Little did I know how windy Cape Town could get. It is a summer thing, but peaks usually in January. So then, being there in mid-November doesn’t sound like the worst idea from these regards. Especially if you want to participate at the Ultra-trail Cape Town, the most popular trail race in South Africa and, most likely, on the entire African continent. This is not a neglectable thing, though. I knew the Cape Town Marathon itself was cancelled by wind in October, and that was a huge thing, since the event is a contender to shortly become the seventh World Major, alongside Boston, New York, Chicago, Berlin, London, Tokyo and Sydney, but not a major concern from my end. You need to be there and understand the real amplitude.
Madeira, the place in which we learned about Ultra-trail Cape Town
Going back 18 months in the past, after picking up my MIUT (Madeira Island Ultra Trail) kit, my eyesight faced a panel with something about Cape Town written on it. Only at that moment is when I realized, both MIUT and UTCT are part of a newly association labeled as World Trail Majors, a somehow competition to the mighty UTMB. Seeing Cape Town there automatically caught our eye, and we decided to prepare the big adventure. November 2024 was too close, and so we choose to go for November 2025. And so we did! About the Cape Town experience itself, more to be found here. Getting back to the trail run itself, it was a hard decision to take. Initially, I want the 55 kilometer race, but I realize it might be a bit dangerous to challenge such a length in a territory I am not accustomed to, so I decide to subscribe to the 35 kilometer one, called simple: Table Mountain. I find it more reasonable, and better fitted to have an ideal holiday.
Wind is picking up in Cape Town
We schedule the vacation, in a way in which my race, the last scheduled to start from total of six, is at the end. So plenty of time for acclimatization. The wind in Cape Town is strong, but I am not too worried. Even when the organizers announced some serious damage at the expo zone from Gardens Rugby Club, which is cancelled because of the winds, I am not that concerned. Races are moving on, in spite of huge wind gusts, but with a lot of caution. Finishers are required to leave the race zone immediately after receiving their medal. The South Africans take it very seriously. The sun shines generously, but so does the wind blows even more. I think of a cancellation situation, but still not for real.
My race, starts at 06:00 AM!
On 23rd of November, I woke up at 04:00 AM. I can’t sleep anymore, so prepare, and at 04:50 AM I am already in Uber, going to the regional rugby field, where the start is waiting. I arrive around 50 minutes before start, and I notice how strong the wind is, and how cloudy is the top of Table Mountain, the flavor of Cape Town. Sitting in front of the rugby goal, I can see the building block behind, but cannot see anymore the 1,000 meters tall signature mountain. It is a bit before sunrise, but I feel the weather today might be troublesome. I congratulate myself, once more, that I’ve chosen this race. Short, but with almost 2,000 meters of elevation gain, with an overpass on the tallest peak. Still some time to go, and starting my warm up ritual. The wind gusts are crazy, it is so hard to run. I am trying to do my best and follow the best paths to conserve as much effort as possible.
They call you crazy!
Since I needed 1.5 liters of liquids at minimum, I’ve decided to take a camel back, something I don’t usually use in any kind of race. In fact, the last time I took one of this, was in the hardest race I ever attended, 2X2, and wrote about so many times. 🙂 It is a bit heavy, with its 2 liter volume, but can also act like an anchor, at least as a placebo, when strong winds. Somehow, racers start pilling up, and the race start is getting close. “They call you crazy!” stands written about the gate, and after a few words, the race is off! A quick left turn, and after 100 meters on the rugby field – in the world champions’ country, let us not forget! – the race hits the road and goes in Table Mountains’ direction, as it should. After a couple of kilometers of a mild asphalt climb, we hit the mountain bottom, and start a steep stairs climb.
Narrow path up to Table Mountain
I think we passed 4 kilometers when the steps ended, and in another left turn, we take on the middle of the mountain. We reached 440 meter in height, the city can be seen marvelous from here, but who has time to watch? The terrain is good, many rocks, but quite even, not round, and that is supporting my grip. I am faster than in races from Romania, but still need to make room for people from behind. Most of them are from South Africa, they must be very familiar with the terrain. It is not something easy if you see it first time, even if acceptable. The path is narrow, so I need to be careful, but the biggest problem is getting persistent: the wind! It blows stronger and stronger and I am beginning to question myself how far we can go in these conditions? Were all the races from UTCT 2025 experiencing same conditions?
Ultra-trail Cape Town, Table Mountain 35 kilometers, called off due to strong wind
It is hard to find answers while pushing forward. I take a sip from time to time, and looking forward to finish in less than six hours. Would be a huge achievement for me! We are closing to 6 kilometers in the race, and yet lower than an hour. I am craving of my Strava map at the end, from my first ever race from outside Europe. And how outside Europe this is, even the same time zone as Romania! I see forward a people “plug” and a steep descent. I am not sure what is happening, so I was assuming the big climb is almost done. I mean, who could tell better, being in my shoes? “The race is called off due to wind!” some ahead contenders are saying, with a smile. I suspect it could be a joke, but when I arrive at the top, where the plug lives, the organizers confirm: “The race is cancelled, you will go down from here. It is too dangerous for you to climb the mountain! The wind is very strong, we can’t take the risk”.
3.5 kilometers down to the finish… At least I got a memory! 🙂
I am disappointed, but in some way relieved. I embrace the decision, not as I have other options… We go down, and head to the finish anyway. we run 3.5 kilometers, on a friendly surface, but with some small pebbles, which can affect one’s sole, if you are not careful. I am not pushing the paddle anymore, and I am thinking of going more than the finish. I will see, for now, I am heading for the finish gate, I ring the bell – for good fortune, as it says! 🙂 – and get a beautiful finish photography, and some sparkling water. I am craving for a medal, but of course we are not handed one. I don’t ask for it, even if I would like a souvenir, since I can’t be sure I will at all come back here… This is life, the memories lived are, in the end, the most important. It is only 7:30 AM and, forced, my race is over. I empty my camelback and decide what to do.
Climate change affect Cape Town as well
I don’t have any mood to continue running, so I decide to go by Uber and at least… catch breakfast! 🙂 The sun is shining, wind slowed down, but the situation got really critical on Table Mountain. “We had wind blowing with 80 kilometers / hour and wind gusts at 95 endangered not only the racers, but the volunteers and race organizers“, was, in general terms, the brief conclusion, sent by e-mail. In Cape Town, the wind can really be ruthless! In the end, it seemed like I picked the shortest stick, so only my race, out of six, was totally cancelled. I will bear this in memory forever, as a mild failure. Of course, not by my fault, but because of things we couldn’t control… Nature is a too big thing for us to challenge, and, since the wind is becoming more intense in Cape Town, as many locals told us, we should accept once again that climate change is real. And it can affects us in so many different ways. 🙂
Ultra-trail Cape Town, maybe we will meet again!
In some ways, this can be a different kind of memory. As I don’t find any other race cancellation happening at Ultra-trail Cape Town ever, so if this Table Mountain 35 kilometer 20025 won’t remain the only one, it can be the first one, and the “shape” on Strava can remain either unique, either a first. It is a pale consolation, but having the chance to experience Cape Town and the Western Cape for nine full days, I can for sure say that this part of Africa focuses on pushing up the best things that the continent has to offer, in terms of views, people, hospitality and so on. Ultra-trail Cape Town 2025 was not, for me, the race I dreamt of, and prepared for so much, but it turned out to be an anchor to my future decisions to return, at least once more for a race in Cape Town, at some point in life. Maybe even to the Table Mountain 35 kilometers!
