Otter Challenge

Race strategy

Start easy, build your effort, and go all out at the finish.

• Start easy and control your HR up to the aid station at 27.9km.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• Ease into the early runnable section, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.4km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.4km–28.1km · Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Fade · 28.1km–29.4km · Climb of 151m, high point 162m. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 29.4km–39.3km · 9.9km of runnable trail. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.

Course

The course climbs 2600m+. With 62m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 38% of the distance is uphill, 35% downhill and 28% flat. The longest climb runs 1.3km at an average 12.1% grade (151m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 34.0% over 0.2km. Surface: 89% technical and 6% trail. Flat-equivalent effort: 63.3 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 2.0km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 19 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 12°C to 16°C, with around 19°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 26%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 4% of days around this date.

Results

257 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Jono Botha (Individual Neutral Athletes) in 5:37:47. Women's winner: Lindy-Lee Folscher (Individual Neutral Athletes) in 6:22:17.