paul cluver

YES! The fourth & fifth races in the 2020 TSSL at Paul Cluver & Oak Valley Estates have been rescheduled for 11th October and 15th November respectively, albeit presented in a somewhat different, COVID-19 alert level 1 compliant, way!

But outdoor events over 500 in capacity are not allowed?

Correct, which we are not running this is in a classic event style, but rather applying a COVID-19 adapted and approved strategy was that in it's simplest terms can be understood as an 'arrive and run' policy. 

More detail on how this will work will be communicated in due course to all entrants.

Will the three routes be marked?

Yes, properly marked in the tried and proven manner that all our 350+ events that we have run have been ;-)  The marked trails will be managed and someone is on standby should you go wrong en route.

When will this be available? 

Paul Cluver: The three race distances will be available for you to race on between 6am - 12pm on Sun 11th October.  You will need to book a time slot for one of the seven hours available.  Detail on how to book your slot will be communicated to all entrants.

Oak Valley: Provisionally (pending entries) the three race distances will be available for you to race on between 6am - 12pm on Sun 15th November.  You will need to book a time slot for one of the five hours available.  Detail on how to book your slot will be communicated to all entrants closer to the time.

Can I enter on the day?

Unfortunately not, both of these TSSL races will be pre entry only.  The reason for this is that the COVID-19 protocols require pre-event screening to be carried out with all entrants prior to arrival.

Will I be timed?

Yes.  We will have a system in place that will allow all entries to be timed individually.

Will there be medals?

Yes there will be medals for all finishers.

What about COVID-19 protocols? 

We will follow all COVID-19 protocols and would require you to do your bit as well by wearing a mask (at least on arrival, registration,  start/finish).  Once you are on course you will not be required to wear a mask, as per the current gazetted detail.   

Information on how the COVID-19 protocols will be implemented will be communicated to all entrants.

And safety out on route? 

We will have a support crew managing the marked trails, which includes a direct Wildrunner emergency contact number in case you get into trouble.  There will also be course managers placed in key areas to be of assistance if needed.  We will have medics in support at the start/finish.

Will there be any facilities?

There will be a trimmed down version of a race village providing the following facilities: 

1. Portable toilets, cleaned on a regular schedule.
2. Coffee: Cuppa Joe will be on station selling coffee.
3. Food: We may or may not have a food vendor, so plan to bring your own post run snacks.
4. Merch: Yes we will have a limited supply of merchandise on sale.
5. Aid station:  there will be ONE self-help aid station on the XL route.  Details of this will be communicated to all XL runners.Other than toilets and the skeleton crew looking after the marked trails there will be no typical race village environment that you have come to enjoy at a typical Trail Series® event.

Can I order wine?

Paul Cluver - You can order Paul Cluver wines over the weekend and it will be delivered to your door within the following week (due to current COVID-19 restrictions you cannot purchase alchohol from Sat-Sun).  The good news is (especially if you read all the way to the bottom as you have...) that if you use this coupon code #TSSL2020 when purchasing wine online on https://www.cluver.com/purchase/south-africa/ you will get a 10% discount (only available during the month of Oct 2020, minimum purchase of a case required).

Please take this once a year opportunity to run on these magnificent estates and order the best wine in the Elgin Valley! 

To enter click here

‘Ya, nee’ as the expression goes in Afrikaans.  That’s what we have all become used to in this new era of a viral pandemic.

And so it comes to be that Paul Cluver which was on, is now off.  Switched off by the powers that be that cannot ultimately wrap their heads around the concept on its own, COVID-19 compliant, merits. 

There is an event department in most municipalities, programmed for events and events only.  There is one script and don’t by any means attempt to reskin it in a way that makes it a non-event and therefore ‘Rona’ compliant. 

So we conclude: You can go to a mall with thousands of people.  You can go to a casino with hundreds of others.  You can go to an airport and fly.  You can get crammed in a taxi. But don’t for a second think you can book a time slot to run on a marked trail on private property, outdoors - and more than likely run entirely on your own. That would be logical, but who said logic had anything to do with it?

