The inaugural  Otter – African Trail Run presented by Hi-Tec, introduced an experience onto the South African sports calendar that was guaranteed to raise intense interest and debate from both the huge hiking and now burgeoning trail running communities.

The Otter Hiking Trail has long been classified as a tough challenge and for all the countless hikers who have undertaken this 5 day epic, they will agree that to run the entire trail in one day is absolute lunacy !

Could the 5 Day Otter Trail be conquered in under 5 hours was the question doing the rounds ?. Garden Route based adventure racing athlete, John Collins, was the lunatic who had masterminded the concept of the country’s leading hiking trail becoming the holy grail of trail running. In the various scouting runs, sanctioned by the GRNP, that the Magnetic South team had done to plan for the event – John Collins had posted a 5hrs 12min personal best time.

On the 20 September 2009, KZN based South African duathlon champ – Iain Don Wauchope crawled over the finish line on all fours in a record breaking time of 4 hours 59 mins and 7 seconds – he is the only person to have ever broken the 5 hour barrier. Now everyone is asking if this time can be beaten ?  The lunacy continues !

Thanks to the very valuable input of the Nature Conservation Corporation who consulted on the very strict Environmental Management Plan which both the organisers,  Magnetic South, and trail custodians, SANParks (GRNP) had to implement for the event to take place. These same rules have been laid down again to ensure the 2010 event upholds the extremely high environmental and safety levels achieved. Garden Route MCSA Mountain Rescue volunteers lead by Crags local, Andrew Scott , played a pivotal role in ensuring participant safety in the first ever event and with their extensive experience of the rugged terrain had rapid response qualified ropes teams in place to manage any emergency evacuations.

“The Otter Trail traverses some of the most technical trail running terrain imaginable and competitors are thrown into the tricky root strewn single track from the moment they step onto the Otter. Add in ragged rocky shorelines, boulders, heart stopping climbs with rapid steep descents resulting in over 2200m of elevation covered, and this becomes one of the hardest marathon distance runs you are ever going to experience in your lifetime. There are longer runs being offered around the globe, however the 42 km Otter Trail is able to pack in so much which also includes the adrenaline pumping swim across the Bloukrans River. This is one challenge that is hard to beat “ commented Mark Collins, Magnetic South Race Director.

Dates for the 2010 event have been set as 24 September when those wishing to participate in the Otter Run only will have their opportunity to add their names to a very select few official finishers.

The multi stage, 6 day Southern Storm Trail Duathlon, will also start with its first stage on the Otter and these athletes will be running and riding themselves ragged with their date with the Otter starting on the 26 September 2010.

20 Sept,  Tsitsikamma, South Afica

Not everyone is afforded the privilege of doing ‘The Otter’ in one day, and it is also most definitely not in everyone’s ability to do so. At dawn this morning, 200 athletes assembled at Storms River Mouth to do just this: they were the first athletes to take part in a trail run along the Otter Hiking Trail after a historic agreement was reached between the event organisers Magnetic South and the management of SANPARKS.

Although some runners were purely aiming to finish, others had a loftier goal; they wanted to see whether it was possible to run the five-day hiking trail, stretching over a distance of 42km, in less than five hours. Although the majority of athletes and crew thought this to be utterly impossible, there were a few competitors who believed in the dream.

Fortunately for all concerned, this impossible ‘dream’ was also supported by a range of sponsors, not least of all Hi-Tec, who came on board as primary supporters for the Otter African Trail Run. “We are already intrinsically involved with SANPARKS”, said Marketing Manager Shayne Vervoort, “and sponsor hiking boots for the majority of national parks guides, so the symbioses was natural”.

Other sponsors included the municipality of the Eden District, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, Helly Hansen, Hunters, Land Rover, Gu, Nomad Adventures, Squirt, African Organics, Island Tribe, Bike Box Company, Earth Scout, Super Rent, AC Environmental, Bio Bin and Kurland.

Stunning weather and superb organisation by the Magnetic South crew saw the launch of the Hi-Tec Otter African Trail run unfold flawlessly under blue skies and with hardly a breath of wind. The pace was gruelling from the word go, with local Knysna boy, John Collins, going head-to-head with Ian Don Wauchope.

