PREVIEW: Ultra-Trail Drakensberg: New race venue and route changes

Ultra-Trail Drakensberg (UTD) festival of trail running takes place from 26-28 April, with events of 160km (UTD160), 100km (UTD100), 65km (GCU65), 36km (SDR36) and 25km (DRJ25).

Four of the five courses traverse the Giant’s Cup Trail, which is found in the southern section of Maloti-Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site in KwaZulu-Natal.

Spurgeon Flemington is the Race Director and Founder of Ultra-Trail Drakensberg, and says the event has relocated its race base to Glencairn Farm to facilitate its further growth, and some changes to the routes will enhance the experience.

“The Premier Resort Sani Pass Hotel has supported this event from the start, serving as our Race Village, and the 25km race still starts there this year. But moving to Glencairn Farm further down the road is part of taking the event to a new level.

“On the 100 miler, we have reduced the amount of mileage in Lesotho to 27km, and we are taking the runners back to the Bushman’s Nek side, and then on about 50km of the Giant’s Cup Trail, where before, there was only 20km of Giant’s Cup Trail for them. The 100km race will start at Bushman’s Nek, and runners will traverse all 62km of the Giant’s Cup Trail during their race.”

Ultra-Trail Drakensberg 100 miler boasts strong field

In the UTD160 there is a strong group of returning athletes who know the race and what to expect in the Drakensberg, and some runners who are making their UTD debuts.

Admire Muzopumbwa, a South Africa-based Zimbabwean athlete who came second at UTD100 in 2022, is taking on his first 100 miler at the event.

Grobler Basson came second in his debut 100 miler at UTD in 2021, and after a DNF in 2022 he has a score to settle with these mountains.

“I ran my first miler at UTD and can’t wait to be out on those big mountains again.”

Matt Bouch, Pierre Jordaan, Thomas Vermaak, Kennedy Sekhuthe, will all be  starting, as will Lloyd Sithole, who came second in the 2023 UTD160.

From the UK is Tiaan Erwee, and Majell Backhausen from Australia.

Winner of the 2023 UTD100 and local to the area, Pierre Jordaan says he has a deep love for the Drakensberg.

“It’s just natural for me to want to come back to UTD. UTD was my first 100 miler back in 2019, an experience which I will cherish for many years to come. Racing the 100km last year was a very different experience and certainly had me thinking about coming back for the 100 miler again.”

Jessica Barrow returns to racing since having her fourth child, and UTD160 will be her first 100 miler.

“I think the timing this year is perfect and mentally I am very ready. I am excitedly nervous but also quietly confident that the last five years of consistent running, even when pregnant, has prepared me for the challenge and the adventure”.

Nikki Caromba, Cornel Metcalfe, and Nicolette Griffioen will also be on the UTD160 start line.

With her emphatic win at the 2023 UTCT 100 miler, taking fourth place overall, Griffioen is an athlete to watch in this race.

She says: “I think the route changes will make the race faster than previously. With athletes coming out of Lesotho and down from altitude earlier, the real ‘racing’ is likely to also start sooner. That said, this does increase the risk of athletes running too hard too soon and having to dig very deep in the final section of the Giant’s Cup Trail.”

Biggest elite field

Runners taking on the new 100 km route will be Martin Malherbe, who came first at UTD100 2019, Oli Morris and Chris Ngaka, the fifth place finisher at UTD100 in 2023.

Also running are Skye Clark, Nicholaas du Plessis, Marcel Jooste, Nomore Mandivengerei, Storme Desvaux de Marigny, Dave van Ginkel.

The women athletes to watch will be Janneke Leask (fourth place at UTD100 2023) Trish Eksteen, Tarrin van Niekerk (third place at GCU62 2022) and Melissa Laing.

Traditionally attracting the biggest elite field, this year’s GCU65 is no exception.

Josh Chigome (third place GCU62 in 2022), Thabang Madiba, Mvuyisi Gcogco, Kyle Bucklow, and Douglas Pickard (2021 UT160 winner and placed 10th at GCU in 2023) will make the race interesting.

Other athletes to watch are Cornelius Rall, Bradley Claase and Julian Dean-Brown. Christy Richards, Jo Keppler, Carla van Huysteen, Kerry-Ann Marshall, Jada Linstrom, Simone Malan and Kate Mapham make up the women’s field.

In the SDR36, Lijan Burger, Sam Reilly, who came fifth at Ultra-trail Cape Town 100km, Nadine Van Driel are the top women to watch.

Among the men, Prodigal Khumalo (who won SDR32 in 2021), Robbie Rorich, Jimmy Mofokeng,  Mdu Dlamini, Brode Gleeson and Charl Cronje will compete with Cape Town runner Daniel Claasen.

Daniel Claasen was second in the (then GCU62km) in 2022, but will shift to a shorter distance this edition.

“My last two trips to UTD were both for the GCU. This year I’ll mix it up and race the SDR36. Slightly shorter than my normal “go to” distance, but shorter surely doesn’t mean easier. Running in the Berg is hard work and I’m looking forward to the challenge of mixing it up with a fast competitive field. Racing UTD is always special. The mountains are big, the trails are nice and flowy, and I always experience this feeling of calmness when I run along the trails hugging the overhanging peaks. It’s truly a special place, and I am looking forward to getting my racing year started with such an iconic event.”

DRJ25 runners to watch are Tsielo Tsanyane, Sinovuyo Ngcobo and Khulekani Mbuyazi as well as Ivana Maarschalk and Es-Mine Ligthelm and Paige Mackenzie.

Ultra-Trail Drakensberg takes place in the Maloti-Drakensberg Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in KwaZulu-Natal. Image: Kirsten Oliver

The Ultra-Trail Drakensberg was established in 2017, though it was years in the making prior to that.

As a farmer in the Underberg area, Flemington has a deep love for the Drakensberg mountains, and is very cognisant of what a unique place it is.

Spectacular mountain setting

“We want to showcase that and share that with the wider South African community, and to those further afield. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, so it has that extra element of pure wilderness, a unique environment both in fauna and flora. And on the cultural side, there are the historic Bushman paintings.”

Stuart McConnachie, Technical Director, says: “I’m excited to see everyone assembling for UTD in one of the truly spectacular mountain settings. We have a very strong elite group gathering in response to the positive changes made, and  I am sure that the new routing will deliver real mountain running across some of the best trails in South Africa.”

For more information visit www.ultratraildrakensberg.com

Follow The South African website for the latest news from this year’s Ultra-Trail Drakenberg race.