Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the SA government banned competitive sport competitions in Level 3 of lockdown. Many trail running events have been cancelled or postponed. Please check on the organisers’ websites to confirm.
Event organisers: To have your event listed on this page, or to appear as a highlighted Promoted Event more than one month in advance, click here for info, including required formatting.
Runners: Get the full South African trail running events calendar in TRAIL 36. It’s available in digital format. We include some of the top international events of interest to South Africans too.
Click to list your event here and in print.
Trail running events in August 2020
Fri 7 – Mon 10 August WC Cancelled
Southern Cross 3-day Trail Run (SOX). 10km/10km/10km, 23km/17km/16km, 29km/30km/16km. Ebb & Flow Rest Camp, Garden Route NP. Pristine trails in Outeniqua mountains, tranquil indigenous forest, beautiful coastline. Start 8am. R2,500-R3,500. soxtrail.run
Fri 7 – Sat 8 August INT
RMB Brandberg Rhino Run. 10km, 30km. White Lady Lodge, Uis, Namibia. All proceeds go to Save the Rhino Trust Namibia. Riana touchandgorun@gmail.com
Sat 8 August MP Cancelled
Kaapsehoop Mountain Ultra. 14km, 35km, 60km, 100km. Running with wild horses at altitude on escarpment. Beautiful singletrack, jeep track, forest and mountain trail. freshtrails.co.za
Sat 8 August GP
Cradle Moon Trail Run Series #6. 6km, 14km, 23km. Krugersdorp. River frontage, multiple forests and rocky sections. Start 7:30am. R120-R220. bouttime.co.za
Sat 8 August WC Cancelled
Trail Series Super League 6. 8km, 14km, 23km. Kogelberg Nature Reserve, Kleinmond. Start 8am. trailseries.co.za
Sat 8 August WC Cancelled
Circles in the Forest Trail Run. 10km, 17km, 30km. Millwood Hut, Rheenendal. Forms part of the SOX 3 day trail run. R200–R500. soxtrail.run
Sat 8 – Sun 9 August EC
Mdumbi Trail Run. 8km/21km, 17km /21km, 34km/21km. Mdumbi Backpackers, Tshani. Run any distance individually or as a stage race. Start 6am.R100-R300. mdumbitrailrun.com
Sun 9 August KZN
Umngeni River Run. 12km, 25km, 50km, 75km. WESSA, Howick. Singletrack overload through natural bush and veld, over rivers, surrounded by sandstone cliffs and mountain tops. Start 2am. kzntrailrunning.co.za
Sun 9 – 31 August VIRTUAL
WCTRC Women’s Month Virtual Charity Run. 10km. Lucky draw prizes. All proceeds go towards the Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation. R150. Instagram
Sun 9 & Mon 10 August EC
Bestmed Chokka Trail Run. 1km, 3km, 5km, 10km, 23km, 42km, 62km. Cape St Francis Resort. Scenic beach, footpaths, jeep track, dunefields, dirt road. Start 6:30am. R20-R1,000. stfrancissport.co.za
Mon 10 August WC Postponed
TrailFun Durbanville Hills. 5km, 10km. Durbanville Hills Wine Estate. Holiday Series. Run through the vines, with a double loop to make the long distance. Start 7:30am. R120. trailfun.co.za
Sun 15 August – 21 August VIRTUAL
WILDSERIES Mont Aux Sources Challenge. 5km. Interactive virtual experience. Raise funds for the critically endangered Bearded Vulture. R150. wildseries.co.za
Sat 15 August GP Cancelled
Salomon Magaliesberg Challenge. 12km, 22km, 36km, 50km. Van Gaalen Cheese Farm, Skeerpoort. Spend the whole day at the farm, running trails then relaxing on the veranda or lawns. Start 7am. R345-R645. energyevents.co.za
Sat 15 August KZN Postponed indefinitely
Harburg Tour de Krantz. 7km, 14km. Harburg Hall. Scenic and technical with German food and music. Start 8am. roag.org
Sun 17 August WC
Strandloper Trail Run. 16km. Noordhoek, Cape Town. Magical trail running over beaches and coastal paths. Start 7:15am. R300. quantumadventures.co.za
Sun 17 August – 30 September VIRTUAL
CT Virtual Charity Fun Run. 5km, 15km, 25km. Run with a purpose! Funds go to Chazon Tekna School (201-468 NPO). Send a photo to qualify for lucky draw prizes. R100/R150/R200. Facebook event
