Race, Then Relax

Yanar Alkayat heads to Mauritius for a great holiday combo: a trail race followed by some luxurious recuperation.

- Yanar Alkayat

I had no idea what to expect from a 25km trail race in Mauritius. The health benefits of exercising in nature are proven, so what could be better than running over hills, across rivers and through the forests of a beautiful island in the Indian Ocean? Except, I’d never run anything like this before.

The Ultra Trail Raid light Beachcomber event is in its fourth year and I was here to try the new 25km distance that supplements the 10km, 47km and 120km races. ‘Would I be wading through knee-high mud as runners did on the 47km race last year? Would I suffer in the heat (it’s winter there but average temperatures are still in the mid 20s)? Or would I be left for dust behind the elites?’ I wondered.

On race day, I’m one of 138 runners at the 8:30am Redbull start line on the south coast of Mauritius, among mainly Mauritian locals, but a few internationals too. After an early but hearty breakfast, we’ve had a coach transfer from Shandrani Beachcomber Resort & Spa (beachcomberhotels.com) where I’m staying.

THE EVENT

I’ve forgotten to pack a sun cap and almost everyone around me is wearing a camelback liquid bag so I’m slightly apprehensive. But I’m confident I can cope with the distance as I ran the London Marathon a few months ago.

As it turns out, there are plenty of refreshments throughout the race – in fact, a big attraction of this event is the five-star service. Along my route there are three refreshment stations (start line, 5km and 15km) with cooked sweet potatoes, dried fruits, bananas, tea, coffee and even chocolate, so I’m well fuelled! For the longer races (the 120km stretched across two nights), Beachcomber’s five-star chefs cook up fresh pancakes, pasta and rice to keep the ultra runners going.