trail running

The opening race of the Trail Series® Super League 2023, in partnership with WWF South Africa, didn’t disappoint.  But there was definitely a collective sigh of relief when the sun dipped down behind Table Mountain’s Nursery Buttress, and cast its long shadow over Kirstenbosch Gardens and the TSSL race village  - and wow what an evening it made for this exclusive race around these most treasured gardens and surrounding mountain estate.  

Billed as a sunset run meant that those fast enough could race without a supporting light to shine the way, but those making the most of it needed a Petzl headlamp or similar to catch the reflective trail markers guiding the way forward! Running through the gardens in the dying light, under huge tree ferns and towering forest canopies is a truly rewarding experience.

Katjiri defends 

As the gates closed to the public, the XL runners were first out of the blocks on their relatively short 14km.  A trio of elites made up of defending 2022 Super League Champion Wano Katjiri, Iain Peterkin and Joshua Blackshaw quickly set a blistering pace.  At the 10km mark Katjiri had a 15 second lead on Peterkin, with Blackshaw following on not far behind.  The final loop wasn’t enough for Peterkin to catch Katjiri, who romped home in 1:04:35 - 37 seconds clear of second place Peterkin.  The course record still stands, set by Llewellyn Groeneveld of 1:01:37 in 2022.

The ladies race in the XL was won by Emily Djock in 1:19:57, which also saw her break into the top 10 AND better her time from 2022 by just under 3 minutes!  Second place was Mila Gendenhuys in 1:20:44.  The course record of 1:16:23 set by Leanda du Bruyn in 2020 still stands.

Notable top 20 performances in the XL League categories included a 1:15:52 5th place overall finish for Veteran athlete Pete Calitz; and a 1:23:00 16th place overall time for Master athlete Trevor Jacobs.

Keeling owns the show

Brandon Keeling was simply on fire in the 10km long course race, totally dominating his competition with a 43:42 winning time and over a five minute margin on second and third.  Keeling’s consistency is remarkable, with just 21 seconds being the difference between his 2022 time of 43:21 and his winning time this year.  Siviwe Nkombi’s course record of 39:38, set in 2020, still remains untouched.

The battle for second, third and fourth was a 27 second affair however, with Warren Black stealing the second step from Wilson Finley by a relatively comfortable 23 seconds, and leaving Gus Farara just 4 seconds off making the podium.

Joanne Golding ruled the ladies race with a 13th overall and a winning time of 55:36.  In second place was Renee Cheary in 59:42.

Notable top 20 performances in the Long League categories included a 52:34 7th place finish overall for Veteran athlete Daniel Jubert.

A junior rules the roost

Junior athlete James Lyster (pictured) claimed his first win in the Super League 5.2km short course, in a time of 26:06; a mere 8 seconds ahead of second place Ashraf Moosa. This is the second year in a row that Moosa has had to accept second place, despite improving his time by over a minute and twenty seconds from 2022 to 2023!.  Minimee category (11-14yrs) athlete Zackery Day claimed the last step on the podium by a mere 4 seconds from fellow minimee CG Volschenk, finishing in 27:45 and 27:49 respectively.  

Morgan Volkmann won the ladies race in 32:08 and notable top 20 performances in the Short League categories included a top 10 finish for Peewee category runners (6-10yrs) Griffin Volkmann with a 29:38 (7th) and Oliver Tait 29:58 (10th).  Also breaking into the top 20 were Master athletes Shabeer Ebrahim with a 30:23 (11th) and Gordon Spenceley in 32:31 (15th).

Race results: TSSL23 Race 1 Kirstenbosch Results

Next up, Ida’s Valley

After pioneering the Ida’s Valley Nature Area’s first trail race in 2022, we are returning to this very special area for the second TSSL race in 2023.  

On offer is a 7.6km short, 13.5km long and a 21.5km XL race course.

For details and to enter: Race 2 Ida's Valley info and entry

A huge thank you to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens for hosting us again, and to our partners WWF South Africa, Elemental Outdoor, Keep Moving Socks, Steenberg, Petzl, Bluewater Africa and Finish Time for their continuing support. 

