Catherine Claims Victory at Cape Town Marathon Trail Race
Against the dramatic backdrop of Table Mountain and the rugged terrain of the Cape Peninsula, VOOM athlete Catherine Williamson delivered a commanding performance to...
By Catherine Williamson
30/04/25
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Against the dramatic backdrop of Table Mountain and the rugged terrain of the Cape Peninsula, VOOM athlete Catherine Williamson delivered a commanding performance to take victory at the Cape Town Marathon Trail Race. Battling steep climbs, technical descents, and a competitive field, she showcased not only physical strength but tactical precision and mental resilience. The win was the latest milestone in stellar season so far — and a proud moment for the VOOM team.
As with any big race I had about a week taper, usually I’d do my last efforts on the Tuesday but balancing holiday mode with tapering meant the week wasn’t as structured as if we were at home. The week leading into the marathon looked like this:
Monday: Hard hilly 3 hour hike
Tuesday : 2 hour bike ride, short hike
Wednesday: 40 minute run with 3 x 2 minute efforts, short hike
Thursday: 30 minute run, short hike
Friday : 30 minute run with few strides
Saturday : Race
I have a simple pasta meal the night before that I’ve cooked and tend to keep away from anything rich a few days before. Every race I always have a VOOM Hydration electrolyte sachet drink the night before and on the morning of the race along with plenty of water.
Race Day Experience
The weather was perfect; no wind and not forecast to be too hot. South Africa has very early starts to so its a strange feeling jogging too the start through a sleepy city in the dark. It got light just a few moments before we left the stadium and headed up out of the city. I ran my own race and made sure I also appreciated and enjoyed the race as running round Table Mountain with the city and the ocean right there is so special.
Having said that I did push hard to keep up near the front for the first 10k or so … I’m not good running technical down hills so I do have to crack on up the climbs! I felt a lot stronger than I imagined in the last half, possibly with the pressure and adrenalin as I moved from 3rd into 1st place! The trails under Table Mountain are wide tracks, constantly up and down which suited me perfectly and there I was able to push on and get a good gap before the loose stoney drop back into the stadium.
Fuelling A Trail Marathon
Fuelling wise I filled my flask alternating between water and VOOM hydration and every 20 minutes made sure I ate a square of Electrolyte Pocket Rocket Bar as well as extra bananas from the aid points. I tend to avoid caffeine so I stuck to this.
Post-Race Reflection
It a great feeling winning a big race in South Africa and personally was one of my best running results . All the infrastructure is in place for the road marathon on the Sunday so there was a special lounge where we were looked after, fed and watered before the podium celebration. It makes the experience extra special.
All the hard training clicked into place… I’d raced the Otter Trail Marathon two weeks previous but that hadn’t gone as well as I’d hoped so it was good to end the season on a real high note. I did feel very emotional at the end as I often do these last few years having lost my dad 4 years ago. He coached me for most of my life in various sports, was always at my races and would be the first person I’d ring if I was racing abroad knowing he’d be tracking me or following online. I do hope he’d be pretty proud that I am still managing to win the odd race despite getting older!
Looking back it was a great weekend…. The road marathon on Sunday I watched my husband run a PB and win his age group and as it had been a big target for him it was a big relief for both of us that everything went to plan.
Future Plans
This year the calendar is nicely filling up.. We have adapted our business over the years in order to escape some of the British winter can enjoy training in the warmth in South Africa.
Over there I have raced a marathon and a half already, winning both in 2h52 and 1h21, followed by a win at Coniston 14 in a time of 1h26. Next on the calendar is London Marathon then I’ll get back on the trails with our local fell race series and aim to finish the Lakeland 100 in July. I’d really love to race the UTMB too so at some point would like to get to Europe to race one of the qualifying races.
Advice for running a Marathon
My advice for marathon running on or off road would be to not get too focused on times and splits and rather go on feel, to enjoy the race and not just think about getting to the end. Fuelling is really important and practicing eating and drinking in training is important too.
