As has become tradition, the Spur Cape Summer Trail Series™ kicked off yesterday with the toughest race of the Series as more than 900 runners descended on the Tygerberg Nature Reserve on a scorching summer day.
The heat was intense but not as intense as the racing and Bernard Rukadza picked up where he left off in last year’s Spur Trail Series™, taking yet another first place to cement his reputation as the man to beat. He blitzed the 12.2km long course Championship race in 57:29, followed over the line by John Rocke in 58:04 and Tsungai Mwanengeni in third place with a time of 59:15.
The ladies race also resulted in some top notch running as Katya Soggot made a late appearance on the day and surged to the front of the field from the get-go. She won the ladies’ race in a time of 1:09:09. Almost five minutes ahead of...
Wildrunner has donated over R550,000 during the last eight years to various local conservation initiatives, ensuring we give back to the areas where we run.
We’ve been hosting races at the Tygerberg Nature Reserve for the last couple of years and love to spend time there. If you’re a regular there then you’ll probably know there are three grey rhebok that live in the reserve, an old couple and their son. The young male is approximately three years old and of breeding age. He holds his own territory on the south eastern slope of the reserve and can be seen most early mornings in the main picnic area. He does not venture to the north as this is his father’s territory.
Grey rhebok are generally found in herds of three to 12 animals in the wild, which are dominated by the male. The Tygerberg Nature Reserve has a carrying capacity for approximately...
Almost 700 trail runners made their way to the Pelindaba Nature Reserve on Sunday to take on the final race of the Spur Gauteng Summer Trail Series™ and one of the last trail races of 2014. They weren’t disappointed as the Highveld weather played along, delivering a perfect morning to kick off a typical summer Sunday. The racing on course was as hot as the temperatures and it was a fantastic way to finish what was another unforgettable Spur Trail Series™.
Sesipi steals the show
Some of the biggest names in South African trail running showed up to join in the fun but it was Edwin Sesipi, a regular on the Spur Trail Series™ circuit, who came out on top and claimed the overall long course Championship.
Sesipi had to fight off strong competition in the form of the national long distance trail running champion, Thabang Madiba, Drakensberg Grand Traverse record holder, Ryno...
The Spur Cape Summer Trail Series™ 2015 will see batching reintroduced to Wildrunner events in an attempt to spread the field out while maintaining the integrity of the event as we grow the Spur Trail Series™ and introduce more people to our wonderful sport.
Batches will be starting in 2 minute intervals with the first short course starting 15-20 minutes after the last long course batch (as per usual Spur Trail Series™ starting times).
We will leave it up to you to choose which batch you’d like to start in but please be considerate when making your choice as it will have an impact on others.
We have set up some guidelines to help you make a decision. Please see these guidelines below:
Championship Race (Long Course):
Batch A (Elite):
Top 25% Overall – If you are regularly finishing in the top 25% of the overall field (NOT category), then you qualify to run in this batch. For example, if there...
It was a scorcher of a day as approximately 600 runners lined up for the start of Race 3 in the 2014 Spur Gauteng Summer Trail Series™ that took place on the magnificent trails of B’sorah.
In the men’s 13,4km long course Championship race, it was a titanic duel between the top two men as they opened up a big gap on the rest of the field. Neither could shake the other and the battle lasted up to the finish line as they hurtled down the last few km’s. Finally as they hit the last few bends, Edwin Sesipi opened up a small gap that he would not relinquish as he came home to win by seven seconds in front of a hard chasing Tranquil Gumbo. Sesipi’s time was a superb 50:40 with Gumbo coming home in 50:47. Third over the line went to Daniel Jenner who crossed under the arch...
The magnificent Segwati Game Ranch played host to race 2 of the Spur Gauteng Summer Trail Series™ under grey but dry skies to make for perfect conditions to be out on the trails.
The 13.2km long course Championship race saw one of the country’s top trail runners and indeed the 2013 and 2014 South African Long Distance Trail Running Champion Thabang Madiba, who came out to race in the Series where it all began.
Madiba didn’t have it all his own way however, as there was fierce competition from the young pretenders with up and coming star, Ruan Meintjies taking home the win in a sensational time of 48:08. Not only did he beat Madiba but he also improved the time set by legend, Luck Miya in last year’s race by more than 90 seconds!
Trailing Meintjies by a shade under one minute was last week’s XL winner, Tranquil Gumbo who ran home...
It was a stormy start to the 2014 edition of the Spur Gauteng Summer Trail Series™ as an angry Hennops River greeted more than 600 runners to kick start things off in dramatic fashion.
As per usual in the Spur Gauteng Trail Series™, the Hennops race hosted the stand alone event of a 20km XL race and this year’s event saw one of the most dominant displays of running as regular podium placer, Tranquil Gumbo blitzed the course in a time of 01:38:12 to win by just under 30 minutes. Johan Ferreira took second over the line in 02:07:37 as well as first master, with another master runner, Mike Biesheuvel hot on his heels in a time of 02:07:43.
In the ladies XL race, it was Lerentia Strydom who took top honours and finished a superb eighth overall in a time of 02:12:35. Benita Kritzinger claimed second over the line in a...
And in the end, the sunshine finally came out to play as more than 100 competitors lined up one final time in the Spur KZN Trail Series™ for 2014. iSithumba, located near Inchanga in the Valley of a 1000 Hills, played host to the final race of four in the Spur KZN Trail Series™ for what was a picture perfect day for trail running.
In the men’s 11.3km long course Championship race, it was familiar foes doing battle as the race for the overall Series was still up for grabs.
As the runners traversed the final single track along the banks of the Sikelekehleni River, it was Muzi Madikwa who emerged up the final hill of the day and into the finishing straight as the first runner across the line, finishing in a time of 46:50 with Ayanda Mlotshwa settling for second place over the line in a time of 47:53. That...
It seems that whenever Wildrunner is in town, the rains come down in KZN! Despite the wet and tricky underfoot conditions, the third race of the 2014 Spur KZN Trail Series™ saw more than 130 runners embrace it and tackle the magnificent Giba Gorge Trails.
In the men’s long course 10km race, it was Ayanda Mlotshwa who made it two wins from two as he crossed under the Spur Trail Series™ arch in a superb time of 42:28 with Muzi Madikwa hot on his heels a mere 7 seconds adrift as these two young men battle for Series supremacy. Third place over the line went to a new name in this Series, Mlondi Zuma, who came home in a time of 45:16 to round off the top three men over the line.
In the ladies long course race, the hard work and determination of Yolande Visser paid off as she claimed top...
Speed was at the order of the day in race 1 of the 2014 Spur KZN Trail Series™. Inanda Dam played host to arguably the quickest course in the Series as the front runners dipped below the 03:30 min per km mark and left the rest of the field in awe.
In the men’s 10.8km long course Championship race, it was Mbhasobhi Gumede who got the Series off to an electric start by blitzing home in a terrific time of 39:00 to take top honours and take an early Series lead, with Muzi Madikwa hot on his heels crossing under the arch in a time of 39:24. Third over the line went to Ayanda Mlotshwa who crossed the finish line in a time of 40:33 to round off a very impressive overall podium.
In the ladies long course race, it was the familiar face of Trish Bahlmann who crossed the finish line...