Please like, follow & share the stories & fantastic photos on our social media pages with the hashtag #TSSL23

Kirstenbosch delivers!

What an spectacular balmy summers evening to kick start the six race Trail Series® Super League in 2022!  

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens always delivers, and to have the privilege of racing through this national treasure is simply goose bump stuff.  The three race distances were 5.2km short, 9.5km long and a 14.2km XL - all concluding with a snaking route right through the heart of Kirstenbosch.

With the COVID fog of the last two years slowly beginning to clear, it was so awesome to have a capacity field again, to feel the buzz and to see and chat to so many familiar faces in our trail running community.  The heart of 15 years of short course trail running is pumping again!

As usual the front end was a fast and furious one, with Llewellyn Groeneveld (XL), Brandon Keeling (Long) and Mikaeel Moolla (Short) setting the pace in their respective distances.  Llewellyn's winning time of 1:01:37 set a new bar, breaking the course record set in 2020 by Michael Davidson (1:06:44) by over 6 minutes. Siviwe Nkombi's Long course record of 39:38 set in 2020 still stands, as does Anele Bams Short course record of 23:57.

Emily Djock (XL), Caro Jordaan (Long) & Elise Groeneveld (Short) won their respective ladies races.  Elise set a new blistering hot ladies record on the 5.2km route, being the first to go under 30min, finishing in 29:26.  This is three minutes faster than the previous ladies course record!

William Inggs not only took third overall, but absolutely owned the 'Minimee' category (11-14yrs) with over a six minute lead on his nearest rival.

Rupert Good won the 6-10yr olds 'Peewee' category, coming 13th overall.

Congrats to all the finishers for completing race 1 of 6!  For full results click here For photos click here

Next up in the TSSL is a brand new area and route at Ida's Valley Nature Area near Stellenbosch.  The date Sat 26th Feb.  For all race info and to enter: www.trailseries.co.za/idas-valley-nature-area

Keep abreast of the news by following the Trail Series Facebook page or Wildrunner Instagram

#TSSL22

For 12 years the Cape Summer and Winter Trail Series® have been the foundation of short course trail running in the Cape, introducing thousands of people to this wonderful, healthy sport  - from kids as young as five to our most mature runner at an amazing 83 years of age.

Over the same 12 year period the sport of trail running has evolved and grown hand over fist both locally and internationally.  From the uber tough Mountain Challenges, to the internationally acclaimed Otter Trail Run; the 5 day 200km Namibia Crossing, Ultra Trail Cape Town and the more recent craze of 100 milers that have been launched, have all brought a wonderful depth and variety to our sport.

And as we approach 2020, we felt it’s time the Trail Series® evolved too.  So, it is with great pleasure that we introduce the Trail Series® Super League, or the TSSL for short.  So what’s changed? Well we have selected seven of the favorite venues from the original eight, spread them further apart and merged them into a single, annual, Super League Series.  But by far the most exciting change is the addition of an XL route to every race day. The XL distances are all in the region of 20km, perfect for those attracted to - and/or training for -  longer distance races.

We have also been busy pimping the routes, with five out of the seven venues having brand new route variations.  Many of the short courses have been brought down slightly in distance to be more suitable and attractive to the youngsters and beginners in our sport.  Where possible, the long courses have been tuned to fall in the 10-12km range, with a few classic exceptions like Kogelberg, which is just too good to be changed! 

Our 100% recyclable medals will now be on offer at every race, with a special commemorative medal for anyone finishing all seven races in the TSSL.  Thanks to the wonderful support from our venues, kids under the age of 10 still run free - as they have done since our 10th year anniversary in 2017.

To be competitive in the TSSL rankings you need to run all seven races in the same distance class - short, long or XL.  The total accumulative race time over all seven races is what ultimately creates your final TSSL placement. Miss a race and an uncomplimentary system-generated time will be allocated for that race and added to your accumulative time, bumping you down the rankings!  

So whether you run one race, as many as you can make, or all seven to complete the TSSL, at each race you will still find the same Wildrunner organisation you have become accustomed too, the same well marked routes and the same fun and friendly atmosphere that has become the hallmark of a Trail Series®.

