trail series

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

Nature is at the very core of why trail running is so incredibly inspiring.  Every trail is different, every experience unique.  For the last 15 years, the Trail Series® has been connecting people with nature, inspiring children and adults alike to get out and be challenged in this wonderful sport of trail running.

Along the way these events have been at the leading edge of establishing sound environmental practices, working hard to ensure that collectively, the events have as soft a touch on the planet as possible.  From cupless aid stations, to designing reusable signage; from drastically reducing our use of single use plastics, to producing recyclable medals.  “We have worked hard to leave as little footprint as possible in the execution of the Trail Series® events.  Not for any reason other than, we can do what we can to make a difference” says Owen Middleton, founder & events director of the Trail Series®.

And so it is with great excitement that the Trail Series® proudly announces a partnership with WWF South Africa for the 2023 Trail Series® Super League.  It’s a partnership rooted in recognising the value and inspiration of the incredible biodiversity that surrounds us, and the need to work together to inspire positive change.

“WWF South Africa’s mission is to champion the earth's capacity to provide a source of inspiration, sustainable food, water and clean energy for all. We celebrate and respect diversity in nature and among the people, partners, and communities with whom we work. The amazing venues hosting the trail series connect beautifully with important parts of our work, including freshwater stewardship, marine protected area management, wine conservation champions and securing the unique Cape Fynbos biome ” Justin Smith, Head of Business Development

The 2023 Trail Series® Super League will consist of six race days spread out between January and November.  Each race day is at a unique trail running venue in and around the greater Cape Town, Winelands and Overstrand areas.  Each race counts towards the overall Super League, with the highest points scorer securing the TSSL League title.  There are various age categories ranging from the 6-10 year old ‘Peewee’ runners up to the Masters.  The more races you do the better you score, the higher up the rankings you will be.  So in short, consistency is the key. 

We kick off the first race in the magnificent Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens on 20 January 2023, a Friday evening special!  For info and to enter head to https://www.trailseries.co.za/events/trail-series-super-league/kirstenbosch

Overnight rain and a cool westerly breeze made for perfect trail racing conditions at Oak Valley Wine Estate, the final race venue in the 2022 Trail Series® Super League.

First out of the stable were the 22km XL competitors…

Katjiri, Cronje & van den Heever give no quarter

The pace was electric from the get go, with Charl Cronje putting the foot down early in a last ditch attempt to unseat Wano Katjiri.  Christian van den Heever made up the leading trio that smashed through the 4km mark in just 16 minutes.  

The relentless pace continued to the 12km mark, but by this stage Katjiri had stretched a 2 minute lead on Cronje, with van den Heever close on his heels.

By the 16km mark, van den Heever had leapfrogged Cronje and so began his unrelenting chase of the race leader, who was at this stage still holding onto a 2 minute lead. 

By the finish however, van den Heever had reeled Katjiri in to within striking distance, but Katjiri was not going to let this one get away and held on to take the win by a mere 6 seconds. The winning time 1:36:38

With five wins out of the six races, Wano Katjiri secured himself the 2022 Super League Senior Men’s XL title by 8 points, with Charl Cronje 2nd and Kyle Maij 3rd respectively. 

Mohr-Holland leads the charge, van Sittert takes the League

Erika Mohr-Holland, Daniel Feldmann and Cornel Stander all finished within the top 20 overall, which gives you some idea of the battle that raged in the ladies race! 

The trio went through the 4km mark within shouting distance of the overall race leaders.  But in the end, Mohr-Holland proved to be relentless, and slowly but surely extended her lead to just over a minute at the line over Feldmann, finishing in 1:54:15. 

Kathyn van Sittert had an unassailable lead over Candyce Hall going into the final race for the Super League Senior title, and so it was no surprise that her fifth place at Oak Valley was all she needed to secure her the 2022 Super League Senior Ladies XL title.

Moosbrugger owns the XL scoreboard

Special mention needs to be made of the three highest points scorers in the XL Super League.  Over all six races, Michael Moosbrugger averaged 13th overall, with his worst position 17th and his best a 10th.  This consistency ranked him number one overall in the XL Super League with 2,322 points. The only other two breaking into the 2,000+ scoreline was Kathyn van Sittert and Wano Katjiri respectively. Moosbruggers' consistency won him his first Super League XL Veteran Category title. 

Records tumble in the 13.5km

Just under six minutes was slashed off the course record set by Lambert Brink in 2021.  Michael Ellis tore around the course in 54:16, putting over a minute and half on 2nd place James Montgomery at the line.  