So it’s with huge regret that we have to accept that the rug has been pulled from under our carefully sculptured plans.  You will have to wait another who-knows-how-long for the once a year chance to run the beautiful Paul Cluver Estate, outside, in fresh air, far from the thousands of people in your local mall. 

And Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve & Kleinmond you ask?  Well, the only viable option left is for these events to follow the Phantom Rally model.  So, watch this space as we evolve the TSSL into the Phantom Rally ‘Countryside’. What is the Phantom Rally?

Your entry to Paul Cluver?  Please consider the following options:

1. A credit for the entry amount that you can use when the time comes around again to put it towards a Super League, Phantom Rally or Mountain Challenge Series race.
2. A full refund into your account. 

Thank you for your patience, understanding & ongoing support as we desperately try to negotiate this tumultuous time.

Yes the fifth race in the TSSL that was due to be hosted on the magnificent Paul Cluver Estate on Sunday 19th July is still on, albeit presented in a different, COVID-19 compliant, way.  

But mass gatherings are not allowed?

Correct, which is why this is not an event, or a mass gathering of any kind, but simply a temporary offering of the three marked trails (the same we had originally planned for) made available for a limited period of time.  

Will the three routes be marked?

Yes, properly marked in the tried and proven manner that all our 350+ events that we have run have been ;-)  The marked trails will be managed and someone is on standby should you go wrong en route.

When will this be available? 

Well the three race distances will be available for you to race on between 8am - 3pm on Sat 18th and Sun 19th July 2020.  You will however need to book a time slot in one of the seven hours available each day.  Detail on how to book your slot will follow.

Will I be timed?

Yes.  We will have a system in place that will allow all entries to be timed individually.

What about COVID-19 protocols? 

We will follow all COVID-19 protocols and would require you to do your bit as well by wearing a mask (at least on arrival, registration,  start/finish and if ever you see anyone on route).  

And safety out on route? 

We will have a skeleton crew managing the marked trail offering, which includes a direct Wildrunner emergency contact number in case you get into trouble.  There will also be course managers placed in key areas to be of assistance if needed.  We will use Metro ambulance services for any serious injury that may require evacuation.

Will there be any facilities?

Other than toilets and the skeleton crew looking after the marked trails there will be no typical race village environment that you have come to enjoy at a typical Trail Series® event.

Can I order wine?

You can order it over that weekend and it will be delivered to your door within the following week (due to current COVID-19 restrictions you cannot purchase alchohol from Fri-Sun).  The good news is (especially if you read all the way to the bottom as you have...) that if you use this coupon code #TSSL2020 when purchasing wine online on https://www.cluver.com/purchase/south-africa/ you will get a 10% discount (only available during the month of July 2020, minimum purchase of a case required).

Please take this once a year opportunity to run on this magnificent estate and order the best wine in the Elgin Valley! 

To enter click here

Approximately 1 000 runners were met with a perfect Cape winter day as they made their way to the Paul Cluver Estate in the Overberg for the first race of the Spur Cape Winter Trail Series™ and the Spur GLB46 Ultra.

The early wake-up call was definitely worth it as the cold front that hit the Western Cape in the preceding week left behind crystal clear skies, bubbling brooks and views that went on forever.
The Spur GLB46 Ultra started off first with almost 100 runners taking on the ultra distance across the Groenlandberg. There was an epic battle at the front of the field with Dylan Solms, Damian Will, Eddie Lambert and Chad Gordon chasing each other all the way. Solms led the way for most of the race but Will made his move in the final kilometre of the race and eventually took the win in 3:50:38, only two minutes ahead of Solms. Third across the line was Lambert as he broke the 4 hour mark with a time of 3:58:01.

The ladies order stayed the same from the first checkpoint on course, with Ronel Nattrass coming home in a time of 4:34:15, followed a few minutes later by Alana Doyle in 4:40:26 and Ursula Turck in 4:42:01.

