Friday, January 31, 2025

Extreme Sports

Africa is the new best playground for all types of Xtreme Sports. Also see XOA, SPNA’s own TV series, now streaming on SPNAfrica.co.za

Live action another winner at UTCT

By Stephen Granger Jim Walmsley and Courtney Dauwalter blazed to impressive victories on Table Mountain trails in last week’s Ultra-trail Cape Town (UTCT) 100km, but there was an impressive ‘behind the scenes’ alternate ‘relay run’ over the challenging course with...

UTCT pulls international favourites

By Stephen Granger Americans Jim Walmsley and Courtney Dauwalter are the best in the world when it comes to Ultra-trail racing right now and the two are strong favourites to win the 7th Ultra-trail Cape Town (UTCT) 100km tomorrow (Saturday 28...

To redefine the art of trail – just throw away the rule book

By Stephen Granger They’re bold, brave and ballsy and stirring up a storm in trail running circles. And they’re in Cape Town to compete in the country’s premier trail running event – Ultra-trail Cape Town (UTCT). Courtney Dauwalter and Mathieu Blanchard...

Running’s role championing conservation

By Stephen Granger The environment and trail running are two sides of the same coin and while challenges remain to be solved, the partnership between SANParks and the trail-running community in South Africa is strengthening conservation and becoming a global...

Africans hold their own in weekend ultra trail outings

by Stephen Granger African interest in ultra-trail running centred on the Southern Drakensberg Mountains in the NE Cape and on the Atlantic Ocean island of Madeira over the weekend, with Simon Tshabalala and Ryan Sandes achieving notable results. Simon Tshabalala...

Cowboys head internationals at UTCT

by Stephen Granger Cape Town, South Africa is a long way from cowboy territory.  Jim Walmsley is the best-known of a group of runners raised in Arizona, USA, who once called themselves the "Coconino Cowboys" after the second-largest county in the...

Don’t forget the OVER the Mountain race, on Cape Town’s marathon weekend

By Stephen Granger Prodigal Khumalo and Toni McCann start as favourites to take the inaugural titles in the long-awaited Sanlam Cape Town Trail Marathon to be run over Table Mountain. The Ryan Sandes’ signature race has all the potential to become...

Elazzaoui flies Africa’s flag at the Golden Trail

By Stephen Granger Leading Moroccan trail athlete, Elhousine Elazzaoui, flies the African flag at this weekend’s grand finale of the 2021 Golden Trail Series on the island of El Hierro in the Canary Island Group. The Atlantic Ocean island lies a...

An ultra-fast Otter could be on the cards

By Stephen Granger It’s not for nothing that the Otter African Trail Run carries the epithet “The Grail of Trail”.  The fabled footrace between Storm’s River and Nature’s Valley along South Africa’s most popular hiking trail takes place tomorrow (Saturday 9...

African runners campaign for 2021 Golden Trail

By Stephen Granger Africa’s leading marathon-distance trail athlete, Elhousine ‘Hassan’ Elazzaoui, ends his campaign to qualify for the Golden Trail World Series (GTWS) grand-final at the sixth and final GTWS race in the French Basque centre of Ascain over the...