Enter the TSSL up front and you will receive a sponsored TSSL running top courtesy of Boldgear, not to mention the convenience of only having to register once for all seven races, thus allowing you the luxury of simply rocking up in time to race.

Entries will open on Wed, 6th November at midday, but for now check out the schedule of races

Share & follow us on Social Media for all the latest updates:

Instagram/Wildrunnerza 

Facebook/Trail Series

#TSSL2020

Entries of the 12th and final Cape Winter Trail Series® will open on the 24th April 2019 at midday.  Our classic winter collection is on offer once again including Paul Cluver, "The Tyger", Paarl Rock and Kogelberg Biosphere in Kleinmond.  Mark it down in your diaries and don't miss out on the Cape's original short course trail running adventure.  

Check out the events tab for more info or contact us on 072 438 32 42.

Share your intent on Insta or Facebook and give us some motivation and stand a chance of winning entries!  Simply add a photo of you on a training trail run and include the following hashtags: #CWTS19 #UnleashYourWildStride

If you entered for all four races (of the same distance) in the Cape Summer Trail Series 2019 by midnight 21st January, and have already completed races 1 and 2, your name should be on this list!

Assuming you go onto complete the remaining two races, you will qualify to receive this unique 4004 (Four-Out-Of-Four) technical tee by Boldgear.

At 8am on 24th January, we sent an email to your registered email address with a link to a SurveyMonkey questionnaire requesting vital information from you in order to make sure we have this ready for you at race 4, Oak Valley, on the 3rd February. This questionnaire needs to be completed by 4:30pm 25th January.
If your name is on the list below but you have not received the email link, please first check your spam folder, second that mailbox you never look at, and failing that drop us an mail at info@wildrunner.co.za so we can send you the link.

If your name is not on this list and you believe it should be (given the above criteria), drop us a mail by close of play on the 25th January and we will look into it. 

By race 2 in this 4-race series, things always start to get interesting. Individuals committed to achieving particular outcomes rock up with a keen eye for their competitors. Tactical decisions are made according to working the point system, and the finish line becomes an exciting place to watch it all unfold.

On Sunday 20 January, the usual mix of every level of trail runner came through to play on the beautiful Lebanon Forest mountain bike trails.​

The route offers a classic mix of exciting single track, forest paths and fynbos studded trail through orchards and playful switch backs. The race village area looks over an inviting dam, and as temperatures rose during the morning, more than a few runners had a splash before heading home.

The 13.4km long course was once again stacked with speedy potential. Siviwe Nkombi, winner from Race 1 at Kirstenbosch the Tuesday prior, took an early lead. Hot on his heels were Peter Tsawayo and Emmanuel Dlamini. Word from the course was that these three, as well as Lucas Adams, left absolutely everything out there as no one gave an inch. It was only in the last 3km that Nkombi shook his rivals, taking the win in a time of 52min42sec. Tsawayo followed in 55min32sec, with Dlamini taking third in 57min17sec. Adams came in some 2 minutes later in fourth position, with high praise for the three men ahead of him.

In the women’s race, globe trotter Meg Mackenzie came through in sixth position overall, and first woman in 59min55sec. Friend, fellow Salomon runner and friendly rival Daneil Feldman was second woman in 1h56min53sec, and talk of the day was master (50+) runner Suzette McIvor, who scooped third in 1h09min36sec.

The finish line was a hive of activity with the winners tape switched swiftly to the short course chute in the midst of the racing action. Rob Tweddle took the 6.3km course in just 25min47sec, with first woman and second overall, Bianca Tarboton 2 seconds behind him. The couple raced the small hill to the finish in an entertaining, all-out effort which could have gone either way. Jaco Loots was second man across the line in 26min31sec, with 14 year old Deon Bochnig rounding out the podium in 27min07sec.

Second woman in the short course was Tyra Buncombe in 31min13sec, and third spot was taken by Carey Pike in 32min29sec.

The food and coffee trucks did a roaring trade as the crew settled in for prize giving and the highly anticipated lucky draw loot. There was much chat about Race 3, the next sunset run at Meerendal on 30 January.

