The Spartans take on Treverton

After three editions in Joburg, the Spartan Baby Badass Ultra fundraising endurance run made its first foray outside Gauteng with the inaugural running of the Treverton (Trail) Edition, and once again the Spartan Babies rallied to the cause as they lined up hour after hour, running through the night and overcoming all challenges, to raise money for childhood cancer care and research. – BY ROBBIE RICCARDI

The Spartan Baby Badass Ultra (SBBU) is no ordinary endurance race. Each participant – dubbed a ‘Spartan Baby’ – runs either 100km or 100 miles within 24 hours, completing 4.167km or 4.167miles every hour, on the hour. If time allows between laps, participants can eat, sleep or get some running repairs, but if they are unable to finish a lap in time to start the next one on the hour, or cannot get themselves to the startline, then they are disqualified and eliminated, usually marked by the solemn playing of Taps on the bagpipes. Equal parts grit and tenacity, the SBBU, in partnership with extraordinary fundraising team The Cows, has raised over R1.1 million for CHOC (Childhood Cancer Foundation South Africa) since the first SBBU event in Joburg in 2022, followed by two more editions in Joburg in the following years.

In April 2024, Jade O’Shea, a scholar at Treverton College in Mooi River, pitched the idea of bringing the event to her school in KwaZulu-Natal. “Treverton is a beautiful place. You won’t regret it,” she told SBBU organisers Johnny Cobra (aka John Sikiotis) and Belloc72 (aka Roberto Riccardi). By November, the organising team, which included Trav-A-Nator (aka Travers Pellew), Garry Townsend, and Travis Hesom, had transformed the idea into a reality.
Race Day Arrives At 6pm on the 1st of November, 44 runners lined up for the SBBU Treverton Edition. Run on the sprawling 270-hectare campus of Treverton College, the course wove through rolling farmland, dams and trails, and the weather, true to Mooi River’s reputation, oscillated between bone-chilling mist and searing midday heat. The event also marked several ‘firsts’ for the SBBU: • Trail Edition: The first off-road racing version. • School Edition: Treverton’s debut as the hosting venue. • Team Edition: Runners competing in groups for the first time.

The event featured a mix of solo participants, two-person and four-person teams, all tackling the challenge. Among them was Hazel ‘Crazy Hazy’ Moller from Gauteng, who stood alone in attempting the 100-mile distance. The rest of the field comprised eleven solo 100km runners, 24 runners in teams of 4 tackling 100km, and one two-woman team doing 100km.

Johnny Cobra, as one of the wizard minds behind the SBBU, mustered all his stoic resolve to ensure that he manned the barracks for the duration of the event without any sleep. Because sleep is overrated! And with that, the SBBU Treverton was afoot… and it did not disappoint, leading to many memorable stories of endurance, and friendships forged for a lifetime. Moments to Remember With a new venue, new faces and a slightly changed format, the SBBU Treverton produced a number of unforgettable moments.

1 Lost and Found:
Mike Kenny, the ‘Irish Spartan,’ got lost on loop two. Disqualified after missing the time cut-off, he earned the dubious honour of the fastest DQ in SBBU history, marked by a solemn bagpipe rendition of Taps.

2 The Young Guns:
• Christopher ‘C-Dawg’ Dendrinos, 18, became the youngest-ever solo 100km finisher, wrapping up the challenge just days before his Matric maths final. Kai ‘Achilles Heel’ Broom, 19, drove straight to Mooi River after finishing his first-year medical exams in Pretoria, making it just in time for the race briefing, and then going on to claim the second-youngest finisher spot.

3 Team Spirit:
The all-girls ‘Netball Stars’ became the youngest girls-only team to finish.

4 Against All Odds:
‘Crazy Hazy’ Moller smashed her knee on loop two, but pushed through to finish the 100-mile solo challenge – a feat of both grit and mental depravity!

5 Top Supporters:
Two top supporters who ensured that they were always available to support the crews were Kim (mom to Jade) and Jen (wife to Garry). No matter the hour or the conditions, they stayed the course for the full event. It was incredible endurance and commitment from these two wonderful people.

6 Who paid the Piper?
The event had 3 DNFs (Did Not Finish): • As mentioned, Irish Spartan was disqualified on loop 2. • Lara Croft and Andy quit after completing loop 12.

7 Jade O’Shea:
With her running partner Yvette, Jade O’Shea embodied the event’s ethos of resilience and community. Her passion brought the SBBU to Treverton, and though she couldn’t complete the full 100km, her resolve to take on the challenge solo next year is already inspiring others. After the event, she wrote these words:

2023. Thank you for showing me what true bravery and dedication looks like. Despite having to go through chemo and radiation therapy, you didn’t just do it with a smile on your face, but you made sure everyone around you was okay. I hope I got to make you proud, this one’s for you!”

Looking at the Numbers There were many thoughts as to whether a TRAIL versus ROAD version of the SBBU would affect finish times and if so how.

Johnny Cobra therefore analysed the various finish times between the recent SBBU events to see if the numbers would reveal the difference:
• SBBU 1 (Johannesburg): 23 x 100km Challengers – 79% success rate
SBBU 2 (Johannesburg): 33 x 100km Challengers – 88% success rate
SBBU 3 (Johannesburg): 45 x 100km Challengers – 89% success rate
SBBU 4 (Treverton): 11 x 100km Challengers – 73% success rate

More importantly, SBBU Treverton raised over R53,000 for CHOC, bringing the total funds raised for the charity from the various SBBU Challenges to over R1.1 million. SBBU Treverton, with its inspired course and surroundings, set a new benchmark for what this unique event can achieve.

From the youngest finishers to the most seasoned veterans, every Spartan Baby left their mark, and as the ever-encouraging Johnny Cobra declared, “Remember this day, for it will be yours for all time.”