uKhahlambha hosts the Southern Africa’s top trail athletes at Ultra-trail Drakensberg mountain extravaganza
All trails lead to the Underberg region of the Drakensberg this weekend (28-30 April), as the country’s leading trail and mountain runners make the journey to race HQ at Premier Resort Sani Pass for the sixth edition of Ultra-trail...
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...
Fans want more FIFA World Cups – report
By Sammy Wejinya
More FIFA World Cup Championships are what fans are after, according to a global online survey.
The insight comes courtesy of a July online survey commissioned by the world footballing body and the results are to be...
Learning at altitude – African trail runners blown away by Mont Blanc
by Stephen Granger
The dust has settled on the first post-COVID Ultra-trail Mont Blanc (UTMB), and the trail and ultra-distance world is reflecting on the most intense competition in the 18-year history of the world’s largest trail event, a week...
Western Europe’s highest mountain woos Africa’s trail runners (part 2)
By Stephen Granger
While the full circumnavigation around Mont Blanc in the form of the Ultra-trail Mont Blanc 100 miler is undoubtedly the showpiece of this week’s running festival at the French Alpine town of Chamonix, the shorter-distance faces have...
Sportspeople can pivot too – the story of a rugby player turned ultra-distance runner
By Stephen Granger
Two years ago, a re-wired former South African provincial rugby player signalled his arrival on the ultra-trail scene with a convincing win in the 50km Bastille Day Trail Run. Last weekend, Matt Healy reminded the local trail...
African challenge on Golden Trail from Morocco’s Elazzaoui
by Stephen Granger
Norwegian athlete Stian Angermund made it three in a row in the Golden Trail World Series (GTWS) at the 20km Dolomyths Run in the Italian Alps on Sunday morning (18 July), while Moroccan Elhousine ‘Hassan’ Elazzaoui began...
Marathon de Sables for Nontuthuko Mgabhi
by Stephen Granger
When Nontuthuko Mgabhi lines up in October at one of the world’s most gruelling footraces – the Marathon des Sables ( the Marathon of the Sands) - a multi-day stage race across 250km of scorching sands in the Sahara...
Educating footballers
Former Nigerian international, Waidi Akanni is on a mission to prevent young footballers from sacrificing their education for a career on the pitch. This will help Nigeria, he says.
by Humprehy Njoku
Waidi Akanni comes from the generation of Nigerian football...
Trail Running: Tragedy in China elicits pause, even in Africa
The tragic outcome of the recent Yellow Stone Forest 100km in China has left trail runners and organisers around the world with much to ponder in respect of the potential dangers of a sport, where the “edge and adventure”...