The Hell Run,

It’s been a while since we took part in this exceptional event. Every time I notice a clear night sky and the bright disc of the moon, I remember the feeling of the Hel Run. Every time I wear my black T-shirt, I remember the beauty and the camaraderie of the Hel Run. Every time I see my mates that ran and came along, I remember the intimacy and support. What an experience!

When you look up the word ‘support’ in the dictionary you will read things like: keep from falling, carry the weight of, strengthen, encourage, endure, tolerate…these are all very powerful. During this run I learnt the true meaning of all of them!

Grant and Moira kindly offered Lee-Ann and me a lift up to Outshoorn, due to money and children restraints we could only stay for one night… and a couple of hours either side of that night. Thanks to Lynne and Mark we got to stay in a beautiful lodge outside of Outshoorn, Lynne really came through for all of us, organizing not only beds, but also special meals for all the runners and padkos for those of us who did the Hel run. On our way to the lodge we stopped at the finish of the Cango marathon where we met up with Lynne and Di who ran it! Jenny had completed the half before we even got there. Well Done!
The Hell runners recoiled into their quarters and Lee-Ann and I tried to get a bit of sleep.
Everything’s packed, checked and double checked, the race starts at 9:30 but we are leaving at about 5. Two vehicles had to take us there so that the support team which consisted of Lynne and Di,(who had just run a marathon this morning), Jenny (she had just ran the half marathon) and Moira (the only sane one it seemed) would be able to return home to a well deserved bed.

All the way into the valley we realised that those hills were the ones we had to run back out! Just before the start the breathtaking view of the first pass of the race literary took our speech away. A bubbling vehicle of nervous runners and supporters suddenly became really quiet and I thought to myself “what have I let my self in for… I really am mad!” This was the point of greatest doubt! What was I thinking, and why did I think I was strong enough to do a race called THE HELL RUN? Doubt turned into fear… but there was no way out.

Nervously we said goodbye to Moira and Jenny, who clearly were apprehensive to drive on that road back, never mind leaving us here in the middle of nowhere to run the way back. Off they went and we watch their headlights crawling up the mountain which in 90 min or so we would have to run up. I was worried! Then Mark and Darren got a lift to their start 12 km further into HELL! Jacky, Lee-Ann, Grant and I hung about talking about this and that… Watching other support vehicles crawling up that same steep meandering hill!

Then 9:30 off we go… there are about 40 runners doing the 38 km! No time to warm up or get into a rhythm up, up and up we went.. I still had worries of not making it over this first pass, never mind the whole thing. But step by step, The Donkey’s way, I pulled myself up! My friends were sometimes ahead of me and sometimes behind me; I think we all stuck to our own rhythms to make sure we would get up it! Then HALLELUJA we were on top…I couldn’t believe it, in my mind I had just conquered Mount Everest, and so did my mates! I was so proud of all of us…. Not thinking about the 30 odd km we still had in front of us! The four of us stuck together the whole way. I can not stress enough how much support, in all its forms, and love was going around during these 38 km. Jacky at one stage announced to us, as we were counting away our km’s, that now she has run further then she ever had run before! WOW! Well done. Then came the moment where she had been on her legs longer then ever before!

Well these things were celebrated, and Grant made sure we had the Tea and Coffee to celebrate it with. He carried two flasks with him to give all of us luxury and comfort on the way! THANK YOU!

I was in continuous awe of the moonlight and the black scenery, we didn’t need our headlamps much as the moon was bright and there was not a cloud in sight! Hill after hill, river crossing after river crossing we pushed through. Sometimes the spirits were high sometimes low… but all in all when the final hill came and the 1st light of the finish was in sight there was utter jubilation and those who could, let out screams of joy and pride! Up the last VERY STEEP driveway and into an overnight hut to announce our arrival! And the pancakes were absolutely DEVINE, too!
Having arrived and searching frantically for a misplaced car key we almost didn’t recognize our other two coming in about 30 minutes after us… they had just completed 50km of Hel! WOW!

Were it not for my friends support along the way, not only during the night of the run but the weeks leading up to the race, I don’t think I would have ever dared to be part of something so incredibly gratifying and memorable!

I thank all of you and I believe it took ALL of us, for the six Hell runners to complete the race the way we did!

The word Support has a completely new meaning to me now!

THANK YOU and Well Done:
MARK, MOIRA, LEE-ANN, LYNNE, JENNY, JACKY, GRANT, DARREN, DI, ANDREA

PS:
Mark and Darren Completed the 50 Km of HEL in 6:41:00 and came 5th
Lee-Ann, Jacky, Grant, Andrea: completed the 38km of Hel in 5:37:31 and we came 8th!

Andrea Boettger