trail

Ok, so you’ve seen the stoke radiating off your friends when they come off the mountain, you’re envious of their Instagram content, and you know that there is magic out there beyond the “dreadmill” or the tar of the burbs… so where do you begin?

During the heated aftermath of the recent murder of a tourist near East Fort, SANParks announced the deployment of some 120 new additional monitors, funded by the Department of Tourism, to assist in reducing crime within SANParks managed areas.

On Sunday 9 June, South Africa sat glued to their TVs watching Gerda Steyn obliterate the Comrades Up Run record, becoming the only woman to run the event under 6 hours and finish well within the top 20 overall. 

Trails are to be shared, and trail runners should welcome the presence of the full trail community in all our wild and wonderful spaces, unless permits suggest otherwise. But, with shared space comes shared responsibility. A few weeks ago, local road and trail running champ, Siviwe Nkombi, was attacked during the first few kilometres of a race, on a beach where dogs are permitted to run without a leash. This incident has sparked some debate in the trail community, calling on dog owners to be more responsible.

The Jonkershoek Mountain Challenge was launched by Wildrunner in 2011, hot off the heels of the inaugural Helderberg Mountain Challenge in 2010.  The opening JMC offer consisted of 30km, 21km and 11km routes combining the best of Cape Nature & Cape Pine properties in the then relatively unknown Jonkershoek Nature Reserve.  736 runners entered the opening event and for the next eight years, this Cape classic has been a firm favorite on the trail and mountain running calendar - becoming infamous from the get go!

Regular mountain users were encouraged and relieved to receive the news that the iconic Lion’s Head would be closed to all for much needed maintenance between 7 January and 15 February this year. Everyone had to find new places to get their ultimate sunrise yoga Insta images while a professional crew took care of trail erosion, metal work and other pressing issues on and around our popular old lady.

Fallen off the training scene? Can’t remember when last you entered a race? New Year’s resolutions slipping out of your hands as you hit snooze, again?

You aren’t alone. Let’s look at some basic ways to regain that running mojo and make 2019 your time to shine.

Ever wondered what running in paradise would feel like? 2019 is your wild year, and the Wildrun® Africa portfolio is your answer. Kei Mouth to Hole-in-the-Wall, The Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa is paradise unparalleled.

Race 1 and 2 are done and suitably dusted, with potential series champs lined up and ready to race for final victory. A sunset run at Meerendal, and a classic Oak Valley throw down are still to come, and the vibe couldn’t be hotter.

It’s here! And if you haven’t thrown your hat in the ring yet, here are some really good reasons to get on it.