Cape Town – A Brackenfell man is determined to enter what is known as one of the toughest races in the world in a bid to raise funds for the Cape of Good Hope Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
Tienie Maree will ride the Munga, a 1 100km ultra-marathon endurance event, setting off on November 30.
He will be participating under the banner ‘Munga4Mutts’.
Maree will have 120 hours to reach the finish line at Doolhof in Wellington before December 5.
Participants can choose to rest at the five race villages along the route but the clock does not stop, meaning rest time is included in the countdown.
The winning time in the 2021 race was about 60 hours.
Munga race director Alex Harris said the race celebrated what it was to be human.
“We know the fight. We know what it means to grovel, grind, and crawl in desperation to the light at the end of the tunnel,” Harris said.
Maree said his motivation came from his own struggles, a time when his animals provided him with the companionship and unconditional love he needed.
“Having decided to enter the event, the idea of doing something for the greater good came to mind. Being a ‘dog father’, I have experienced first-hand the positive effect of having animals around when life gets tough. Animal welfare is something that I feel really passionate about and I would like to use this opportunity to raise funds and try and make a difference,” he said.
With many kilometres of training already under his belt, and so much more to go, Maree is determined to raise money for his fury friends and is appealing for support to reach his goal of R50 000.
After hearing about his campaign to raise funds for the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, Moroff & Kühne sponsored Maree his cycle kit for the race.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
IOL