Otter Champions rewrite history with double first hat-trick victories while Tarboton claims new course record

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SPORT NEWS - History was made at the Otter Terrex Trail, presented by EasyEquities, with two hat-trick wins accomplished for the first time and a four-year record tumbling.

Race morning awoke to a charged energy with athletes, supporters, staff and spectators nervously waiting to see how the 17th edition of the Grail of Trail would unfold.

A competitive field – including past winners and current record holders – made their way to the start line in Storm’s River and prepared for the gun signalling the start at 06:30.

Conditions that begged for a rapid race opened the day with a cooler start that broke to a comfortable morning. Dry trails made for high expectations as athletes set off on the 42 kilometre course from Storms River to Nature’s Valley.

Renowned by many as the pinnacle of diverse racing in trail running, the course along the Otter Trail is unique as racing experiences go: not only is the trail closed throughout the year – meaning athletes cannot practice outside of the race – but the terrain itself can be unyielding, featuring technical boulder sections, long stretches of beach sand, and 2400 metres of vertical gain accumulated over 11 climbs, 8 of which do not exceed 100 metres of climbing.

A record breaking race

Ultimate winner Bianca Tarboton clocked in at the first check point in the lead and, from there, a pattern of an extended lead would emerge. Race favourite and record holder of Otter’s Retto direction – the reverse course, run from Nature’s Valley to Storms River – Toni McCann was forced to withdraw early in the race, downed by an ankle sprain at 7 kilometres.

Leading the race at the time, just 20 seconds ahead of Tarboton, McCann had her sights set on a possible victory.

From a 12 minute lead at Scott’s Hut – approximately 15 kilometres into the race – Tarboton continued to extend the gap, finishing almost 49 minutes ahead of second place Rebecca Watney.

She arrived to an explosion of applause, with the Race Village brimming with supporters welcoming home athletes after the gruelling race.

Tarboton’s win strengthens her position as the most decorated athlete at the Otter TERREX Trail, presented by EasyEquities. In claiming the top step of the podium, she stands as the first woman to complete a hat-trick – a feat that no athlete had done before today – and the only athlete in Otter history to win four times.

Her finishing time of 04:30:55 sits well under her previous course record, a time of 04:45:34 set in 2021, clocking a new Classic course record by more than 14 minutes.

She had positioned her eventual winning time as a secret goal, but said she focused on consistent and comfortable pacing in the moment, rather than dictating her race with a time in mind.

Beaming and in slight disbelief, she said after the race, “I’m on cloud nine. It still hasn’t sunk in just yet, but I know I am completely over the moon with that race.”

The buzz of excitement in the Race Village only amplified as the day wore on, as Watney was welcomed home to cheers and embraces after claiming her second Otter podium. Retired professional mountain bike rider and cycling Olympian Robyn De Groot rounded the women’s podium, proving her mettle in a newer discipline to her sporting experience.

For the first time, Otter sees a back-to-back-to-back victory

On the men’s side of the field, Robbie Simpson stormed his way to his third victory in a row, etching his name in Otter history as both the first international athlete to win three, and the first athlete to complete a hat-trick of wins.

His victory seemed as though it might be under threat at Andre Hut, 8 kilometres from the finish line, as Robbie Rorich ran just 2 minutes behind Simpson.

With the final stretch suiting Simpson’s pace and stride, the Scotsman was ultimately able to open the gap and take the finisher’s ribbon in a time of 04:04:59, besting his previous fastest time on the course by 8 minutes. Simpson reflected that he is “absolutely delighted” with the win, saying, “it’s a tough race, and nothing is a given, but you just have to keep fighting for it.”

Rorich – seen taking advantage of river crossings with a dip in the water – laughed about his experience at the 30 kilometre river crossing, saying, “My legs were just cramping at Bloukrans, I spent time in the rivers to cool off, letting the water flow over and giving time for the mind reset.”

Kane Reilly completed his 13th Otter, racing to his 9th podium, finishing in 04:12:38, just seconds behind Rorich.

Otter legends affirm legacy status earning double digit medals

Joining Reilly in the record books, other Otter legends undertook the course to claim double digits of race finishes. Mvuyisi Gcogco has run every year since 2016 and wrapped up his 10th Otter.

Mulling over his immediate race, where he finished in 8th, and the years’ worth of experiencing the event, Gcogco turned to gratitude and hope, saying, “I feel privileged to have run this race for so many years. I’m honoured to represent the fact that there is hope for those who might want to come run this race and feel as though they can’t.”

Ralph Enslin, now a 13-time finisher, said he initially participated in the event to run the Otter Trail – a unique experience as every other week of the year, the trail is strictly for reserved hiking – but has since returned for the connection, saying, “I come for the friends, the people, and the family I’ve made here.”

Juan Ferreira, the most experienced athlete on the course with 15 starts and 14 finishes, initially saw the event on M-NET and called the founder Mark Collins for advice. This year, he said he had to dig deep, finding his finish in 08:18:05 to earn another Otter medal.

A prize purse deeper than ever

The first man and woman walked away with R100,000, a combination of cash and equities. Tarboton walks away with R190,000, having broken the course record, added R30,000 for the local fastest time as well as R60,000 for the overall record.

Carel Nolte, Chief Marketing Officer of the event’s presenting partner EasyEquities, said that racing Otter is both an investment in health and financial wealth, quipping, “I hope they look back on this moment, having retired comfortably with their investment safely in the bank from their winnings!”

Rebbeca Watney crossing Bloukrans, on her way to placing second.
Photo: Mentz Germishuis

Celebrating the human spirit of grit and resilience

The 17th edition of the Otter TERREX Trail, presented by EasyEquities wrapped up with the final finisher to receive the iconic hexagonal race medal. In an emotionally charged moment as he sprinted across the line, Sias Esterhuizen completed his race mere seconds ahead of the final cut off bell.

In those final seconds, Esterhuizen was uncertain whether his finish would be one of grief or relief. Still breathless from the sprint finish, he said, “I didn’t think I was going to make it, I can’t believe it. It’s just awesome to have done that.”

His race highlights the human spirit of determination. Tom Bednall, Senior Manager Sports and Culture Marketing of adidas, said, “This past weekend was truly spectacular, with our very own One Team dominating the podium. There's so much more to this extraordinary event than just the exciting finishes among our elite athletes.” He continued to highlight the pride to be involved in the event to witness “the human spirit's resilience and determination on this incredible course.”

Looking ahead, entries to the 2026 edition of the Otter TERREX Trail, presented by EasyEquities open towards the end of October. If history is to dictate, entries will sell out within the first 24 hours.