The final showdown in the annual KNYSNA Oyster Festival BIG 5 Competition came courtesy of the stalwart Forest Marathon, with competitors able to choose between the Half- or Full distances. There were no huge surprises (we won’t mention that somehow the marathon ended up being an ultra this year), with the BIG 5 standings very much remaining as is. Carla van Huyssteen proved too strong to dethrone in the Women’s field, and led home Marilyn Fisher and Candice Davison. Despite serious wind resistance from the new moustache, Stuart Marais returned to the top of the podium again this year, flanked by the ever-green Kent Horner and a resurgent Matt Trautman. Pity to not see Dan Hugo there, but we know he will be back, too. I’m but a small cog in the big machine that coordinated this fantastic competition, but as always it was a pleasure to work with Mark Collins and Christine Collins of Magnetic South … they (and their staff) are certainly in a class of their own as far as events of this nature goes. Huge shout-out to the competitors, too – you are all officially hard core!

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