DRJ25

Race strategy

Run easy on the first mountain, then go all out on the second.

• Start easy and control your HR up to 6.0km.
• Hold your race pace up to 15.3km, but stay in control.
• Final 541m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 15.3km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.5km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.5km–6.0km · Plus 1 more climb. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Work · 6.0km–15.3km · Climb of 392m, high point 1990m. Plus 1 more descent. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Home · 15.3km–25.4km · Descent of 541m averaging 5%. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end.

Course

The course climbs 934m+. With 36m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 29% of the distance is uphill, 32% downhill and 39% flat. The longest climb runs 6.0km at an average 5.2% grade (312m of vertical). The longest descent runs 10.1km at an average 5.3% grade (541m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 17.0% over 0.7km. The steepest descent drops at 26.4% over 0.3km. Flat-equivalent effort: 34.1 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 2.9km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 12 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 15.3km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• 15.2–25.4 km · 541 m D−, -5.3% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 7°C to 13°C, with around 15°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 25%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 3% of days around this date.

Results

193 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Tsielo Tsanyane (South Africa) in 2:16:48. Women's winner: Samantha Pringle (South Africa) in 2:31:26.