Caitlin Snethlage followed suit in the ladies race, slashing over a minute and half off the previous course record set by Mila Geldenhys in 2021.  Snethlage finished in 1:01:42, and with a comfortable five minute lead on second place Rozelle Meier.

Master runner shines overall

Master runner Trevor Jacobs needs special mention in the Super League Long Course.  Jacobs never finished outside of the top 10 overall in any of the six races in the TSSL - in fact his worst was 8th! That consistent performance places Jacobs as the top scorer in the Long course Super League with 2,369 points.  Gregg Torr placed second overall and Caro Jordaan 3rd.  Each of these top three overall won their respective Super League Category titles.   

Minimee dominates the 5km

Youngster and ‘Minimee’ competitor (age 11-14 yrs) CG Volschenk smashed the 5km out of the park, finishing in just 21:14 - 29 seconds ahead of second placed senior runner Derick Minnie.

Birgit van Niekerk also showed a clear pair of heels in the ladies race, not only finishing 6th overall but just shy of 5 minutes ahead of second place Emily Gray. Birgit van Niekerk won her Super League Veteran Ladies title by over 1,000 points.

Peewee runner (age 6-10yrs) Evelyn Anne Knot had three solid performances to secure her a 12 point victory over Salma Fataar in the Super League Peewee category. 

Reece Finegan had five strong results out of the six TSSL races, winning him the Minimee (age 11-14 yrs) Super League title and also placing him sixth overall.  

Special mention needs to be made of Ashraf Moosa who scored the highest points in any of the Super League distances with a total score of 2,382.  Whilst Moosa never won a race his worst overall result in a race was 5th! Moosa won his Senior Mens category in the short course Super League by over 800 points. 

Below is a list of the Trail Series Super League category title holders for 2022:

The Super League format to the Trail Series® was launched in November 2019 for the 2020 trail running year, but like many many things, COVID-19 flung the handbrake up on that plan. 

Fast forward two years and understandably at the beginning of 2022 no-one really had any certainty yet over how the first post COVID year was going to pan out.  Likewise, we had no idea if indeed we were going to achieve the full Super League. So like most folks, we simply focussed on getting by, race by race.

Then 2022 took off like a supersonic missile, leaving a trail of loose ends and wish-we-had-time-too’s in its wake. And so it seems that all of a sudden we find ourselves a week out from fulfilling the first full six-race Trail Series® Super League.

And while we hadn’t really been pushing the TSSL theme, the results after 5 races are pretty exciting indeed…

Consistency counts

In yacht racing, consistency is king. You don’t have to win every race, you just have to be pushing at the sharp end all the way through to the final race.  

Similarly, the Super League format rewards participation and consistency.  The more races you run, the more points you get, the better you do.  Simple. 

The scoring starts with 400 for a win, and a point less for every position down the order from there - so 399 for 2nd, 398 for 3rd etc.  

The battles that rage

(Super League results link)

In the XL Super League it’s extremely hot at the top.  Wano Katjiri has just a 6 point lead over Charl Cronje.  If Charl can put seven places between himself and Wano at the line this Sunday, then he will take the crown.  Michael Moosbrugger leads the overall standings, complete with the highest TSSL score of 1936!

Amazingly, Tania Neethling and Robyn Gardener are tied on 1034 points a piece for second place in the XL Veteran Ladies category.  So whoever takes the tape takes the second step on the podium.

Both Deemter Avenant and Marcelle le Roux hold the top spot in their XL Master Categories from otherwise faster individuals, proving the points value of being at all five races!

In the Long course Super League, Jacques du Plessis holds onto a tenuous 18 point advantage over Michael de Kwaadsteniet. Caro Jordaan has an unassailable lead in her category, and is the second highest points scorer of the TSSL 2022 with 1934 (just two points behind Michael Moosbrugger).

In the Short course Super League, we start with the battle in the Peewee category (6-10yrs) where just eight points separate the Fataar sisters and the battle for 2nd place.  

He may have only completed two races, but Junior category speedster Finley Wilson scored a bullet in both races (OVERALL!) leaving him in second place behind Daniel van Reenen.  If he rocks up and puts another bullet on the board, he could well win the Junior Super League in 2022. 

One thing is for sure though, Sithandile Kokolo will be breathing down his neck having himself scored two 2nd places overall, and leaving him just 2 points behind Wilson in the fight for second place - or even first!

Ashraf  Moosa is untouchable in the Senior Mens short course Super League.  Karen Battiston is another who proves the value in consistency, and leads the Senior Ladies Short course category. 

Birgit van Niekerk and Steve Finegan both hold a powerful and consistent scoreline in their respective Veteran short course categories.  

