Race Report: Locals and Internationals Shine at Ultra-Trail Cape Town 2023

"The most beautiful experience was running for six kilometres on the beach [Noordhoek], the sand was hard and it was great running."

RMB Ultra-trail Cape Town (RMB UTCT), now part of the World Trail Majors, delivered stellar performances and exciting racing from South African and international ultra-trail runners over the weekend. About 400 international visitors and over 2000 runners participated across the 23 km, 35 km and 55 km, the UT100 (the 100 km race) and UTCT (the 100 milers) races that climbed Table Mountain and crossed the Peninsula. 

UT100 – 100km

In the men’s race, Dmitry Mityaev dominated, though he had to keep pushing hard to maintain the lead, with a determined Caleb Olson and others chasing, finishing in a time of 10:43:06. Mityaev had a fall after he reached the top of Table Mountain going downhill and experienced some pain, but kept going after he had already established a solid lead.

He managed to stay ahead despite the strong challenge for first place that intensified at 70 kilometres, keeping the pressure on Mityaev.

Olson (11:02:28) slowed in the last stretch due to foot pain, widening the gap that had closed to just five minutes at the UCT aid station, 12 kilometres from the finish. Olson’s compatriot  Anthony Costales was third (11:24:08).

Mityaev says: “I am very happy to have won for a second time. It’s an amazing race, a very difficult and technical race. A very beautiful community with friendly people.”
Credit: UTCT

Olson says he went out quite conservatively, and then after mile 12 [19 kms] was not feeling good and dropped back to about 9th place, but was able to move up on some of the technical climbs and even on the descents, as the technical sections suit him. He wanted to get a gap before the flatter runnable sections.

“I was 10-12 minutes behind Dimitry most of the time and managed to get closer at UCT, but I was pushing as hard as I could and on the very rocky terrain after that and my feet were blistering and painful, so I slowed. It has to be one of the coolest views of any race. It reminded me of some of the tall alpine areas near home, but it is right above the ocean in the city as well. It was a great day and I am super excited.”

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