A new Guinness World Record has JUST been set on Table Mountain…

Good luck logging this one on your pedometers… a pair of trail-running veterans have smashed a mightily impressive Guinness World Record this week – after completing a vertical 19km run in less than 20 hours on Table Mountain.

Runners break Guinness World Record on Table Mountain

Christiaan Greyling and AJ Calitz have now officially covered the most vertical distance on foot, by completing the highest number of ascents and descents up Table Mountain. Their international achievement has defeated the record set by an Irish team some years ago, and they even stayed within lockdown restrictions to make their dreams a reality:

• – They have broken the Guinness World Record ‘for the greatest vertical distance on foot’.
• – The previous record was held by a team on a mountain in Ireland, with a distance of 18 086 metres
• – However, Greyling and Calitz smashed that total by adding another 1 300 metres on – thanks to an additional ascent.
• – They smashed the ’24-hour limit’, completing their run in 19 hours and 52 minutes.
• – The boys even beat curfew – starting just after 4:00 on Monday and finishing before midnight on Tuesday 11 May.

Trail legends ‘give it everything’ for charitable cause

The lads may be masochists in the eyes of many, but you better believe this agonising act of endurance was all for a good cause. According to CapeTalk, Greyling and Calitz are raising money and awareness for Edunova. The non-profit organisation seeks to bring more advanced technology into disadvantaged schools throughout South Africa.

Fair play, fellas. Now please, for the good of your own health, take a duvet day today, would you? It’s been well-earned…

“We are delighted and overjoyed to have broken the world record for ‘the most vertical ascents and descents’ – on a route that is well-known to us, Platteklip Gorge on Table Mountain, one of the ‘New 7 Wonders of Nature’.”

“It was one of the toughest days of my life with the added pressure of doing it in 20 hours because of curfew, but my partner AJ was strong and motivated me to triumph in what was an achievement of two very dedicated teammates. We are absolutely broken but so happy. This is nothing short of a miracle and a team effort.”

Christiaan Greyling