by Iain Morshead – Otter finisher: 5h43min
In more than 20 years of running, I have actively sought out and participated in the best events on offer.
Mount-aux-Sources, Rhodes, Sani Pass, Harrismith mountain race, Isandlwana, Bay to Bay, Donkey’s Pass, Red Hill, Two Oceans, Comrades, Om-die-Dam, Loskop, Soweto, Duzi, Fish, Iron Man, Kruger Park, Sabie Forest…..these are just a few of the organised events to which I can add many delightful training runs through the most picturesque and interesting places. I’ve even run trails over the mild undulations in the Western Cape that the locals refer to as mountains.
Lots of awesome memories but I remain convinced that for me and I guess many others, the Otter will prove to be the pinnacle of the active lifestyle that we all enjoy so much.
The pristine environment was matched stride for stride by your team who turned the event into a wonderful and most enjoyable occasion.
The Otter Trail is a yardstick, a common unit of measure between trail runners and those 1000’s of people who have walked the trail. I have never experienced such interest in an event from non- runners, few of whom (if any) have or will ever walk a 21km, marathon or Ultra and therefore have no understanding of what they entail, but the Otter is different, they have suffered and slogged over exactly the same terrain and can therefore have a very real appreciation for what is involved. The joke is that my running mates can’t believe that I took so long while on the other hand, my hiking mates don’t believe that such a time is possible.
