Friday, January 31, 2025

Trail Running

Festival of trail races an ideal platform for new-look Toni

By Stephen Granger Leading South African trail athlete, Toni McCann, laces her new-look trail shoes this weekend (Saturday 5 March) for her first race of the year – the Transgranaria 43km, part of the series of races making up the...

How to form a winning partnership – UTCT and Table Mountain National Park

By Stephen Granger Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) Manager Frans van Rooyen has been unstinting in his praise for the recent Ultra-trail Cape Town (UTCT), suggesting that the event’s partnership with the people who look after the city’s huge tourist...

When a successful sporting event becomes Africa’s best brand advertising

By Stephen Granger The dust has settled on Ultra-trail Cape Town (UTCT) trails and most of the international athletes who participated have found sufficient gaps in flight bans to depart our shores, following an exceptional Ultra-trail Cape Town event which...

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...

Walmsley takes Khumalo’s record at UTCT

Jim Walmsley wins Ultra-trail Cape Town 2021. Photo: Stephen Granger By Stephen Granger Jim Walmsley gave an exhibition of ultra-trail running the like of which has never been seen on the continent to win the Ultra-trail Cape Town in a new...

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...

Comrades and UTCT – a new “double”?

Bongmusa Mthembu signals victory in the 2019 Two Oceans marathon. Photo: Stephen Granger Winning a single title in sport is always impressive but many top athletes enjoy the challenge of linking a series of wins, to create a notable "double",...

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...