To walk the walk | UTCT 100km
...or in this case, should we say...to run the run!
As the dust settles on a monumental weekend of running for Cape Town and in fact the world, we have taken the time to put pen to paper on a project that has been silently creeping up on our office as a whole and more pressingly, on our founder, Chris Wolhuter.
To run a marathon is a hell of a thing. To run an ultra even more so. To run both in the same year, using them as your lead in races to a 100km trail race is worth writing home about. Thats exactly the timeline of Chris's 2025, having toed the start and finish lines of The Peninsula Marathon, Two Oceans Ultra and most recently, the UTCT 100km.
As the founder of ASS MAGIC, Chris can most usually be found behind his laptop, at events, cracking jokes in the office, networking, travelling or managing key retailers & distributors...but this weekend, he put his money where his mouth is, turned the world "off" and disappeared into the mountains - to test his products, to test himself.
Here is his write-up:
"UTCT 2025 was the biggest run I have ever taken on. A 100 km route with 5000 vertical meters of climbing across some of the most technical trails in Cape Town. It was the kind of challenge that scares you and excites you at the same time. For me, there was also the element of taking on something that I might not actually be able to finish.
The journey into and through UTCT was not without its challenges. Fortunately, it was one of the first running races I have done in the last few years where the build up was largely injury and sickness free. So for a change, I could maintain some consistency. I self coached, using principles I picked up from years of riding bikes, added Carla Molinaro’s strength and yoga sessions to the mix and then spoke with experienced runners to get a feel for what elements I still needed to add. I mashed this together while also taking into account family, work, travel and life commitments and came out with something that seemed to work for me.
Going into UTCT I kept it simple. If I could get these three things right, I knew I would give myself a chance at a good day.
1. Fuelling and hydration
Cadence Nutrition CarboFuel was my mainstay. It is no secret that I work with the brand, but it genuinely worked for me. Each flask gave me 500ml of liquid, 40g of carbs and 1000mg of sodium, which was vital given the heat. The taste was subtle, so it was easy to keep drinking throughout the day, switching between two flavours. I added jelly sweets, gels, bars, coke, banana bread with butter and salt, toasted cheese sandwiches and salt and vinegar chips. Later in the day it was great to have something that was not sweet.
2. Managing cramps
Cramping is something I have struggled with for years and I have tried a lot of different things to counter it. The heat on the climb from Kloof Corner to the Scout Hut on Table Mountain did not help, especially when I ran low on liquid here. When I could feel the cramps coming on, I adjusted my pace, got more fuel in and largely managed to hold them at bay for the rest of the day.
3. Not falling
Cape Town trails are unforgiving, rocky and technical. I spent a fair amount of time recce’ing the course and made a conscious choice to descend conservatively. This helped save my quads, which paid dividends in the final 20 km.
Long races always come with unexpected memories. UTCT had a few that made me laugh, smile and shake my head.
Just after 20 km you hit Platteklip Gorge, which climbs 650m in 2km at roughly a 30% average gradient. As I was grinding up, we passed a mountain guide with a group of tourists. He asked if my ASS MAGIC calf tattoos were real. I laughed and told him not yet. We chatted and it came out that he uses the balm daily while guiding. Spending hours in the heat in a khaki broek is a recipe for chafe, so fair enough. It was awesome to get feedback from a totally unexpected customer and hear how the product helped them in their daily work, while also seeing that they enjoyed the humour behind the brand.
Later on, just after the Llandudno aid station, you run along Sandy Bay beach. For those who do not know, it is a nudist beach. As I was cruising across the sand, a gent walked out of the water completely naked, told me how hot it was and that I should join him for a swim. I politely declined and pointed out that dried salt water would be a disaster for chafe.
Another highlight was climbing Suther Peak with Angela, my son’s speech therapist, and Chad, who is a bit of a local character with a GoPro permanently in hand. It was steep and hot and we were getting into the meat and potatoes of the day. The conversation turned to what food we were craving at the next aid station as we coaxed ourselves through this section. Angela wanted cucumber with salt, Chad wanted a peanut butter bomb smoothie and I stuck with salt and vinegar chips. At the Hout Bay aid station the best moment was actually the ice bath. Full submersion never felt so good and it helped bring down my core temperature.
I reapplied chafe balm after the dunk, which felt unnecessary in the moment but was the right call. I finished the race completely chafe free. The only skin irritation I had was a bit of heat rash on my back and some sensitive skin on my feet. No black toenails yet either.
One of the best parts of racing in Cape Town is how the city shows up. My wife Ash and Rox were out there all day and Ray was on course taking incredible photos. They played a huge role in getting me through it and having some amazing shots from Ray was an incredible way to document it. Friends popped up at road crossings and aid stations throughout the day, but the Alphen aid station was probably the most special. Fifteen hours in, seeing some good mates did wonders for morale.
Leaving Alphen and heading into the dark was a bit weird. I felt surprisingly good but it did feel eerie going into the forest solo. I spent at least an hour completely alone before catching the next runner. The section past UCT can trick you into thinking the race is nearly done. You can see the city lights, but the Blockhouse climb reminds you otherwise. The wind was howling on the more exposed sections, but I was pleased to still be able to run when it was flatter and less technical.
I crossed the line just after midnight, having started at 4am. I began the day in darkness and ended it in darkness. It was one of the biggest days I have ever had on my own two feet.
I ran conservatively early on and it paid off. I moved through the field all day and the momentum helped keep morale high. I am not rushing to plan the next adventure yet, but I know how this goes. Something will catch my attention soon enough.
For now, I am grateful. UTCT 2025 was an unforgettable experience with some amazing people around me.
It takes a village."
(All images by Ray Chaplin)
