For Mariske Mclean Smith it was a satisfying feeling to claim her debut win at the Barberton XCM MTB Challenge in Mpumalanga at the weekend.
“It was a tough race and I am happy with my efforts,” said Mclean Smith, who completed the 110km ultra marathon in 6:32:59.
Kristen Louw crossed the line just under three minutes later, with third-placed Natasja Kask finishing in 7:13:11.
The 29-year-old said she had set small goals for herself before the race.
Mariske Mclean Smith claimed her debut win at the Barberton XCM MTB Challenge in Mpumalanga at the weekend. Photo: PC Photography
“I mainly used it as preparation for what is to come later in the season,” said Mclean Smith, whose main goal for the year is the 36ONE Challenge, in which riders have a maximum of 36.1 hours to complete the 361km mountain bike route.
“It is part of my preparations for the 36ONE, so pushing my body to its limits in a race like this was very important.”
A challenge Mclean Smith encountered during the testing Barberton race was the muddy conditions.
“The mud had me worried for a bit, so I just had to be mentally strong throughout the race.
“I also worked hard on my climbing and technical skills, which was very handy in the race.”
Mclean Smith said she went through a bad patch about halfway in as a result perhaps of pushing herself too hard at the start.
“Fortunately I soon got my mind back into it again and continued with my momentum.
“A highlight was the amazing scenery, [which I saw] the one or two times I had the chance to look around.”
