Otter African Trail Run, live.

42 km of the Otter Trail, Storms River to Natures Valley

The Otter African Trail Run follows the Otter hiking trail along the Indian Ocean coast, through indigenous forest and across four rivers.

The 2027 Otter is a Classic Edition, run east to west from Storms River to Natures Valley, which is also the traditional hiking direction. The Otter Challenge is on 29 and 30 September 2027 and the Otter Race on 1 and 2 October 2027. Each event opens with a prologue for seeding on the first day, and the 42 km race follows on the second day.

The marathon distance course has over 2,400 m of climbing in 11 significant climbs, and four river crossings. The Bloukrans River includes a swim, with a safety team on site and life jackets available for those who need them. The trail runs through restricted private and protected land along the rugged coastline.

The two events differ in their cut-offs. The Otter Challenge, described by the organiser as fearsome, has an 11 hour limit. The Otter Race, described as extreme, has a 9 hour limit. Race records go back to 2011. Participants are taken to the start by shuttle from the Storms River race village early in the morning.

Because the route crosses protected land, only accredited people have access to the course. Family and friends can join the start if they bring a pre-printed and completed SANParks gate permit, but supporters cannot access the route itself. The organisers encourage supporters to come to the race village and help create the atmosphere at the finish line.

On Livebib you can follow a participant who chooses to share their own live position from the phone they carry. This is not the organiser's timing, and the official results come from the Otter organisers.