Du Plessis tames 119 km run in Turkey
Overall 30th position out of 241
The Namibian was the category winner for women between the ages 20 and 40.
Marietjie du Plessis, a 31-year-old Namibian runner from Windhoek, delivered an excellent performance to finish as the second-placed female at the Salomon Cappadocia Ultra-Trail event in Turkey.
Du Plessis (maiden name De Chavonnes Vrugt) was the only Namibian entry for the main competition trail run over 119 kilometres on a route which had approximately 3 800 metres of vertical climbing.
Such ultra-distances are beyond the scope of most runners, but Du Plessis finished the distance in 16 hours, 28 minutes and 15 seconds to display her irrepressible energy and determination.
Out of 241 starters and 191 finishers, she was in overall 30th position and second overall among the women – not far behind Ivana Kolaric of Serbia (16 hours 23 minutes 11 seconds).
Du Plessis was also the category winner for women between 20 and 40 years old.
Cappadocia, a pre-historic semi-arid area named in the Bible, is known for its distinctive "fairy chimneys" – tall, cone-shaped rock formations that provide amazing hot air balloon viewing opportunities for tourists. The sight of the allowed maximum of 150 air balloons hanging over the area provided a great backdrop to the race, Du Plessis told the newspaper.
Top spots
"The weather conditions were amazing from the 07:00 start, except during the nightly hours when it became quite chilly at around six degrees above freezing point.
"For the first 30 km, I ran with my husband (Andries, who entered for the 63 km distance as a South African) and his brother, before I found another male runner whose pace suited me better.
"The terrain was mostly off-road, except for brief entries into town areas for the ten checkpoints along the race.
"During the second loop of the race, I still felt strong, but there were still three very long, challenging climbs with quite technical descents.
"The race requires quite a strategic approach of the timing of your feeding, etcetera. Runners may also use walking sticks that assist with the steep ascents.
"I had aimed for a place among the top-10 women and was very happy with this result. At a checkpoint I was informed that I was in second position, and with the help of a fellow male runner, I was able to overtake two more females who were ahead of me."
Goal achieved
In the men’s race, Oğuzhan Emre Singer of the host nation, Turkey, was the strongest competitor and overall winner in 12:20:57.
Du Plessis, who previously had only participated in one remotely comparable event (second at the 2021 Cedar Mountains 100 km), says she also competes regularly at events organised by Farm Windhoek Fitness, Gondwana and OTB Sports.
"The Cappadocia race was my one big goal for this year. We did not win prize money, but with my second-placed result, I have a free entry for next year – along with a discount on airline tickets and accommodation, as well as Salomon running gear."
Du Plessis (maiden name De Chavonnes Vrugt) was the only Namibian entry for the main competition trail run over 119 kilometres on a route which had approximately 3 800 metres of vertical climbing.
Such ultra-distances are beyond the scope of most runners, but Du Plessis finished the distance in 16 hours, 28 minutes and 15 seconds to display her irrepressible energy and determination.
Out of 241 starters and 191 finishers, she was in overall 30th position and second overall among the women – not far behind Ivana Kolaric of Serbia (16 hours 23 minutes 11 seconds).
Du Plessis was also the category winner for women between 20 and 40 years old.
Cappadocia, a pre-historic semi-arid area named in the Bible, is known for its distinctive "fairy chimneys" – tall, cone-shaped rock formations that provide amazing hot air balloon viewing opportunities for tourists. The sight of the allowed maximum of 150 air balloons hanging over the area provided a great backdrop to the race, Du Plessis told the newspaper.
Top spots
"The weather conditions were amazing from the 07:00 start, except during the nightly hours when it became quite chilly at around six degrees above freezing point.
"For the first 30 km, I ran with my husband (Andries, who entered for the 63 km distance as a South African) and his brother, before I found another male runner whose pace suited me better.
"The terrain was mostly off-road, except for brief entries into town areas for the ten checkpoints along the race.
"During the second loop of the race, I still felt strong, but there were still three very long, challenging climbs with quite technical descents.
"The race requires quite a strategic approach of the timing of your feeding, etcetera. Runners may also use walking sticks that assist with the steep ascents.
"I had aimed for a place among the top-10 women and was very happy with this result. At a checkpoint I was informed that I was in second position, and with the help of a fellow male runner, I was able to overtake two more females who were ahead of me."
Goal achieved
In the men’s race, Oğuzhan Emre Singer of the host nation, Turkey, was the strongest competitor and overall winner in 12:20:57.
Du Plessis, who previously had only participated in one remotely comparable event (second at the 2021 Cedar Mountains 100 km), says she also competes regularly at events organised by Farm Windhoek Fitness, Gondwana and OTB Sports.
"The Cappadocia race was my one big goal for this year. We did not win prize money, but with my second-placed result, I have a free entry for next year – along with a discount on airline tickets and accommodation, as well as Salomon running gear."
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