Sun 16 August EC Cancelled
Mountain Burn. 6km, 12km, 18km. The Dam, Van Stadens. Take on PE’s only vertical kilometre challenge! Start 8am. burnseries.run
Sun 16 August WC Cancelled
Winter Trail Run. 6km, 11km. Muratie Wine Estate. Shake off the winter chill on hand-built Simonsberg Conservancy trails with fynbos, forest, vineyards. Start 9am. dirtopia.co.za
Sun 16 August KZN
Howick Highlander. 5km, 10km, 20km. WESSA Nature Reserve. Beautiful nature trails and dirt road in Howick. Start 7:30am. R60-R110. roag.org
Fri 21 August GP
GoSport Night Trail Run. 5km, 10km, 15km, 30km. Cowhouse Market. Untimed, safe, dog-friendly exploration of marked Hazeldean trails starting any time from 6pm. R80. bouttime.co.za
Sat 22 August WC
PUFfeR. 65km. Tough run, no route markings. Traverse Silvermine Nature Reserve, False Bay, Tokai Forest and Table Mountain National Park. Start 5:30am. facebook.com/PufferTrailRun
Sat 22 August WC Postponed
TrailFun Hillcrest. 5km, 10km. Hillcrest Wine Estate. Winter Series. Extremely tough climb – monster challenge of the series in long distance. Start 7:30am. R120. trailfun.co.za
Sun 23 August KZN Cancelled
Eston Show Trail. 5km, 10km, 20km. Beaumont Eston Farmers Club. Run with wild animals through Tala Private Game Reserve. Grassland, thornveld, past dams. Start 6:30am. kzntrailrunning.co.za
Sun 23 August GP
Prestige Trail Run Series. 5km, 10km, 15km, 21km. Windy Brow. Socially distanced marked trails. Book your start time in advance. R110-R210. entryninja.com
Fri 28 – Sun 30 August EC Cancelled
Oldenburgia Trail Run. 8km, 15km, 30km, 30km/20km. Hoerskool PJ Olivier, Grahamstown. Mixture of jeep and singletrack, big hills. Run 50km over two days or other distances on Sunday. Start 7:30am. R80-R1,300. getoutandrunec.com
Sat 29 August KZN
Mandela Day Trail Run. 4km, 8km, 15km. Mandela Capture Site, Howick. Start and finish on singletrack with jeeptrack in between. Some hills. Start 6:30am. kzntrailrunning.co.za
Sat 29 August NW
Konka Farm Run. 5km, 10km, 20km. Rustenburg. Farm roads with beautiful scenery. Start 7am. R50-R150. bouttime.co.za
Sun 30 August KZN
Seaton Spring Challenge. 5km, 10km, 20km. Seaton Estate, Ballito. Lush coastal forest, scenic wetlands, spectacular views of Indian Ocean. Start 6:30am. kzntrailrunning.co.za
Trail running events in September 2020
Tue 1 September WC
Trail Series Phantom Rally 3. 5km-20km. Complete your run on any day of September to compete on the leaderboard. Route supplied and run tracked via free app. R100-R120. trailseries.co.za
Wed 2 – Sun 6 Sep EC
Wildcoast Wildrun. 44km/35km/34km. Kei Mouth, Wild Coast. Three day stage race or non-stop race. Endure the challenge of remoteness, tides and river crossings. Beach, grassy headlands, rock and coastal forest. Start 6am. wildrun.com
Sat 5 September KZN
Mnweni. 6km, 10km, 20km, 40km. Mnweni Cultural Centre. Rugged singletrack circular route through the remote high-berg, steep climbs, river crossing. Part of Mountain Marathon Series. Start 6am. R105-R880. kzntrailrunning.co.za
Sat 5 September GP
Black Eagle Mountain Run. 3km, 8km, 16km. Walter Sisulu Gardens. Open rocky grassland, technical running past waterfall and cliffs home to breeding pair of majestic black eagles. Start 7:30am. R80-R190. bouttime.co.za
Sat 5 – Sun 6 September KZN Cancelled
Lynford Trail Runs. 4km, 8km, 15km/15km, 30km/15km, 50km. Lynford School, Ixopo. Indigenous bush, farmland, plantation, grassland trails. Perfect introduction to stage trail. Start 7am. lynford.co.za
Sat 5 – Sun 6 September WC Cancelled
Run2Nowhere. 9km/12km, 20km/18km, 32km/28km. McGregor. A two-day trail run for everyone: McEasy, McClassic, McBrave. Moderate distances, relaxed vibe, festive atmosphere. No cut off times, no pressure. Start 7:30am. R800/R1,400. run2nowhere.co.za PROMOTED
