we obviously weren’t consuming enough during the day. Mat at the beginning of week 3 mentioned the food issue at the briefing. It was decided that we should stop at about midday for a lunch break. I really wasn’t happy with this but it was something that Samantha wanted to do so decided not to say much other than I didn’t want to spend more than half an hour for lunch. A few days later I had got used to the idea and actually began to look forward to an enforced lunch stop 5.5 – 6 hrs into the day.
The first day of the third week was spent running along the Kingfisher river, up, around and down a mountain finishing the day in a private game reserve where we spotted a beautiful Sable Antelope standing by a large lake. Our accommodation for the night was in the game reserve where Neil the owner treated us to fantastic food and his home cured biltong, yummy. Sadly we went to bed way to early to benefit from any wildlife spotting from our rooms (next time perhaps!)
We were now in the Karoo a semi desert region where sheep thrive (there were many occasions when we had to stop while the sheep where herded into another field and once two lambs came up to me as though I was their long lost mother – so sweet)
The following day was a huge cause for celebration, we had reached the half way point!
It was going to be a tricky day in terms of navigation and for me this was the first time that I struggled with the terrain. Running through the private game reserve we followed a jeep track that lead to a single track, down to the river that we crossed and climbed up the other side along a rocky single track finally reaching the top. Suddenly the there was no path to follow, the GPS had decided to have one of it’s blip moments and it looked as though the only way down was to fly.
Having pulling a thorn out of my trainer we eventually spotted a white painted rock, my face dropped as I saw nothing but large rocks/boulders heading down a very steep hill. This was all part of the adventure and was definitely going to take me out of my comfort zone but it was the only way down!
While Samantha seemed to glide effortlessly down the 1.5km rocky track I followed in a rather more heavy footed fashion, at points having to sit on my bottom in order to get myself over the next boulder (not a pretty sight!) I was caught on camera by Tom doing a lot of talking to myself (very embarrassing) but we finally reached the valley floor where the trail was more forgiving. My legs definitely felt as if they had worked by the end of the day so it was lovely to finally stop.
We had our first and only puncture this week but luckily for us the boys managed to change the wheel which proved to be much harder than they thought. Now we just needed to keep our fingers crossed that no further punctures occurred.
We ran through yet another wonderful game reserve where we saw hundreds of large antelope and a warthog – it felt like a walking safari and yet again our accommodation for the night was amazing, purpose built tents with views to die for. The owner Philip came over to say hi and I mentioned that Tom (camera guy) really wanted to see a giraffe so he took him down in his 4×4 where a young giraffe had been born 3 days before hand, a very special moment. I finished the day feeling really energised. My left knee had caused a slight issue but thankfully it was all down to tight gluts – after a quick massage the pain went away.
Running along the Freedom Trail was such a massive adventure, we never knew what was round the corner or what the day would bring. Every day we would encounter a variety of game, this aways got us excited, it didn’t matter how many times we saw an antelope or a monkey it was amazing seeing animals in their natural environment. One day in particular was very special. We were running along side a Private Game reserve when we spotted 5 rhinos, one of them had a baby, quite amazing. We also spotted quite a few tortoises who can move faster than you think.
Samantha and I continued to maintain a good pace. Right from the start we fast hiked up all the hills and ran anything else we could. It was agreed that if either of us thought the other person was going too fast we had to say something and the pace would slow. When we ran on our own i.e. without the crew with us, we actually ran in perfect harmony never having to give much thought to the speed that we were running.
Everything so far had gone relatively smoothy, all the landowners knew we were coming so were happy for us to cross their land until day 18 when we were to go through Addo National Park. I was looking forward to this as I had raced their in 2008 and it really is quite a spectacular place plus of course there was always the chance that we might see an elephant.
There was a 17km section without the vehicle that took us around a beautiful dam full of birdlife and the obligatory fishermen (part of the Addo National Park). Before that however I took Samantha on a little detour through overgrown thorn bushes, eventually emerging the other side only to discover a very wide jeep track that we should have been on – opps! 1km had taken us 27 minutes, not my finest moment in terms of navigation but we did have a laugh about it!!
Unfortunately we were not permitted to continue through the Addo National Park (the security guard wouldn’t let us through, even though we had the required permits) so we had to do a detour in order to get as near as we could to our originally route. In the end we only missed out on 12km, a real shame but completely out of our hands.
You know that feeling in a race when you ask someone how far to the finish and they say 5 miles but it actually turns out to be nearer 10? This happened to us at the end of day 19. It was near the end of the day and we only had about 2km to go, the vehicle had gone on ahead to find the accommodation which was fine as I had the GPS. As we were coming up to the turning for the accommodation we were met by the crew to say that it was the wrong house and we were staying about 4km further on – I know only 4km further on, but at that moment in time in our minds we had reached our destination. Both of us remained cool calm and collected, I think the boys were expecting fireworks! We took in the information and continued running, there really was no point in wasting valuable energy getting angry about something that was out of everyone’s control and anyway if we wanted to finish for the day we had to run to our accommodation that turned out to be a wonderful cottage with no electricity and the hot water was heated by a contraption outside known as the “donkey boiler”. The fire inside heats up the water. I went to bed very excited as the following day HWMBO arrived. It was the longest we had been apart since our son was 18 months old.
