THE Ultra-Trail Drakensberg Festival of Trail Running will take place from 26 to 28 April, during the Southern Drakensberg’s best weather period, and the event’s four different distances will appeal to runners of varying abilities.
Sani Pass Hotel provides the base for much of what happens at UTD and is best described as one of the gems of the region due to its family-orientated atmosphere and activities.
Event stalwart, Rhys Foster, said his family is excited for the trip from Johannesburg.
The family-friendly atmosphere of the Southern Drakensberg lends itself to a long weekend of trail running and relaxation.
With two shorter options available, the GCU62 and the SDR30, Foster believes that you don’t need to be a racing snake to get through them.
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“The shorter runs are not at such a high altitude as the 160km and 100km race, so that makes them a little bit easier.
The trails are so well marked and prepared so you don’t have to worry too much about rolling an ankle or worrying about it being too technical,” said Rhys.
“For my first Giants Cup, a two-day trail run along the famous Giants Cup hiking trail, I was 106kg and I had done very little running. I found that it was fairly easy. It is a tough trail but it is not difficult and, with regular checkpoints along the way, there is a lot of safety around. It is very doable,” he added.
He has taken part in the UTD160 and the UTD100 and this year will be doing the GCU62.
He is no stranger to endurance events but he will use the trail run as a way to get away from the clutter of day-to-day life.
“I am a runner and people ask me why I don’t run the Comrades and I tell that trail running is my escape. I use it as a way to get away from the hype, the work, the fast-paced lifestyle of Johannesburg. When I get to the Southern Berg, it is just the best place on earth for me to just unwind and de-stress,” he said.
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