trail running

Winter vibes. Nothing better than hitting the trails in a bit of wind, rain and chilly temps, and following that up with a hot shower, good food and some couch time. As trail runners, we need to make that couch time count! So we rounded up some of the most motivational, inspiring and touching Trail TV options for you.

WHERE DREAMS GO TO DIE I Gary Robbins and The Barkley Marathons

While it works for many of us, music isn’t for every runner. Some might find it a distraction, certain races prohibit headphone use and safety is a consideration as music can shut out nearby noises or marshall instructions. Unless you are slogging it out on a treadmill, the volume should always be low enough to hear fellow runners and some of the melodies of nature.

First in a 3-part Series

The promise was clear; 3 days, 3 African countries, 92km. The website went on to say, “From the ancient Mapungubwe citadel in South Africa, to the rolling savannah of Botswana’s Tuli block; this trail running journey of discovery would take a small group of runners across the mighty Limpopo River to the banks of the gigantic Shashe River, through the rural villages of Maramani, past huge Baobabs and along ancient elephant trails etched into stone in Zimbabwe.”

Referred to as “The ultimate safari-on-the-run.”

When, where, and how to get there!

Road running in South Africa remains one of our favourite sports, for many reasons. It is relatively affordable, accessible and the legacy of races such as the Comrades marathon creates a road running culture that is built on history, pride and some iconic running names. If you are a runner in this country, you will be asked if you have a Comrades medal – this cliché is quite unavoidable!

Like a good wine, plenty humans improve with age. With more time to train, and often a deeper appreciation of physical fitness, the masters-and-beyond category has increased in size and speed at trail races over the past few years.

There are very few trail runners who don’t geek out a bit over gear. It is a fiercely competitive arena, with manufacturers taking giant leaps in terms of technology and design over the past few years. Fabrics, finishes, waterproofing, breathability, weight, ergonomics… you name it, they are improving it. And let’s face it, for all that we love to run light and free, gear will make or break our mountain time.

In this feature piece, we share advice and recipes from power couple, Jana and Simon de Waal from Stellenbosch. Jana has adopted a completely vegan lifestyle, while Simon follows a vegetarian eating plan. Together, they make running, and ethical eating, look pretty easy.

Jana (25) in an attorney, and trains on the trails of the Stellenbosch farming areas, Kuilsriver, Durbanville and Table Mountain.

From 15 to 19 June this year, a small group of runners will tackle a 110km journey through the ancient arid mountainous landscape of the Richtersveld National Park, South Africa - a World Heritage site, and one of only 25 biodiversity hotspots in the World.

Next in our series of “What Trail Runners Eat”, Trish Eksteen (39) from Durban North in KZN shares her KETO eating plan. Trish trains predominantly at A.O.T. (Adventure Obstacle Training), at Kloof Gorge, and when time allows heads out to the North Coast. She adds road and beach running to round out her routine.

The trail community is a pretty special place to hang out. Because our sport takes us in to remote areas and along routes that lend themselves to dangerous situations, we’re good at looking out for each other. Most times, the emergency medical kids that we carry are used to take care of fellow runners, rather than ourselves. And, because we like nothing more than exploring pristine natural environments, we tend to take care of them, too. Our natural heritage is part and parcel of why we get out there. As a community, we fight hard to reduce our environmental impact.