The day began with a 23km run up a mountain track surrounded by lush green forests, rocky cliff faces, it was quite stunning especially with the sun shining down on us – followed of course by rain – oh joy of joys!
At the top of the mountain track we had a 28km section away from the vehicle, this was to be our most technical day so far. However tough a section was I felt extremely privileged to be running in such amazing locations and this particular section was absolutely breathtaking.
We had the GPS and the Freedom Challenge narrative (used by the riders) but all the points of reference on the narrative were inaccurate and didn’t seem to match up to where we were with the GPS. There were 11 river crossings, several times the water was higher than our waists and on one occasion it was easier to walk down the river rather than battle our way through the dense 7 foot reed beds. The going was extremely slow, especially as most of the time there was no path and we had the added bonus of being shredded by thorn bushes. The final section before reaching the vehicle was to wade through yet more deep water before running the last 5k to the accommodation – This section took us over 6 hours.
Running towards the accommodation we spotted our crew, Tim & Samantha’s mother & sister. I was overwhelmed with joy and emotion at seeing Tim – in that moment none else existed or matter, all I cared about was hugging my husband.
The next day has to be one of the most amazing days on the trip. It began by going through a stunning canyon, followed by running up and over the switchbacks of Swartberg Pass. When I turned round to look at the view all I could see for miles was this never-ending dirt road. Once at the top the track was undulating until eventually descending steeply into a place called “Hell”! The following day the only way out of “Hell” was to climb up a steep rocky 1.2km track known as “the ladder”. I would stop every so often to look at the view, these were real WOW moments.
The end of the third week was another long day but thankfully not technical which was a bit of a relief, it was however very hot so we did sneak into the stationery air-conditioned car to cool down. My body was still holding up well, although my left knee would play up sometimes but always felt better for a few more days once Mat had worked his magic.
Week four began with another long day followed by a slightly shorter day of 57.67km as we were lucky enough to have a physio appointment in Prince Albert, such a treat. Samantha had a bad day today when her vision seemed to disappear so she followed behind me and I would tell her if there were any holes, dips in the road to watch out for. I made her stop when we next met up with the vehicle to get some food insider her. It must have been very concerning and frightening not to be able to see properly but about 5km further down the road her vision returned to normal.
At the end of week four we were joined by my marvellous friend and one of South Africa’s top trail runners Linda Doke. The start of the day was on tar which was not pleasant but once off the road we found ourselves running through beautifully kept vineyards. Having not had any alcohol since the run began I was looking forward to tasting the South African wine when we had finished.
It was now the final few days, imagine after all this time finally being able to count the number of days left on one hand – MARVELLOUS! During the expedition I had always taken one day at a time, finishing the day then at the race briefing I could start thinking about the following day, very occasionally I would allow my mind to wonder and think of the finish line -I knew that whatever happened now I could crawl to the finish line if necessary.
For the two final days we were joined by Rory Steyn on his bike, he has the most amazing stories to tell as he used to be chief of security for Nelson Mandela, you can imagine we were full of questions.
The last day had to be the most stunning scenery I have ever seen; the area is so remote that many South African’s will never see it, a real honour to be seeing it. Eric Tollner joined our merry gang for this section to help guide us through (we had been told that this was THE most technical section of the entire route). Erica had completed the Freedom Challenge the year before and having his knowledge of the area was invaluable.
There were no paths to follow and the terrain was hilly and steep, covered in rocks that were hidden by the overgrown plants/bushes. We climbed down waterfalls, over boulders, had so many ascents and descents I have lost count, waded through and across rivers and at times had to fight our way through the undergrowth in order to keep moving forward – Then just when we thought we had finished there was a near vertical climb to get out of the valley. We covered 10km in 6 hours!
With 2.17km to go we could smell the finish but unfortunately were stuck behind a very high electric fence and the only person with the key was at the finish line – 3/4 hr later we were finally released and Samantha and I holding our respective country’s flags with the South African flag between ran with hands held high to the finish line in Diemersfontein Vine Yard to be greeted and cheer through by friends and family – we had done it, the end of an epic adventure.
32 days is a very long time to spend with someone you have only met once in person, it was a bit like having an arranged marriage we knew each other but not really well, there had been a lot to learn! We both had the same end goal and worked well as a team, supporting one another when needed and equally gave one another space, also very important. While out running we would chat, laugh and discuss various topics, sometimes nothing needed to be said we just enjoyed the silence.
We were both lucky to have the support of our amazing crew who worked tirelessly for the 32 days, without them our dream wouldn’t have been possible, they are the real stars of this story giving up their time to support us.
This has been the biggest adventure in terms of distance, I’m not sure it’s my toughest but I loved every minute and will cherish the memories.
Thank you to everyone who has donated to our Charity, without your support we wouldn’t have been able to raise the £27,500 needed to set up the project to support South African Girls to remain in Education by supplying them with re-usable sanitary pads. Once they reach puberty they can miss out on 4/5 days of school each month because they are unable to afford to buy the sanitary pads, eventually dropping out of school altogether. Over the course of a year the project will support 800 girls.
