The Race

The Otter 2015

The Otter Run/Challenge is a two day event including a 4-6 km Prologue Route on the 1st day and the feature 42km traverse of the Otter Trail on the 2nd day. The completion of both events is mandatory in order for qualification for an Otter Run/Challenge medal. Medals are awarded according to completion times for the 42km event however results recorded in the prologue route determine the starting order of the 42km event and edibility for podium positions.

Race Direction

The direction of the Otter Run/Challenge is planned to alternate annually. The 2015 Otter African Trail Run will be the “Classic Run”; an East to West running of the Otter Trail starting in the Storms River Rest Camp in the Tsitsikamma Section of the Garden Route National Park and finishing at De Vasselot Campsite, Natures Valley. The event base, including registration, the prologue route and post event ceremonies, will be at De Vasselot Campsite, Natures Valley Section of the Garden Route National Park.

Race Dates

The OTTER CHALLENGE: 14th/15th of October:
for all those that want to conquer the OTTER in 1 day.

The OTTER RUN: 16th/17th of October:
will cater for the severe athletes and will have a 8 hours Cut-Off Time

Please note: the Challenge Cut-Off times have changed. Due to a narrow window of the tidal times on race day in which a safe crossing of Bloukrans River can be managed, 2015 challenge athletes will face a very strict cut-off time based on a 10 hours finishing time at Bloukrans. If athletes manage to cross Bloukrans within this cut-off time they will be allowed to finish the race in 11 hours receive a medal.

The Otter Run, which will be held AFTER the Otter Challenge, differs from the Challenge in that it has a very ambitious 8 hour cut-off. The two events were separated to cater for the differing priorities and proficiencies of participants.

Various safety cut-offs are effected at strategic points along the route and participants have to make sure they pass these points ahead of the cut-off times to remain on the course.

Nature of the Event

The Otter is a 42km trail run traversing South Africa’s Iconic Otter Hiking Trail. It is a trail run on the upper end of the scale with regards to the technical difficulty of the trail and as such demands a high level of technical proficiency and endurance from participants. The course encompasses a vertical ascent of more than 2400 meters making it comparable with most mountain runs. Completing the course also involves swimming across tidally affected river estuaries and traversing long reaches of highly uneven and rocky terrain with many sections in dangerous proximity to vertical drop offs. Being a coastal run The Otter also exposes participants to changes in the weather and the remoteness of the trail from easy access and evacuation points makes the rendering of assistance to distressed participants delayed and difficult. Whilst the organisers endeavour to take all feasible measures to increase participant’s safety, it is evident that participation in The Otter Events exposes runners to a significantly higher risk of injury than that of conventional events and these risks must be assumed by participants as risks inherent with the nature of the sport.

The Prologue

The prologue Trail Run will be held the day before the OTTER after registration. The prologue is a short (approx. 5 km) circular trail – featuring similar conditions as the Otter itself – and can be run at any time during the day of registration. Athletes will be seeded for The Otter based on the results of the prologue with race start times on The OTTER being staggered accordingly and the higher seeded participants starting first.