TRAIL RUNNING EVENTS

35km Trail Run

Perfect for those not quite ready for an ultra-distance but wanting to be part of the incredible Whale race atmosphere.

The 35km Trail Run route starts and ends at the same magnificent places as the 53km.

It begins with 15km of glorious mountain singletrack, merges onto a 7km jeeptrack to get to the 15km section of beach and coastal paths with ridiculously jaw dropping all round vistas and of course plenty of time with the whales.
(Yes, that’s closer to 37km than 35km!)

But it’s not just running. You’re treated to weekend dinners, free massage and freshly prepared lunch when you finish, wine tasting, complimentary G&T, quality goody bag, quality good people and all round ethical goodness at this big hearted race.

Race Factsheet

Name	Age	Phone
Date & Time	Saturday, 27 July 2024
Start Time	09h00
Registration	26 July 2024 – 16h00-19h00 at De Hoop Collection
Briefing Dinner	26 July 2024 – 18h30 – 20h00 at De Hoop Collection
Prize Giving Dinner	27 July 2024 – 17h30 – 20h00 at De Hoop Collection
Distance	35km
Cut Offs	22km – 6h00, 29km – 7h30
Entry Fee	R4, 500
Race Venue	De Hoop Collection on De Hoop Nature Reserve
Race Start	Potberg Nature Reserve
Race Finish	Koppie Alleen – De Hoop Nature Reserve.

Race Details

Entries open from 10h00 on 24 September 2023 – A deposit payment of R1,600 will be required within three days of entering in order to secure your booking. The remainder of the entry fee will be due by the 31 March 2024.

Refunds: 70% refund (of total entry fee) possible up until 27 April 2024 (3 months before the event date) following a written notification of withdrawal. Please note: Most of our costs for this event are incurred and committed long before you even start training. As such, it is to both our benefit that a substitute is found and we have a very fair substitution policy.

Substitutions: Substitutions are possible up to 12h00 Friday 19 July 2024 (8 days before the event) with a fee of R800. Substitutions will be offered to the wait list first. Should you want to make a substitution, contact the organisers.

Cancellation: Should the event scheduled for the 27 July 2024 be cancelled due to National Restrictions surrounding any disaster, entries will be transferred to the 2025 Whale of Trail event.

Prize Money: All prize money is allocated to the main 53km Ultra Trail and there are no cash prizes for the 35km winners.
There will be a Rtbc lucky draw prize for which all finishers of the 53km and 35km races are eligible, as well as several other lucky draws. Prize winners have to be present at prize giving dinner on the Saturday night in order to receive the prizes.

Goody Bags: Gift items and kitbags included in race entry are only for those who compete in the event and will not be handed to third party recipients.

Runners Information: Runners must be self sufficient for the day. No seconding allowed. There will be cut off times along the way, after which competitors will be pulled off the route and transported to the finish. Runners must be fit and should have run at least a 30km trail (as opposed to a dirt road run) run recently. Runners must stick to the marked trail. No short cuts are allowed. There will be a sweepers and checkpoints.

Medical: There will be emergency services on standby but participants must, under normal circumstances, be fit, healthy and able to complete the event safely without aid. Should the race medic declare any participant unfit to continue, he or she will be forced to withdraw from the event. This is a serious challenge. EACH PARTICIPANT MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY.

Race Entry

Entry Fee: R4,500

Entry Fee Includes

Permit, entry and unique opportunity to run this trail
CapeNature fee for De Hoop Reserve and the trail
Paramedic support with 4×4 vehicles (excludes helicopter evacuation, or any hospitalization transport, which will be at the athlete’s cost)
Transfers to and from race village to start and finish points
Three well stocked and staffed watertables on the route
Friday night briefing dinner
Saturday night prize giving dinner
Drop bag and complimentary items
Transfer of drop bag to finish
Hot meal at finish
Complimentary leg massage at finish
Finisher’s medal

Entry fee does not include

Accommodation
Drinks at dinners
Personal race nutrition.

Entries online – will open at 10h00 on 12th September – A deposit payment of R1,600 will be required within three days of entering in order to secure your booking. The remainder of the entry fee will be due by the 31 March 2024.

Cancellation: Should the event scheduled for the 27 July 2024 be cancelled due to National Restrictions surrounding any disaster, entries will be transferred to the 2025 Whale of Trail event.

Goody Bags: Gift items included in race entry are only for those who compete in the event and will not be handed to third party recipients.

Medical: There will be emergency services on standby but participants must under normal circumstances, be fit, healthy and able to complete the event safely without aid. Should the race medic declare any participant unfit to continue, he or she will be forced to withdraw from the event. This is a serious challenge. EACH PARTICIPANT MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY.

Compulsory Running Equipment

Water containers min 2 litres
Waterproof Rain Jacket
Base Layer
Buff or Head Gear
Whistle
Space Blanket
Cell phone
Recommended Equipment – Sunglasses, Sun block, Hat, Gaiters

Penalties will apply for missing equipment during the run.

Event Schedule (Provisional)

Friday 26 July 2024
16h00 – 19h00	Registration at De Hoop Collection
18h30 – 21h00	Dinner at De Hoop Collection
19h00	Briefing at De Hoop Collection

Saturday 27 July 2024
07h30	Transfer from De Hoop Collection to Potberg Nature Reserve
08h00	Registration opens for non-residents of De Hoop
09h00	Race Start
12h15 – 12h45	Winners expected at Koppie Alleen
18h00	Dinner at De Hoop Collection
20h00	Prize Giving at De Hoop Collection