Richard Rossiter has an unassailable lead over Sam Troost in the Master category, with Sam having done enough to hold onto his second place. 

In case you missed the link, here it is again: Super League results link

The final race

The absolutely sensational trails of Oak Valley Private Estate make up the final TSSL race track for 2022.

A short and fast 5km will decide the Short Course Super League, a 13.5km the long and a 22.5km the XL.

Whether you are competing in the overall TSSL or not, come and celebrate the conclusion of the first Super League on the smooth and fun trails of Oak Valley!

For all the race info and to enter click here

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

Virtual races are the new norm as a result of COVID-19, and probably will be for some time.  Unlike most of the plethora of general distance virtual races on offer, we want to get back to the core of competition which is a comparison of your time versus another over the same race course.  Introducing the Trail Series® Phantom Rally (TSPR): 

One race course per month
One virtual race course set per month (called a special stage) with three distances on offer and 30 days to set your best time (run as many times as you can).  There will be 12 race courses over the entire TSPR and all within the greater Cape Town area (we plan to roll this out in Gauteng as well, when possible).

Monthly launch
The next months stage detail will be launched on the 25th of each month giving you a few days to get prepared.  All entrants will be emailed the detailed rally notes, links to the downloadable GPS file, as well details of the free app used to track each attempt.    

Verification
Once you have completed the rally stage, you need to email or Whatsapp us the GPX file from either the free app used (details of this will be sent) OR from your own device for verification.  You will also need to send a selfie of yourself either just before or just after. We will verify your route and confirm your time.

Leaderboard
Your verified stage time will confirm your place on the leaderboard.  If you run more than once, only your best time will reflect. Within the first five days of the following month, we will send the rally race results to Discovery.

Monthly spot prizes
Once the rally stage closes, all entrants will be entered into a lucky draw with fantastic prizes on offer from our sponsors.

Medals & rally collateral
There will be physical medals on offer for completing any one of the rally stages. Because of the cost of individual delivery, we have made this optional (select on entering).  Digital medals & certificates will be available together with the online results. We will have special Trail Series® Phantom Rally running tees, bluffs, facemasks and other merchansdise for optional purchase.

Under construction...
We are furiously busy with the modifications to the Trail Series® website and details of the first stage will be announced in due course.  If you haven't already, please join our Trail Series® Facebook Group or like our Facebook Page.

Pending alert level 3 lockdown
As we understand it right now, the TSPR is pending us reaching lockdown level 3.  We are hoping this will be by the end of May.

If you have any questions, please feel free to drop us an email to info@wildrunner.co.za or call 072 438 3242

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

Race 1 and 2 have come and gone, in a blur of mud, drizzle, mist and madness. Perfect winter running conditions, in other words. With race 3 coming in hot this Sunday, let’s take a look at what has rolled out so far:

The big apple bites

On Sunday 21 July, Paul Cluver Estate welcomed the return of a capacity field of runners for the first of four show downs. An exclusive opportunity to run the rollercoaster trails of this mountain biking haven, the grand opening features a typical rolling farmland hills, mountain trails and waterfalls water as well as climbs rewarded by magnificent views of the soaking lush Elgin valley. 

An icy dawn chill gave way reluctantly to some soupy winter sunshine, but the heat was all out on the trails as the fast end threw down the pace. Storming the long course win was Llewelyn Groenewald. The 15.6km route took him just 1h 8min and 7 seconds, which shaves 6 minutes off Rohan Meyer’s previous course record. Llewelyn was followed by David Sher in 1:16:08, and Peter Tswayo in 1:18:37. Siviwe “the lion” Nkombi was in the mix and pushing hard in second until a few kilometers from the finish when a wrong turn in the final few kilometers cost him a podium spot and a resulted in a DSQ.  

In the women’s race, Lijan van Niekerk took top spot in 1:27:59, with Paulina Juttner and Kristy Zeppel rounding out the podium. 

The punchy 8.8km short course took zero prisoners, with Piettie Oosthuizen smashing first place in a time of 33:50. Less than a minute behind him was Kelton Miller, with Stefan Sander in third. First junior was 16 year old Jethro Dunn, only seconds behind Sander. Regular on the minimee podium was 12 year old Cullen Clarke, in an impressive time of 39:11. 

First woman home, and 7th overall, was Nicola Wills in 38:42 (seen here), with Megan Mccarley in second, and 15 year old junior, Maritjie Cilliers was third woman across the line. 

With recognition of all categories, including vets, masters and grand masters, prize giving was a chirpy affair as regular rivals set the tone for a series full of banter, and bruises. With an impressive jump in the number of first timers between 2018 and 2019, all eyes are on the wild cards and dark horses among the regular snakes.