Speedsters Rohan Kennedy and Bruce Arnett put in a superb effort, but local knowledge saw Collins claiming a hard-fought second position in a brilliant time of 5hrs 01min. And in the end, Ian Don Wauchope did manage to pull off the ‘impossible’, charging in to beat the magical five-hour barrier by mere seconds with a time of 4hrs 59min 02sec!

Not satisfied with the spoils in The Men’s Division, Ian’s wife Sue Wauchope dominated the Ladies race right from the word go. She seemed untouchable for the duration, finishing at the top of the field in a blistering time of 5hrs 58min, thus sealing a double victory for the family who flew down from KZN for the event.

“A new benchmark has been set in South African trail running”, said Mickey Mallet, MD of outdoor shoe manufacturers Hi-Tec. “We expect this event to grow immensely, not only amongst local racers, but also within the wider international running community. In my opinion, this is not only the most technical trail run in SA, but also the most beautiful”!

According to event organiser Mark Collins, the key ethos around the Hi-Tec Otter African Trail Run focuses on environmental preservation. “The only way we can make this event sustainable for competitors, landowners and other outdoor enthusiasts is to be 100% eco-friendly in how we present and run the race, and we have therefore made an unflinching commitment to this”.

Although the inaugural “Otter’ is over, it makes up part of the Southern Storm Duathlon, presented by Hi-Tec, and the action will continue unabated tomorrow. Day Three will see competitors taking on the infamous Robberg Trail Run, before heading out on a gruelling mountain biking leg into the MTO Forest area around Diepwalle.

Many sports men and women have only ever dreamed of trail running the Otter Trail. This has now become reality!! Magnetic South, in association with SANParks, are extremely proud to now be offering this incredibly unique opportunity. The inaugural Southern Storm will take place from Saturday 19th- Thursday 24th September 2009, with “The Otter” taking place as a stand alone trail run on Sunday 20th. The event traverses the entire length of the recently declared Garden Route National Park, starting at Storms River in the Tsitsikamma Section and ending at the Touw River in the Wilderness Section.

The adventurous nature of the route, plus the very strict environmental ethos and protocol dictates the restrictions required in terms of the numbers of participants. Competitors for both events share this limited opportunity. As a result those athletes participating in the 5 day Southern Storm event will be given first priority. As much as we would like to delight all our kindred spirits, the best Magnetic South can do is to offer a fair and equal opportunity to everyone who wants to enter. This will be done on a first come, first serve basis when entries open on the 1st of April 2009 at 12h00 mid day.
The Southern Storm course design is entrenched by a philosophy which places environmental impact and participant safety above all other considerations. The challenge weaves together a balanced route that traverses one of the most spectacular coastal regions on earth, incorporating mountains, beaches, indigenous forest, and fynbos. The route combines spectacular scenery with classic challenge, physical endurance with technical ability, stamina with adventure, and produces a balanced contest between Trail Running and Mountain Biking.
“The cut off time for the marathon distance trail run is set at 9 hours but with technical rock and forest sections, river crossings and more than 2000 meters of elevation gain, we expect athletes to take between 70 to 100% longer to complete the distance than they would achieve in a road running event. Participants need to be totally self sufficient as there are no water tables provided with the plastic sachets that are common place in most road running or cycling events. Very tight controls have been planned with event staff strategically placed across the entire length of the route to keep a watch on athletes’ safety and progress, plus sweep the back of the field ensuring absolutely no litter has been left behind” said John Collins, route designer of Magnetic South.

National Geographic’s 2007 Adventurer of the Year, Andrew Skurka, who had been invited to hike The Otter Trail by SA Tourism in May 2008, achieved the full distance in 12 hours – so the next frontier of the sub 5 hour Otter is a very special and privileged quest to aspire to.

Please note that trail running along the Otter Trail is completely forbidden and you have only ONE chance to enjoy this offer; on 20 September 2009. Anyone found illegally on the route will receive a life ban plus the current fine imposed by SANParks. Please respect this opportunity.
A once in a life time opportunity…. The best 6 days of your multi sport life awaits, with over 100 kms of trails to run and 250 kms to ride.

Entries open 1 April 2009 at 12h00 www.magneticsouth.net (and it is no April Fools Joke)!

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