Written straight from the heart – Ridge Cross reviews his tough PASS 2 PASS 100km Race with us…

“During the taper week leading up to P2P, temperatures soared to a scorching 40°C. All the athletes preparing for this extreme heat knew that staying hydrated would be crucial on race day.

On Friday morning, as I drove into Wellington with drizzle hitting my windscreen, I was surprised by the change in weather. Registration was fantastic, meeting all the athletes and feeling the excitement in the air as we anticipated the challenge ahead.

After grabbing a quick dinner near my accommodation, I went to bed early, knowing I needed rest. Despite tossing and turning all night with nerves, a solid four hours of sleep was enough to prepare for the day ahead.

I woke up at 2:30 am for the 4 am race start. Standing at the start line with all 40 runners, we were filled with excitement, eager to head out into the darkness and await the sunrise.

Unfortunately, the sunrise was obscured as we climbed and ran through thick mountain mist for hours.

Between 10km and 25km, nausea hit unexpectedly, something I hadn’t experienced during training. I stuck to the plan and kept moving forward as quickly as I could. Thankfully, after about 90 minutes, the feeling passed, and I was able to push through the field, my trusty Olympic Flames guiding me swiftly along the trail.

Seeing my friends at the aid stations was a huge boost – it was something to look forward to and a total game-changer.

I spoke to a few fellow runners who had experience in these mountains, and the common word they shared was “runnable.” While there were plenty of runnable sections, there were also some very technical and challenging stretches, especially from 70km onward.

From the Du Toits Kloof Aid Station (50km) to 70km, the trail was smooth and flowy, and the light drizzle made for comfortable running. My pace was steady, and I felt good.

However, upon reaching McBains (1) at 80km, things started to get a little hairy. Ahead lay a gruelling 7km climb up the mountain, followed by a 7km descent. As the night grew darker and lonelier, I turned on my head torch and set off alone, trying to navigate the mountain and stay on track. After about 40 minutes, I saw lights behind me – Werner and Garion had caught up. I was incredibly relieved because, as a trio, we started moving faster, working as a team, and pushing each other through the tough stretches.

The 14km loop seemed endless, but eventually, we reached a small water point and made our way back onto Bainskloof Pass. The next challenge was a brutal 6km climb up Bainskloof Pass to McBains (2). At this point, I was starting to feel exhausted, but none of us wanted to stop. We kept pushing upwards, barely exchanging words, all locked in and focused on the task at hand.

Finally, we reached McBains (2) at 99km. After quickly refueling with liquids, we set out to conquer the final 3.5km down the mountain to the much-anticipated finish line.

After 20 hours of an incredible and challenging mountain adventure, we all crossed the finish line together, filled with relief and a deep sense of accomplishment”.

We are so proud of you Ridge.