The Miwaylife Two Oceans Trail Races open the 2025 Two Oceans weekend tomorrow morning (Friday 4 April) with the traditional ‘long’ and ‘short’ trail races taking place on and around the slopes of Devil’s Peak and Table Mountain.
The Two Oceans Trail Races have hosted many of the country’s leading athletes in their 15 year history, with past winners including a who’s who of South African trail running with athletes of the calibre of Lucky Miya, Bernard Rukadza, Thabang Madiba, Eric Ngubane, Kane Reilly and Collin Kanyimo in the men’s competition and Michelle Lombardi, Landie Greyling, Annamart Laubscher, Hayley Preen, Meg Mackenzie and Lijan Burger in the women’s.
Kanyimo and Burger took top honours in the longer Two Oceans Trail Race in a post-COVID Two Oceans Trail comeback in July 2022, with Siviwe Nkombi and Mariske Uys coming out on top in the shorter race.
For technical reasons, the Two Oceans Trails went into hibernation during the following two years, but they are back tomorrow, set to take their place as a significant part of the Two Oceans weekend.
Although the routes have been modified, the races will again start and finish on the University of Cape Town’s campus, just as they were for the inaugural race in 2010, when 34-year-old financial asset manager, Cas van Aardenne, upset race favourites Nic Rupanga and Warren Petterson to take the honours.
“The course was technical and superb and definitely suited me,” remarked Van Aardenne at the finish 15 years ago. “Cape Town has some of the world’s best scenic vistas and great trails so it makes sense that a race of this stature should exploit those riches.”
Thankfully the current Two Oceans Marathon team concurred with that sentiment and the trail races will again be a part of the Two Oceans calendar, offering opportunities to athletes to double up by competing in a trail race tomorrow and the 56km ultra-marathon or the half marathon on the weekend.
One athlete who has risen to that challenge is popular and ageless Nic Rupanga, who will celebrate his 50th birthday by racing the long trail race over 22km tomorrow as well as the half marathon on Sunday.
Rupanga ran the first Two Oceans Trail Race in 2010 where Van Aardenne stole his thunder, with the latter’s mountaineering skills enabling him to break clear of Rupanga down the rope-assisted descent to King’s Blockhouse and hold on to win by a close margin.
The Two Oceans Long Trail Race became a fixture for Rupanga who went on to bag six top ten, including three top five, finishes between 2010 and 2018, winning the veterans (40 plus) category in successive years between 2015 and 2018.
Rupanga shared his memories of racing Two Oceans Trail at the end of a packed day, which started with a dawn 23km run along part of the Two Oceans Trail route, before he started work at the Sweat Shop in Claremont.
“The Two Oceans Trail race has been so special to me,” says the man with the biggest smile in trail running. I’ve always felt my strength lies in trail rather than road racing and trail running just makes me feel great!
“I also enjoy inspiring younger runners to run trail. I have been coaching at some schools, including Claremont High and Springfield Convent and I’m excited at seeing the increasing numbers of younger runners on the trails.”
Rupanga has also enjoyed success as a coach at elite level. He currently coaches six athletes, including work colleague, Brandon Keeling, who credits Rupanga with his significant improvement as a leading trail runner in recent years.
While Rupanga has had his fair share of injuries and niggles, which inhibited him in many of his past Two Oceans Trail races, he is feeling 100% fit and raring tomorrow. “My training has been going very well and I’ve been doing about 125km to 140km per week. I finished third overall in the Maxi 30km last month.
Just a week after his birthday, Zimbabwe-born Rupanga will be strong favourite to win the masters (50 years) age group category, but age-group success is not his primary aim. “I’m aiming to be competitive in the overall race. I’m feeling strong and competitive, so I’ll be aiming for a top 5 or 10 position, or better.
“This will be my 7th Two Oceans Trail run,” Rupanga concludes. “For sure I’ll be going for my 10th and permanent number – that will be a good achievement. I’ll never give up trail running – the people around me give me the energy to keep going.”
Permanent numbers (road or trail) are allocated to runners who have completed ten Two Oceans races, have won three titles or gained five top ten finishes. To date only three trail-running permanent numbers have been awarded – to the late Dave Bywater (ten short trail races) and Kane Reilly and Landie Greyling (three wins each).
While the new route over 22km contains less climbing than in previous years, the longer stretch along the contour path around the face of Table Mountain provides a significant test of athletes’ abilities over technical routes.
Starting at the UCT Tennis Courts, runners head up towards the Blockhouse, before continuing along the contour path, past Woodstock Cave, Oppelskop, Silverstream Waterfall and Platteklip Gorge.
The route continues all the way to India Venster under the Cable Car cables, where runners will turn down to Tafelberg Road and towards Kloof Nek along the tarmac. The route turns back along a jeep track to Deer Park before the final section to the Blockhouse and back to the start via Newlands Dam.
In a brand-new 12km route, runners follow the initial route of the 22km towards the Kings Blockhouse, before turning south along the contour path. Runners will pass Newlands Ravine and Window Gorge before turning down Smuts Track towards Kirstenbosch.
Following a connecting path past the Kirstenbosch upper parking area to Newlands Forest, runners will run past Newlands Dam before finishing back at the UCT Tennis Courts.
The Long Trail Run starts at the UCT Tennis Courts at 06h45 with the Short Trail Run getting underway at 07h15.