Prizes courtesy of Jaybird, Boldgear, North Ridge, Hydro Flask & Petzl as well as unique Wildrunner branded kit were well received by those who made a morning of it. Superb race images by Mark Sampson and Franz-Erich Streicher have been loaded to the Trail Series® Facebook page.

Online entries for Race 3 and 4 are open! www.trailseries.co.za for more info - and remember that kids 10 and under, if pre-registered, will run at no cost. Apply for their discount code by emailing info@wildrunner.co.za.

#CSTS19
#CapeSummerTrailSeries
#UnleashYourWildStride

The Trail Series® is about fun for the whole family and so we're offering the next generation of trail running champions a chance to compete for FREE!

Kids 10 years and younger run for free, please email info@wildrunner.co.za with your child’s name, age and school and we’ll send you a promo code for them to enter online.

T’s and C’s

You need to look no further than B’Sorah for that ultimate running compilation of bushveld diversity, from riverside trails and forest, to open savanna.  Underfoot it’s a kaleidoscope of fast open, to rocky hilltops and everything in between. The poplar forest closes out the final trails along which you need the footwork of Springbok winger to avoid the close packed trees.  As a stage for the closing race in the GSTS18, you could get no better.

Like the weather, the racing was hot.  For the most part, the leaders in the Series had done what they had to secure the Series win, but in many instances, second and third places were to go down to the wire. In the Championship Open category, ‘just’ 43 seconds (or 3.4sec/km) was the closing difference in the race for 3rd place, with Andrew Currie nabbing the final spot on the podium from Stephen Atkinson.  But by far the closest was the 3 second gap separating 4th & 5th in the Veteran men's Championship race, with Carl Sandrock the victor over Loic Cadion and in doing so stealing the final step on the podium from his rival.

In the Challenge Series, the closest battle was in the Masters race, with Gerrie Coetzee and Johnie Jonker tying up the Series on points at the line, leaving us to separate gold and silver based on their acculative time.  After crunching the numbers, Gerrie Coetzee proved the victor by just 1 minute 32 seconds over the four race series.

Check out the overall Gauteng Summer Trail Series® results here

The final race

It was another commanding run by Bernard van der Kuil, taking line honours in the 12.8km in 58:01.  Charging in to take second over the line was a rampant Marelize Retief, finishing only 4 minutes behind Bernard.  Tim Price rounded out the top three over the line in 1:02:33. Leon Scholtz completed the men’s podium with a 4th place over the line, closely followed by Sandra Mansvelder in 5th to take 2nd in the ladies race in 1:04:33.  Kerryn Prowse completed the ladies podium in 1:16:09.

The master men’s podium was separated by 20 seconds, with Leon Limper snatching the win from Douw O’Kelly by 12 seconds in 1:10:31 (10th overall), who in turn pipped the eventual 2018 Masters Champion Gert Steyn by only 8 seconds.

In the 6.6km Challenge route is was Rob Donkin in first in 29:02, followed closely by 14 year old ‘Minimee’ category Series champion Tiaan Dorfling in 30:58. Johan Kruger made the top three in 31:03.  Special mention needs to be made of 10 year old ‘Peewee’ Series Champion Scott Williamson and 11 year old Lean Scholtz finishing 4th and 5th over the line respectively. Lean’s race result secured him a matching 2nd place in the hotly contested ‘Minimee’ competition, behind a rampant Tiaan Dorfling - super impressive given he is 3 years his junior!

Charine Kruger led the ladies race in the Challenge, breaking the tape in 32:39.  Leanri Williams and Dominique Walters concluded the ladies over the line podium. 12 year old Claire Fisher ran in an impressive 17th overall and 3rd in her ‘Minimee’ category.  This final result secured her 3rd place in the overall Series, snatching the final podium place from Thina Makapela by 1 point! Just five seconds behind Claire in the final race was 14 year old Kaylen Scholtz. Christa Coetzee took charge of the Masters ladies race, winning in 40:08, some 4 minutes ahead of Sue Botha.  The veteran ladies race was separated by a mere 3 seconds, with Marinette le Roux the victor over Elke Thompson in 42:24.

