100 reasons to run 1000 Hills...
1000 Hills Challenge is hugely popular and with good reason. Challenging courses with “undulating hills”. Spectacular scenery, Nguni cattle and wildlife. Tunnels and adventurous river crossings (20km & 38km only).
“Backyard” adventure in an area of KZN that few choose to explore but those who do, never regret!
Dating back to 2009, the 1000 Hills Challenge was initially known as The Nagle Dam Trail (please email us if you ran it!!) and though predominantly attended by KZN locals, it has started to draw the attention of the Joburg and even Cape crowd.
Nagle Dam is perfectly situated between Durban and the Midlands area and though accessible, has a wild, remote feeling! Literally the back yard of KZNTR’s Sanele, Lucky and Sizwe – they are always extra excited to host an event within their community!
With two KZNTR events on the go over this weekend (Kruger2Canyon Challenge happening up north), Sanele and his team will be supported by Rory Scheffer, a familiar face (and voice) to many!
Community, coffee, trails and a beautiful place – a match made in heaven!
QUICK INFO:
Sunday 05 September 2021
Nagle Dam, Cato Ridge
38km | 20km | 10km | 5km
R400 | R 245 | R180 | R135
Make a weekend of it and book camping or Safari tent accommodation at Nagle Dam together with your entry!
See you on the trail,
the KZNTR Team
Mountain Marathon Series hotting up
The 2021 Mountain Marathon Series has gained good momentum as we head towards the last two events!
There has been awesome feedback from runners who took on the various events about the raw, rugged, scenic mountain routes. From suffering and struggle to elation and achievement, and gratitude for the natural and wild places they’re in!
It has been great to watch the elites battle it out for podiums and clock seemingly impossible times, and with only two races left in the series (Kruger2Canyon Challenge and the Uitsoek Mountain Marathon), the pressure is mounting…
Runners in line who position in the top 6 in any three MMS races are elidgible for an entry into the final and accommodation at Alpine Heath Resort’s self-catering chalets!
For the racing snakes, see where you are standing in the rankings HERE.
The final of the Mountain Marathon Series will be held at the Drakensberg Trail Festival on 4 December 2021 at Alpine Heath Resort…
Runners will tackle the challenging and popular 40km Drakenberg Northern Trail (DNT) route as they battle it out for top spot and bragging rights of Mountain Marathon Champion! This route will showcase the best of an athlete’s abilities on the trail, in the mountains, through diverse landscapes and terrain, over rocks, and on different levels of technicality. And it’s downright spectacular on that ridgeline!
While it is the final of the MMS, Drakensberg Trail Festival is open to all – the flowers in the Drakensberg will be blooming; the mountainside will be lush and green and the streams will be full.
It promises to be a weekend of incredible trails and magnetic trail community vibes!
See you there!
Sensational Soutpansberg
The Soutpansberg Mountain Marathon was run for the very first time on Sunday 15 August 2021.
It attracted a small group of core trail runners with only 18 starting and finishing the full 42km course. Considering the small and modest nature of the event, it punched well above its weight when it comes to attracting the attention of the trail running community, who nearly all turned their heads when stories and pictures started coming from the course that afternoon.
It was also a high point between the Endangered Wildlife Trust and KZNTR, representing months of work together, delayed by Covid, but finally pushing its head through. It’s still very much a seedling with the promise of growing into big sturdy tree, like the examples all over the Soutpansberg in the vastly different environments packed into the mountain range.
We will be announcing dates soon for the 2022 version of Soutpansberg and the rest of the Mountain Marathon Series, so keep watching this space.
The racing was hot up front despite the small field with KZNTR’s own Bruce Arnott taking the win just seconds ahead of Jaques Buys. Nicolette Griffieon won the ladies and placed 4th overall. For full results, click HERE.
Despite tricky conditions, Sven Musica really blew us away with his album of pics from the race. Really highlighting the diversity and botanical splendor of the mountain, we thisnk they are spectacular!
So grab a coffee and have a flick through for some afternoon inspo!
