Day 1 is 21km and
Day 2 is 16km.
Run starts at 8am on Saturday with batch intervals of 10 minutes apart. Sunday also starts at 8am with 5 minute batch intervals. The organiser may change this at any time.
We will have paramedics out on the route. Should you see a runner injured on the trail, the best bet is to let the nearest water table know so we can get someone to them. The medical number will be confirmed at race briefing. Our medical team at the race village will assess the runner.
Day 1 - On Saturday our first water point is around the 10km mark, where you will be treated and greeted by our local ladies who put up all your tents. Their support is over welcoming as you come around the corner and see the beautiful views and loud continuous cheer. Our second water point for the day is on the banks of the Tugela River, around the 15km mark where we serve our famous sherry shots.
Day 2 - On Sunday we have one water point in the beautiful thick bush veld surrounded by
Acacia trees and aloes. This is at about the 10km mark.
This should be more than sufficient, however if you’d like to carry a hydration pack you are
most welcome to!
For the safety of our runners and crew, the cutoff for each day is 13:00. We have sweeps who walk the whole way and make sure no runner is left behind. We ask that should you not make the water point cutoff you will respect the crew who ask you to end your run.
Starting along the banks of the Tugela river the route follows cattle tracks slowly meandering to the base of Spioenkop Mountain. The climbing begins on a well-worn purpose made single track making running easier as the runners and walkers make their way towards the summit of Twin Peaks passing under beautiful acacia trees and aloes. After soaking up the incredible views from the summit the runners then traverse along the top before arriving at Water point 1 manned by a group of festive ladies who have climbed up the previous day taking up all the food and drinks. Runners then make their way down on single track passing herds of antelope and Giraffe before arriving at Garden of Eden. This last 5 km section takes runners home along a handmade track under beautiful trees along the river bank before arriving at the finish at Emseni.
A much easier day starts with a fun ride in a traditional taxi to the top of a hill to reach our secret start destination for Day 2. This is a traditional cattle and irrigation farm so the runners get to run through maize fields and passed herds of cattle grazing in the pastures. After a small climb they then run down through thick African bush veld on purpose made single tracks and passing large fields of aloes all the way back to the river crossing at a bridge before finishing at the race village.
Runners will all receive a timing chip and the race will be timed by our timing company. The results will be posted online as well as printed out at the event. This is where you will find your batch for Day 2 based on your Day 1’s time. Please remember to run in your batch as if you jump batches your time will be incorrect and you will receive a time penalty. Timing is overall best time of both days wins regardless of what batch you’re in. Timing and batch queries can be taken up with the timing team who will be on the finish line.
Our categories are fun and exciting! Categories are to be confirmed on Friday night and cannot be changed at a later stage. For example if you are winning the Tannie category and realise you are actually winning the race, you cannot change to overall after day 1.For the categories where you run in teams, you need to finish together. Prize money is only awarded to the overall winners on the African weekend.
Overall winners
Prize money on the African event only