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MARATHON NEWS - Misty, cool conditions greeted runners at Storms River on Thursday morning as the 18th edition of the Otter Terrex Trail presented by EasyEquities got underway.

The 42km Challenge takes runners along the iconic Otter Trail between Storms River and Nature’s Valley, with competitors tackling rugged coastline, forest single track, river crossings, boulder fields, steep climbs and almost 7,000 steps.

The cool, moist conditions initially provided some relief, but as the spring sunshine cleared the mist, the intensity of the race increased.

Botha takes commanding men’s victory

Otter debutant Jono Botha produced a dominant performance to win the Challenge and claim the men’s title in 5:40:18.

Botha moved away from the field early and finished almost 23 minutes ahead of his closest rival after a demanding solo effort that included beach sand, mountain climbs, the Bloukrans River crossing and extensive boulder sections.

Reflecting on his race, Botha said his preparation had not been ideal and that he experienced a difficult patch between 24km and 30km. After taking on some food, however, he recovered strongly during the final eight kilometres.

Despite the physical demands, Botha said the experience had convinced him that the Otter is a race he would like to return to.

Men’s top 3 in the Challenge at the Otter Terrex Trail presented by EasyEquities, (from left) Morgan Tebbutt (2^nd), Jono Botha (1^st) and Stefan Blommaert (3^rd). Photo: Fahwaaz Cornelius

Morgan Tebbutt finished second in 6:03:06, while Stefan Blommaert took third in 6:06:45.

Blommaert was also the first finisher in the men’s 40-49 age category, while Eddie Mouton, who finished eighth overall, was the first man home in the 50+ category.

Folscher claims women’s title

The women’s race was considerably tighter, with less than two minutes separating the first two finishers.

South African Lindy-Lee Folscher, who is based in the UK, claimed the women’s title in 6:22:17, finishing seventh overall. She improved on her third-place finish in the women’s Challenge in 2025.

Marilize Raath finished second in 6:24:15, while Clare Gunther completed the women’s podium in 6:53:43.

Folscher said she had trained mainly on flat roads because she lives in an area without mountains or hills, so her strategy was to push hard on the runnable sections and accept that she would lose time on the technical parts of the course.

Having raced the Otter before, she also knew that the second half would be particularly demanding.

For Folscher, however, winning was an added bonus to the experience of spending several hours in nature away from the demands of everyday life.

253 runners complete the Challenge

The Otter Challenge is the only opportunity during the year to run the entire Otter Trail in a single day. The route is normally completed as a five-day hike.

The demanding terrain makes the race one of the toughest marathon-length trail events in South Africa, with runners negotiating technical coastal paths, narrow forest trails, river crossings, rocks and boulders, steep climbs and thousands of steps.

Cool, misty conditions eased runners through the early kilometres of the Challenge at the Otter Terrex Trail presented by EasyEquities. Photo: Caleb Bjergfelt

By the 11-hour cut-off, 253 runners had officially completed the Challenge.

The final stages produced plenty of drama, with nine athletes crossing the finish line between 20 and 10 minutes before the cut-off, followed by another seven in the final 10 minutes.

Ingrid Carmichael was the last official finisher, crossing the line in 10:57:55.

Attention turns to the Otter Race

With the Challenge completed, attention now turns to the more competitive half of the Otter field.

The Race Prologue takes place on Friday, 25 September, followed by the 42km Race on Saturday.

While the Challenge focuses on inclusivity and celebrates everyday trail runners, the Race attracts leading trail athletes from around the world and has a tougher nine-hour cut-off.

The first man and woman across the finish line will each receive R100,000, while a further R60,000 is available for a new course record. A R30,000 prize is also on offer if a South African man or woman breaks the local course record.

With a strong field assembled for the 2026 Race, the weekend's action is set to continue along the spectacular Otter Trail.

2026 Challenge Results

All athletes are South African except where another nationality is listed.

Men’s Challenge

Women’s Challenge

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