Running through nature, running on clouds

The majestic African bush, home to so many interesting species of wildlife. The call of fish eagle and the rustle of buck as they make their way through the grass. The famous Big Five: rhino, leopard, lion, African buffalo and the mighty African bush elephant. All of this is encapsulated in Addo Elephant Park, the third largest national park in South Africa.

It is also the venue for one of the most beautiful races on the South African trail calendar: the Addo Elephant Trail Run. This challenging run takes competitors through a range of rugged terrain, while affording them the opportunity of spotting wildlife as they make their way across old Jeep tracks and dirt roads, across rivers and along some difficult climbs, leading trail runners through the Zuurberg mountains and into picturesque valleys.

Tifosi Sports, South Africa’s sole distributor of On running shoes and performance apparel is a presenting sponsor for this race in 2024. The race will take runners across 50 kilometres, 80 kilometres (50 miles), or a brand new 21 kilometre ‘training run’ course, with the 100 miler (161 kilometres) bringing the challenge to ultra marathon athletes.

Runners will get to take trails that are not available to anyone at any other time, affording them the chance to see species they might not get a chance to see. However, the trails are carefully planned so that there are no run-ins with dangerous animals such as lions.

Over the past few years there has been a steady increase of participants in the Addo Trail Run using On Running products. The firm favourite is the Cloudultra: a cushioned, all-terrain trail shoe for long distances and ultra-running.  Several Tifosi Sports athletes that are regular starters at the Addo Elephant trail run include Mpho Tshesane, Nicky Booyens, Herman Van Der Colff, Pieter Van Eeden, and Marius Van Rensburg.  

The trail run takes place between 22 and 24 March, 2024. Follow this link for more info https://addo.run/