Otters dazzle at Storm’s River as Van Heerden and McCann top the prologue table

Johardt van Heerden (19:48) and Toni McCann (21:49) ran the fastest times at today’s (Friday 7 October) prologue to the 2022 Otter African Trail ‘Retto’ Run, powered by Easy Equities, at Storm’s River as the race atmosphere continued to build ahead of tomorrow’s 42km race through the Tsitsikamma National Park between Nature’s Valley and Storms River.

The 4km prologue follows the Blue Duiker trail along a forest single track at Storm’s River, similar to that which athletes will encounter on the Otter Trail itself, and allows race organisers to seed the runners to avoid congestion at the start of the race. The fastest 24 men and 16 women form the ‘Abangeni’ or ‘lead warriors’, starting together at the front of the field. Leading contenders simply need to ensure they make the top 24 or 16 and often race favourites hang back in the prologue so as not to deplete themselves prior to the race.

Nonetheless, most of the leading contenders finished the prologue well up the field, with Kyle Bucklow (20:03) second behind Van Heerden and Robbie Rorich (20:29) third. Bianca Tarboton (23:31) and Sume van Heerden (24:11) were second and third behind McCann.

Heads were turned on delivery to race headquarters at Storm’s River by top trail runner, sculptor and electro-mechanical engineer graduate, Robbie Rorich, of two magnificent floating trophies.  The trophies, to be awarded to the winners of the race each year, are sculptures in bronze of male and female cape clawless otters – the creature which gave its name to South Africa’s most popular hiking trail and trail race.

Rorich is a top contender tomorrow and boasts the second-fastest time by a South African athlete for the ‘Retto’ route in the reverse direction to the classic hiking trail, his 4:10:54 second to Van Heerden’s 4:03:50, and his recent form – he beat another Otter favourite, Kane Reilly, in the Mont Rochelle SkyRace five weeks ago – suggests he has a strong chance of returning to Cape Town with one of his trophies.

Rorich found inspiration for his sculptures from the creatures themselves. “When we were hiking the Otter Trail in February, we saw a mother and pup hunting in the rock pools,” recalled Rorich. “And on another day three otters came and swam with us at the end of a day.  Otters definitely talk to the hikers and runners as they go by.”

Always seeking adventure, Rorich leaves on Monday for Cairo to support Tegan Phillips on her quest to better the existing record of a Cairo to Cape Town cycle through Africa of 42 days.