Clear your mind and get into your running groove on these bucket-list trail routes in South Africa.
Also read: Five of the best long-distance hikes in South Africa
Otter Hiking Trail, Garden Route. Photo by Jacques Marais.
Five top trail runs in South Africa
(and one in France)
1. Salomon Otter African Trail Run, Garden Route
You’ll find the Salomon Otter African Trail Run at the top of just about every off-road runner’s list. Set along the five-day Otter Hiking Trail, the 42-kilometre route within Garden Route National Park oozes dramatic beauty every rock-strewn step of the way: arduous ascents, deep-forest single-tracks and rock-hopping coastal stages. Run direction between Storms River and Nature’s Valley changes yearly, adding to the already gruelling challenge as athletes attempt to break the four hour mark. Open to runners once a year in September under strict SANParks control. www.theotter.co.za, www.sanparks.org
2. Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve, Namaqualand
If you’re brave enough to tackle the rugged escarpment beyond the Cederberg’s furthest reaches, get ready for Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve. This little-known wilderness near Nieuwoudtville encompasses a network of craggy hiking routes in excess of 52 kilometres, making for mind-space running of the best kind throughout the year (except midsummer). The 15,5 kilometre Leopard Trap Day Hike is a technical two-hour run, or take on the annual 42-kilometre Spur Oorlogskloof Mountain Run in April for a one-of-a-kind experience.
3. Hogsback trails, Eastern Cape
In the heart of Frontier Country, the laid-back village of Hogsback offers the perfect entry point into the Amatole foothills. Cape parrots and narina trogons flit about high in the emerald canopy of the indigenous forest, and any of a dozen day runs and hikes will transport you into a Hobbity wonder world of waterfalls, giant trees and mossy footpaths. Get in a morning quickie along Kettlespout Falls Trail (12 kilometres), or go the whole hog (excuse the pun) on the two-day, 100-kilometre Merrell Hobbit Trail Run in November.
4. Salomon Sky Run, Eastern Cape
Many trail runners still see the 100-kilometre Salomon Sky Run as South Africa’s ultimate offroad endurance run. Originally pioneered in the 1980s by John-Mike Tawse (who ran the route over weekends to visit friends in the foothills of the southern Drakensberg), this self-navigated event takes you from Barkly East to the finish at Tiffindell Ski Resort. Along the way, you’ll need to face off against the elements – expect dramatic mountain squalls and deep snow – and pain-and-glory climbs.
5. Molweni Trail Run, KZN Midlands
Set in the dramatic sandstone cliffs of Krantzkloof Nature Reserve near Durban, the Molweni Trail Run is one of the new kids on the block. Wind your way through a heady mix of coastal forest, grasslands and rock outcrops to the Umgeni River, passing through the Molweni townships along the way. Part of the fee from the May race goes to community upliftment and conservation in the area.
6. Grand Raid des Pyrenees, France
So many incredible races, so few weekends… that’s the lament of many contemporary trail runners. If you’re one of the lucky ones with both time and money on your hands, the international race calendar beckons too. It’s tough to select just one overseas run, but having experienced the amazing Grand Raid des Pyrenees, I’d certainly return to this scenic part of rural France for the breathtakingly beautiful 160-kilometre autumn run through the towering peaks.
This article first appeared in the June 2014 issue of Getaway magazine.