Johan Kruger, Chris Dorfling and Craig Marshal were all separated by only 52 seconds in the battle for 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively in the Veteran mens race, 2 minutes back from overall race winner Rob Donkin.  The open category was even closer, with just 46 seconds separating the podium, with Ryan Marshall, Ryan Walters and Daniel van der Walt finishing in that order.

Check out the final race results here

Full Facebook photo album

That’s a wrap then

A huge thank you to our sponsors and partners Jaybird, Raidlight, Steenberg, Pepsi Max and Petzl (sunset race) for their amazing support.

Last but definitely not least, a huge thank you to all of you for your support and participation!  If you have any comments or feedback please feel free to email info@wildrunner.co.za and if you took pictures or have stories to share please include either @wildrunnerza or the hashtag #GSTS18 on your posts so we can like and share!  

The Gauteng Summer Trail Series® was brought to you by Wildrunner

Spoiler alert: It’s going to be HOT!

If you live in the Cape, then you're one of those who has been tossed between scorching heat and some winter throw backs of late. Some of it has been so sizzling that your bios read "In a Relationship with an Air Conditioner". Well that’s just a taste of what’s coming at you, because the 2019 version of the Cape Summer Trail Series® is getting all fired up.

On our summer menu…

15 January           Kirstenbosch Sunset Run 

This one always sells out, so get involved early with an online entry. Choose between the 10km Long Course or the 5km Short Course. You get an exclusive opportunity to enjoy a sunset from within the beautiful Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Run past the fragrance gardens, up onto the fringes of Cecilia Forest along the contour path. After the beautiful mountain trails, there's a playful technical descent followed by a magnificent indigenous forest. Then back into the gardens and through the magical setting of the cycad forest, and onto the festive finish line.

20 January           Lebanon Forest

The Long Course is 13.4km, and Short Course 6.3km. A beautiful morning of running through the Valley Farm orchards and the Lebanon Forestry mountain bike trails. A trail filled with glorious single track and picturesque views with a heady mix of pine, orchards and fynbos. Good food, good tunes and all your favourite trail peeps will be waiting on the finish line.

30 January           Meerendal Sunset Run

Charge the headlamps, this one must not be missed! For race 3 we head out into the Durbanville Wine Valley and onto Meerendal Wine Estate. Long Course is 12km, and Short Course 6.2km. Run off into the sunset and take in the beauty of an iconic Table Mountain view in the distance. This course runs predominantly on the perfectly manicured mountain bike single track of Meerendal. A playful, undulating course that offers a solid dose of pure fun. We’ve got you covered for a food truck dinner during prize giving.

3 February          Oakvalley

The magnificent country estate of Oak Valley is a fitting scene for the final race in the 2019 Cape Summer Trail Series®.  This is exclusive access to hallowed mountain biking trails through an eclectic landscape from pine forest and open fields to riverine forest and apple orchards.  This is the ultimate feel good run that in practice is a fast, fun and non-technical course. Three options here with a Short Course of 7km, Long Course of 15.1km or an XL of 25km. The XL is an ideal ‘upgrade’ for those who have either banked the Series (3 out of 4) or want to just race something longer. The finale is always a real buzz of celebration, friends and family in a truly beautiful setting.

Remember…

Run 3 of the 4 long / short courses to automatically compete in the Championship / Challenge and receive a medal or cherry pick the races that you wish to run (note: medals for finishers of the Trail Series® Championship/Challenge only). The Trail Series®, heading in to its 12^th year, is where your cross over to trail running begins, your trail speed improves and you get to run new routes within the safety of a professionally run event. It’s about friends, family and fun times in the great outdoors.

The heat is on. See you soon! Entries via www.trailseries.co.za

#UnleashYourWildStride

#CSTS2019

What an adventure on Titan’s Forest trails in race 2 of the Gauteng Summer Trail Series!  A brand new addition to the trail running scene, it was with great anticipation that trail runners lined up at the start line from 7 am on Sunday to run this magic piece of private Broederstroom property.  Majority of the route focus was the spectacular forests that lined the source of the Broederstroom spring. Being able to drink from the spring during the run was a really unusual highlight for many.

