A 41-year-old Johannesburg mother of two, Anouk Baars, won the gruelling Tours de Glacier Trail race in Italy, which finished over the weekend.
Baars completed the 450km race across mountain valleys and peaks with an unimaginable 36 000 metres of vertical ascent - the equivalent of more than four Everests - in 7 days 15 hours and 6 minutes to win the women’s race by four hours.
The race started and finished in the Italian alpine town of Cormayeur.
Baars had to cope with both unseasonal heat as well as running through snow and crossing glaciers in the self-navigated adventure.
Baars was one of only five women who qualified for the race, given its testing standards.
Baars Is dwarfed by the Matterhorn 330 km into the race. Picture: Supplied
According to the Tor Des Geants website, Baars said she found the Tor de Glaciers beautiful and very hard .
"A magnificent race for landscapes and people but very hard for the technical aspect. It was like doing an endless and continuous series of skyrace, without pause. Steep descents and challenging climbs every day, several times a day."