On the 17th of October 2015 one of the most remarkable feats in South African sporting history took place in the Tsitsikamma Section of the Garden Route National Park. Swiss runner Marc Lauenstein challenged the Otter African Trail Run’s unthinkable four hour barrier.  

Sirius Media captures every moment of Marc Lauenstein’s magic run as well as the remarkable comeback of South African Kane Reilly – from a crippling career threatening illness to Otter Podium Glory.  Further, the production captures the quest of two South African women runners to reign in an international icon of the sport: Catalan athlete Emma Rocca.

If you didn’t know it by now, you have entered one of the most challenging marathon distance Trail Runs around. For those of you who have done an Otter/Retto Run/Challenge before you will have a good idea of what to expect although, be warned, the Otter hates complacency.  For those of you who are doing an Otter Run for the first time however, you may be in for a surprise.

Feedback we receive from previous participants indicates that the majority of runners, even the seasoned trail runners, do find this event harder than anticipated. This is especially true for those who are not accustomed to trail running. As it is, this route is on the upper end of the scale in terms of technical difficulty and the numerous climbs also make it comparable with the bigger mountain runs of the world in terms of altitude gained per meter traversed. Bottom line; you need to prepare for the Otter as you would for any of the world’s iconic endurance events and you further need to tailor your training to prepare you to face the challenges of technical running and steep ascents and descents.

We do not get any gratification out of punting the Otter Run or Challenge as the toughest or most extreme event ever, it is not. For a start, it is a good deal shorter in distance and duration than the ultras and technically the course cannot be compared to the wild-country trekking sections traversed in proper adventure races. What the Otter Run has proved itself to be however, is a real and brutal test of true trail running ability for the marathon distance and the balanced nature of the route is the reason why it is widely regarded as the marathon distance yardstick by top trail runners.

As an athlete who has entered the Otter Run or Challenge you must be aware of the specific nature of the challenges that you need to prepare for and understand the associated amplified risks inherent with runs of this nature that you assume by entering such an event.  You will appreciate that communicating this to our entrants can be challenging due to the vastly different frames of reference and so we will begin with the basics:
 

How do the challenges differ: unlike road running, trail running traverses terrain that is uneven, undulating and remote. On the Otter you will traverse sustained sections of; rutted and root tangled forests paths, steeply inclined slopes, bolder fields, pebbled beaches, jagged solid rock slabs to name a few. The trail passes dangerously close to vertical drop offs and descends rock faces via precarious ledges. You will have to swim across at least one current and tide affected river estuary and wade across several others, all the while possibly being exposed to changes in the weather.  Obviously the likelihood and consequences of a fall in any of these sections could be far more severe than a similar incident in a conventional running event.
 

What is the significance of this difference: Also, unlike in running on or next to a road, you cannot simply be picked up by a vehicle and transported off the course should you not wish or be unable to continue. Departing from the trail at any of the exit points still requires some demanding trekking to reach a vehicle access point. Should you require assistance in one of the remote sections of the course it can take our rescue team of highly proficient trail experts considerably longer to access you than it would on a course that has vehicle access.
 

How does the Retto differ from the Classic Edition: Although the two races essentially follow the same trail, the Otter Trail, the course for the Retto differs from that of the Classic Edition in a number of ways and some theorise that it makes the challenges posed by the two races completely different, even to the extent of suiting athletes with different strengths.

You must also be aware that the 8 hour cut-off time for the Otter Run makes the finishers medal for this race one of the hardest to attain of any endurance event anywhere. Different colours are offered for different finishing times. The 11 hour Cut- off for the Otter Challenge is more generous but certainly no picnic either. Note that we do strictly enforce cut-off times at checkpoints along the route. These cut-offs are determined on constant pace and are effected to prevent the field from getting too stretched out which places a strain on our resources. As it is, the field stretches out over 20km.

You need to familiarize yourself with the race rules and particularly with the list of compulsory equipment required for the main race. The list of compulsory equipment you will have to carry on the actual race is determined by the Weather Alert Level. Five Weather Alert Levels are defined three of which (I-III) dictate a differing list of compulsory gear. Your compulsory gear will be checked at the Compulsory Gear Check at Registration and you will be accredited for participation up to a certain Weather Alert Level. If you do not have the gear for a specific Weather Alert Level you will not be able to participate should the event be staged under that Weather Alert Level.

The Weather Alert Level under which the race will be run is determined by the race Safety Officer on the evening prior to the race. The determined Weather Alert Level is announced at race briefing. Note that a Weather Alert Level IV will result in a course change and Weather Alert Level V will result in a cancellation of the event. Note that the team making the decisions on the Weather Alert Levels is amongst the most experienced outdoor athletes in the country and are familiar with the local conditions in the Tsitsikamma. These decisions will only be taken in the interest of your safety.

Should the event be cancelled due to a Weather Alert Level V or due to an imminent wild fire danger or any other factor that affects the safety of participants there will be no refunding of entry fees.

Our official Otter Coach, sports scientist & training consultant Ryan Hodierne has design a 6 months Otter specific training program.

Ryan, who’s extensive professional CV includes the likes of being a consultant to the SA Swim team for the Olympics, now working at the Singapore Sports Council as a Biomechanist.  He is an elite trail runner with four top Otter Run finishes under his belt, no one whould be more qualified to get you to the start line in optimum Otter specific form.  The training program can be tailored to the amount of time you have available

Please understand that the Otter Trail is an operating Wilderness Trail and that only twelve permitted hikers are allowed to start the five day hiking trail per day. As such trail running on the trail outside of the organised event is not possible. SANParks identified illegal trespassing on the Otter Trail as the biggest threat to the continuation of the Otter Run or any kind of trail running within the park. We have had no reports of this happening and have agreed to assist in communicating the parks policies on this matter to our participants. We will have no hesitation in reporting to them anyone who selfishly compromises the goodwill trail running has garnered from our National Parks.
Where you can train however: The 3 km of the trail from the Storms River Mouth Rest Camp to the Waterfall is open to day visitors and participants are welcome to recce this section. The park and its surround also do have may other world class trails, particularly on the Natures Valley Side of the park, which are open for trail running year round.  Please consider other park visitors if running on these trails!! We also encourage every one of our participants to hike the Otter Trail at some point in their lives. The Otter Run/Challenge is a trail running experience and as magnificent as it is, it is no substitute to spending five days submerged in the pristine wilderness.  Put hiking the Otter Trail on your bucket list!

Our base of operations including; Registration, The Prologue Run, Briefings, Finish Line and the After Race Dinners will be located at the Storms River Campsite in Tsitsikamma Section of the GRNP on the Eastern side of the Park for this year’s Retto Edition of Otter Run/Challenge. 

For those of you who intend staying longer and taking advantage of your visit to one of the most trail rich parts of the world you can extend your stay after the event by booking accommodation through SANParks. The Villages of Natures Valley (the start of the Retto) and Storms River Village (just inland from the park) make for excellent bases to launch your odyssey from.  Both Villages have access to world class trails and the area is also hotbed of many exciting adventure activities.
For accommodation in Natures Valley contact Meyer Van Rooyen http://naturesvalleyproperties.co.za 
For accommodation in Storms River Village. www.stormsrivervillagelodge.com
For adventure activities see www.untouchedadventures.com or www.stormsriver.com . www.africanyon.com, www.faceadrenalin.com

Note that the organisation provides transport from the Storms River Camp Site to the start of the races at the Natures Valley. You are welcome to travel in your own vehicles to the start of the race but must make your own arrangements for your vehicle to be picked up. Other shuttle service are offered but more details of these will be made available in later news letters or contact our offices.