The long course Championship followed a route of 15.6km along the foot of the Groenlandberg and included a hill that took most runners by surprise. Raydon Balie made the most of the conditions and stormed home in a time of 1:18:15, more than five minutes ahead of his closest competitor, Pieter Calitz who crossed the line in 1:24:45. Jonpaul Bolus completed the podium as he claimed third place in 1:25:42.

Defending champion in the ladies long course Championship, Liandi van der Westhuyzen continued where she left off in 2014 and finished almost ten minutes ahead of second placed, Carla Beyers. Her winning time of 1:34:56 showed her dominance while Beyers’ time of 1:44:32 was also class. Yvonne Mouton took third position for the ladies in 1:45:37.

Short course battle shapes up
It didn’t take long for the form of Dawood Goeieman to make his way down the final hill to claim the 8.8m short course Challenge in a superb time of 33:16. He was followed shortly by Llewellyn Jacobs in 33:27 and Oliver Stewart in 33:46 who breathed down his neck all the way.

Mariella Dierks took control of the race from the get-go and was the only lady to break the 40-minute mark as she took first place in 39:55. Second went to Liezel du Plooy in a time of 44:09 while the familiar face of Katie Leslie crossed the line third in a time of 44:28.

It was a glorious morning in the Cape countryside and everyone who made their way to Paul Cluver had a super fun day in the mud.

A big thanks to our amazing sponsors, Spur Steak Ranches, BOS Ice Tea, Protea Hotels, Graham Beck and Runner’s World for the support and to all the amazing runners who make the Spur Trail Series™ one of our favourite events on the calendar.

Click here for photos and here for full results.

Entries for the second race of the Series are available here until Thursday, 23 July at 10h00am.

After four weeks of trail running fun in Gauteng, the popular Spur Trail Series™ moves to the Western Cape as the Spur Cape Winter Trail Series™ kicks off next weekend at the Paul Cluver Estate in Grabouw. The Series will kick off with a bang as runners can choose to take part in either the short 9km Challenge, the long 16km Championship or for those looking for an extreme challenge, the Spur GLB46 Ultra will take place on the same day. With most of the entries gone, time is running out for runners to secure their spot on the start line of one of the most popular trail running series around.

We can look forward to some fast times at the Spur GLB46 Ultra as winner of the Helderberg Mountain Challenge, Dylan Solms is set to go for gold in the men’s race, while Ryan Winter will also be in the fray. Hanlie Booyens and Kathleen McQuade-Little are sure to be battling it out for top honours at the front of the ladies field.

The long course Championship is sure to provide top notch racing again, with Raydon Balie who will be hoping to go one better after two previous second spots in the Championship Series. Liandi van der Westhuyzen will be back to defend her winter Championship title from last year, but they will both be up against some stiff competition during the course of the Series. Both Nick Rembeyi and Llewelyn Jacobs are stepping up to the long course Championship and their presence are sure to keep Balie looking over his shoulder.

The battle in the short course Challenge will be fierce as always, with runners having to go all out from the get-go to gain the initiative over such a short distance. With several top short course Challenge contenders moving up to the longer distance, the Challenge title is up for the taking and we can’t wait to see who will join the Spur Trail Series™ winners’ circle this year. 

While the front runners will be giving their all to get to the finish line first, the vast majority of the entrants will be there to enjoy another fun day on the trails and with spectacular venues like the Paul Cluver Wine Estate, Tygerberg Nature Reserve, the Taal Monument and the Kogelberg Biosphere this is a definite for all participants.

Limited entries are still available and online entries for race 1 will remain open until Monday, 13 July at 10h00am.

The schedule for this year’s Spur Cape Winter Trail Series™ is as follows:

• 19 July: Spur GLB46 Ultra – Paul Cluver Estate, Grabouw
• 19 July: Race 1 – Paul Cluver Estate, Grabouw
• 26 July: Race 2 – Tygerberg Nature Reserve, Bellville
• 2 August: Race 3 – Taal Monument & Paarl Nature Reserve, Paarl
• 15 August: Race 4 & XL – Kogelberg Biosphere, Kleinmond

For more information and to enter the Series click here, or find out more about the Spur GLB46 Ultra and the Spur Kleinmond XL.