The fourth year of the Itec Oxpecker Trail Run promises to live up to the high standards set by the event since the inaugural run in 2015.
Over the past three years, the Oxpecker has grown to include three separate events, with the third being added this year due to the demand for entries.
The success of the Oxpecker lies in the impeccable organistation, the incredible trails and the post-run festivities.
The Itec Oxpecker Trail Run offers runners one of the most scenic trail run experiences in the country, with the race village resting on the banks of the Tugela River. Runners are taken up and around the historic Spioenkop battle site, through bushveld, across farms and along perfectly manicured single track trails.
Highlights of the run include potentially spotting the local wildlife like buck and giraffe, and the dramatic scenery at the top of the climbs.
True to the spirit of the event, there will be ample time to stop, take photos and enjoy views that stretch on for kilometres. On day one, a 5km finish along the Tugela River named the Garden of Eden will raise runners’ spirits as the Em’seni race village atmosphere starts to trickle down the closing straits.
“In conceptualising the Itec Oxpecker Trail Run we’ve taken all the fun elements from events that we know and love, and bundled them into three awesome weekends of trail running,” says organiser Spoen Green.
“The trails are challenging but not so challenging that you want to sleep for the rest of the day; the distances are just right for a good workout, but also leave enough in the legs for the Saturday night ‘entertainment’. The run has grown so quickly since we launched, and I think that’s down to the unique attractions on offer and the attention to detail of the team putting the event together.”
Once off the trail, runners relax at the tranquil race village before heading off to enjoy the special sundowner portion of the weekend, just another small touch that makes the Itec Oxpecker Trail Run an unmissable weekend away.
“The Itec Oxpecker Trail Run is an event on the outdoor sporting calendar that avid runners, such as myself, look forward to every year,” says Gavin Meyer, Executive Director of Itec SA.
“We realised trail running was a growing market when we started sponsoring the Oxpecker two years ago. This sponsorship platform presents a captive audience aligned to our client demographic, so it makes business sense for us, as southern Africa’s fastest growing office automation, production printing and tele-communications solutions provider, to be associated with the most innovative trail running race in South Africa.”
