About / Otter Grail of Trail

Two Otter Events

The Otter TERREX Trail presented by EasyEquities takes place annually and runs in the opposite direction each year. The Otter - Classic Edition traverses East to West, starting in Storms River and finishing in Natures Valley, with the Otter - Retto Edition Running West to East, from Natures Valley to Storms River.

The 42km route features rugged Indian Ocean coastline trails, indigenous forests, river crossings, spectacular scenery and 7,000 steps on average. Every year, we host two cut-off time-graded events:

Otter - Challenge - Fearsome 11hr cut-off
Otter - Race - Extreme 9hr cut-off

Grail of Trail

Welcome, Elite Athletes

The Otter TERREX Trail, presented by EasyEquities. It is more than just a race. It’s a test of endurance, skill, and strategy on one of the most breathtaking and challenging trails in the world. As an elite athlete, we know your journey to the start line involves meticulous planning, and we’re here to help.

This page is designed to provide you with everything you need to make your race day experience as seamless as possible, from securing an entry to understanding the race’s unique logistics. Whether it’s details on the Prologue, course records, or travel support, you’ll find all the key information right here.

If you have any specific requests, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re excited to have you on the start line, ready to push the limits on Africa’s premier marathon-distance trail race!

Info Hub

Below, you’ll find key details about the elite qualification, past winners, prize money, and the Prologue. Click on each section to expand for more information.

Elite FAQ

The Otter TERREX Trail, presented by EasyEquities, alternates direction each year:

Retto Edition: Storms River to Nature’s Valley
Classic Edition: Nature’s Valley to Storms River

Current Course Records:

Classic Edition:
- Men: Marc Lauenstein – 3:59:29
- Women: Bianca Tarboton – 4:45:34
Retto Edition:
- Men: Bartlomiej Przedwojewski – 3:40:48
- Women: Toni MacCann – 4:33:26

For a full list of past winners and times, check out this page.

The Otter TERREX Trail offers a total prize purse of R175 000

1st place: A total of R100 000 (R50 000 cash + equivalent equity portfolio from EasyEquities)
2nd place: R50,000 (R25 000 cash + equivalent equity portfolio from EasyEquities)
3rd place: R25,000 (R12 500 cash + equivalent equity portfolio from EasyEquities)

Read more about our prize money here: https://otter.run/news/2025-prize-purse/

The Prologue is a short seeding race held the day before the Otter. Your time in this event determines your start position, with the fastest runners qualifying for Abengeni (and therefore prize money eligibility).

It’s a key tactical element of the race: you’ll want to push hard enough to secure a spot, but not so hard that you drain your legs before race day. PS: There are no rules about re-running the Prologue should you get knocked off the leaderboard. While the Prologue is not compulsory, you are required to run it to be eligible for prize money.

Resources

We’re here to help make your journey to the start line as smooth as possible. Below are just a few ways we can assist you. If you have additional requests, feel free to email us at raceoffice@otter.run, and we’ll do our best to help.