The trails were undeniably busy, with a huge variation in steep technical climbs & descents, fast winding trails through the forests complete with lots of tricky valleys and slate-covered ridges.  Diversity second to none. This busy run meant you hardly had time to realise where you were before you found yourself back at the finish! Carl Sandrock commented, “It’s like a complete cerebral overload!” We think this summarised the Titan’s Forest experience to a T!

For the full race results click here

For all the photos, click on the Trail Series Facebook page

13km Championship race

Shorted from 14km before the start due to some unforeseen circumstances, the Championship (Long) course took on more of everything as we stretched out the route to cover a large portion of this magnificent property.  

28-year-old Bernard van der Kuil totally owned the route, completing the 13km in 56:38, over 5 minutes ahead of second place Leon Scholtz.  Craig Makopela rounded out the top three in 1:02:47. Behind Bernard in the Open Senior category, Stephen Atkinson took 2nd place with Tim Price rounding out third.

Wildcoast Wildrun record holder Marelise Retief and Penny Bowren were separated by just 53 seconds in the ladies race, with Marelise taking her second race win in a row in 1:03:19.  Their respective times put them at 4th and 5th place over the line respectively. Michel Botha completed the top three over the line in 1:18:30. In the ladies open/senior category Thea-Mari Franken moved into 3rd behind Michel Botha.

The veteran men's race is was Leon Scholtz in the lead in 1:01:51, with Craig Makopela and Mark Phipson in 2nd and 3rd respectively.  Karen Ellithorne lead the charge in the Vet ladies race, winning in a time of 1:34:28. Karen was chased hard by Sharon Masson in 2nd, just 9 seconds back, and third was Sarah Hanson in 1:36:22.

Gert Steyn held on to a narrow 32 second lead over Martin Stumbles in the men's Masters race, with Douw O’Kelly rounding out third.  Behind a rampant Penny Bowren in the ladies Masters competition, came Lois Spies in 2nd and Jacqueline du Toit in 3rd.

And last but not least a special shout out to George Lupton-Smith for his lead in the provisional Grand Masters category!

7.4km Challenge race

14 year old Tiaan Dorfling clearly revelled in the technical trail, dancing his way to the finish line in the 7.4km Challenge course in an incredible time of 30:11 - over 10 minutes ahead of second placed Rob Donkin, who in turn was less than two minutes ahead of his 12 year old son Joel.  That puts two 11-14 year old “Minimee” into the top three over the line! Rounding out the minimee category was Stuart Phipson in 42:46.

Charine Kruger completed a top 10 finish in the short course ladies race in 45:47, with a two minute lead on Leanri Williamson.  Domenique Walters rounded out the top three ladies over the line just one minute back from Leanri in 48:51.

In the 6-10 year old “Peewee” category is was the usual all guns blazing approach by the little runners.  10 year old Scott Williamson took line honours in this category in 45:36, which also secured him a top 10 placing.  Chasing him down with pedal to the metal was Kayden Durrie (10yrs) and rounding out the top three was Noe Cadion - also 10 years old.

In the Veteran category, the ladies race was won by Janette Bewsey in 58:21, followed by a close tussle for 2nd and 3rd between Elke Thompson and Marinette le Roux - with Elke managing to eek out a mere 4-second advantage at the line.  The Veteran men's race was won by Rob Donkin (2nd over the line) in 40:08, followed by Johan Kruger in 45:44 and Jason Reeves in 48:05.

Gerrie & Christa Coetzee took charge of their respective Masters categories.  Tyrone Gower and Johnnie Jonker took 2nd and 3rd respectively in the men's race, and Eva Alexandrova & Linda van der Gryp 2nd and 3rd respectively in the ladies.

Two down, two to go

The second half of the 2018 GSTS takes on a sunset garden running experience at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens on the 7th November and concludes with the magnificent B’Sorah - one of the all time favourites!  If you are not entered already, make sure you don’t miss out on one or both of these two by entering on www.trailseries.co.za

Huge thank you to Titan’s Forest for hosting us and to our key sponsors Jaybird and Raidlight!