Sat 5 – Sun 6 September NC Cancelled
Klipspringer Challenge. 21km/18km, 32km/33km. Augrabies Falls National Park.Grueling desert run through remote Kalahari landscapes: granite canyons, Orange River, otherworldly moonscapes, unforgiving desert sand. klipspringerchallenge.co.za
Sun 6 September EC Cancelled
Sunshine Coast Trail Run. 7km, 14km, 21km. Nanaga Farm Stall. Fresh country air, fast flowing singletrack, live music, craft beer, great food, family vibe. sunshinecoast.run
Sun 6 September WC Cancelled
Blooming Trail Run. 6km, 11km. Knorhoek Wine Estate. Celebrate spring on beautiful Simonsberg Conservancy trails. Start 8:30am. dirtopia.co.za
Sun 6 September GP
Nissan Trailseeker Buffelsdrift. 5km, 10km, 21km. Buffelsdrift MTB Park. Hard and rocky grasslands trails past rivers and wildlife. Money back if cancelled. Start 12:30pm. R130-R280. trailseekerseries.co.za
Wed 23 – Thu 24 September EC
Heaven and Hell Mountain Marathon. 5km, 8km, 14km, 22km, 44km, 88km. Rhodes. Pure, brutal wilderness mountain run in Southern Drakensberg. Only two people have ever finished the 44km. New 88km has 7,510m vert! Start 5am. R30-R2,000. alpineswifttrails.co.za PROMOTED
Trail events further ahead in 2020
Wed 28 Oct – Sun 1 November KZN
The iKhulu Trail Run. 100km/50km. Gugulesizwe, Maputaland. A unique running experience along the unspoiled Maputaland coastline. Pristine beaches, rolling sand dunes and breathtaking views in a rarely-found remoteness. therunningcompany.co.za PROMOTED
Wed 28 – Thu 29 October EC
Retto Challenge. 5km/42km. Storms River. Run the reverse route west to east from Nature’s Valley to Stormsriver Mouth with 2,600m of ascent, 11 hour cut-off. otter.run PROMOTED
Fri 30 & Sat 31 October EC
Retto Run. 5km/42km. Storms River. Run the reverse route west to east from Nature’s Valley to Stormsriver Mouth with 2,600m of ascent. Cut-off extended to 9 hours! otter.run PROMOTED
Sat 31 October EC
Dassie and RockRat Trail Runs. 6km, 10km. Storms River. Over rocks, roots, pebbles, through riverbeds and up steep climbs. Start 8:30am. R200/R240. otter.run PROMOTED
See more events in your copy of TRAIL 36, where we list 66 trail running events locally and internationally from July to October 2020.
Get your trail running event listed
Click here to have your event listed in the print and digital versions of TRAIL magazine. Up to 100 events are listed every issue.
Please use the format and order of information above when you send us your event details.
As you might know, listing in the print calendar is free as a service to all events, and our readers.
For PROMOTED website listings more than a month ahead of race date or for more visual exposure through an event banner, or as a banner in our weekly newsletter emailer, the fees below apply.
There are six options:
- Website text listing in final month ahead of your event. FREE
- Website text listing longer than one month ahead. R599 once-off.
- Website text multiple dates (eg series events). R599 first event, R399 per event date thereafter.
- Website banner (728×90 pixels horizontal, on this calendar page only), as a jpeg or animated GIF. Includes single event text listing (option 2 above). R1,399
- Emailer text listing R299 single listing, or R1,250 for five issues anytime in 2020, or R2,400 for 10 issues anytime in 2020. Same text format as on this page. See emailer samples here.
- Emailer banner (600×200 pixels horizontal) R699 first issue and R599 thereafter. R599 for each additional event in the same mailing.
No limit to the display duration for any of the above options. Start promoting your event as early as you want. All prices shown are a once-off fee, excluding VAT. Prices valid to the end of 2020.
Email Deon Braun for more marketing options for your event, including boosted Facebook posts, Instagram, Twitter, and for product slots in our email newsletter.