Staring down the Tyger

Race 2 at the infamous Tygerberg Nature Reserve will be etched into the memories of many for its heavy mist and mud. Bum slides were aplenty. The usual view of Table Mountain from the top was merely a rumour as the mist lingered, and a classy field of speedsters tackled first the biting climbs, and then the quad-busting downhill to the finish. 

Llewellyn Groenewald nailed top spot once again (seen here in action), in a race performance reminiscent of Raydon Balie’s 2017 edition. Back then, Balie was the first and only to take the new 12.1km course in under and hour, finishing in 57:14. Groenewald has made his mark, finishing in just 54:10. Chasing hard was friend and rival, Jono Black who came second in 56:51, with Peter Tswayo once again claiming third spot in just over an hour.

The women’s race was equally spicy, with local multi-sport champ, Hayley Preen completely dominating. Hayley was 9th overall, and first woman, in a 1:04:16. She was a full 11 minutes ahead of Tania Neethling who came second, and Carla Whitehead was just a minute off Tania. 

In the 8.1km short course, no less than two juniors stood on the overall podium, but Kelton Miller nabbed top spot in just 37:54. Jethro Dunn was second in 41:28, and 15 year old Keenan Loesch scooped third. Nicola Wills had another cracker, winning in 45:51, with Kelsey Nel and (veteran) Lee-ann Dawson completing the podium.

Love it or hate it, taming the Tyger is no easy feat, particularly in the kind of conditions that were experienced this year. The finish line war stories were as hard core as the mud spattered legs that wobbled into the race village throughout the morning. Coffee, egg rolls, burgers and the chance to win big in the lucky draw meant that the heaters and beanbags were kept popular. 

Hier kom 'n ding

Next up is a classic starting at the Taal Monument in Paarl on Sunday 4 August and running into the unique and impressive Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve. The third and fastest race of the series, it is time to stretch those legs. Runners climb steps and run over large boulders of granite rock to the top of the Paarl Mountain where they’ll start their winding descend to the finish. Feeling the FOMO? Enter here www.trailseries.co.za and join the heart of trail running in the Cape. 

With thanks to partners BoldGear, Jaybird and Steenberg Wine Farm for working with Wildrunner to keep growing the trail community, and all its heroes. 

Full Results of Race 1 and 2

Hunting for photos of you doing your trail thing? We publish the top images on our website www.trailseries.co.za within 24 hours of the event, and a full album on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TrailSeries/ soon after. Tag, share, go wild. 

#CWTS2019

#UnleashYourWildStride 

Seasons change, and so must we.
 
Since our inception in 2007, Wildrunner has maintained a position of unquestionable innovation in the trail running arena. In 2008 we launched the Trail Series® -  South Africa's original short course trail running events Series that went on to have races in five provinces in South Africa.  In the 11 years that followed we rolled on with so many firsts - first three day stage race in the Wildcoast Wildrun®, SA's first South African Championships, first stage race in Lesotho and pioneering transfrontier Wildrun experiences to name just a few of many more highlights.  During this time we have enjoyed introducing so many people young and old to this wonderful sport, and seeing all of SA's current elites come through the ranks of the Trail Series® before taking flight in competitions around the world. We have built up an extensive community of 31 000 runners from across the country, and we continue to play an integral role in shaping running journeys throughout Africa.
 
The Gauteng Trail Series® became a popular platform for every level of trail runner to experience new and often unknown trails across the province. We extended it to 4 events each summer and another 4 each winter, and we have thoroughly enjoyed pioneering this sport in Gauteng and getting to know the trail characters from up North. We know that our loyal supporters will be disappointed to hear it, but we have made the very difficult decision to end the Gauteng Trail Series® with immediate effect. Since this events inception in 2008, the South African trail running calendar has changed dramatically. Our business must change and innovate accordingly, so we are freeing up some time and manpower to consider fresh, forward-thinking ideas.
 
The Cape Winter Trail Series® will continue as planned for the current year.
 
We’re never far away, and we would love to stay in touch as we plot and plan for the years ahead. Follow us on @WildrunnerZA on Instagram and Twitter. Stay part of our dynamic Facebook pages (Trail Series, Mountain Challenge Series, Wildrun and Wildrunner.co.za). And subscribe to our newsletter (link).
 
We hope that every one of you continue to support the Gauteng trail running community and all relevant race organisers in the area. We also hope that you’ll look us up when in the Cape.
 
And always, #unleashyourwildstride
 
For now,
 
The Wildrunner Team

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