Our 2026 entry dates are as follows:

Phase 1 entries open on the 24th October 2025 and are available to the following three groups:

2025 Otter Participants only
Corporate Entries only
Premium Entries only

Phase 2 entries open on the 31st October 2025. They are open to all and are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

We can offer a 90% refund of your entry fee until 31 July 2026. Thereafter, we will review it on a case-by-case basis. Your refund will be processed via the same payment method you used to pay for your entry on Howler. Depending on your bank, your refund may be processed as a purchase reversal or a deposit.  

Substitutions (entry transfers) are not part of our standard policy for standard entries and are only allowed at our discretion. Premium and corporate entries allow one transfer/substitution per ticket. 

Should we accommodate substitutions, we do not allow private or direct substitutions; instead, we refund any returned entries. We then facilitate the transfer process by issuing a new entry to the substitute participant. 

Any available entries by way of substitution will be offered to those already on the waiting list, to ensure fairness to those still waiting to secure a spot.

This year’s race village is based in Storms River. If you cannot find accommodation directly in Storms River we recommend looking at Natures Valley (where the start venue is located) or Plettenberg bay, which is about a 20 minute drive away from Natures Valley.

A free shuttle service is available for all runners and is included with your entry. Please note however that this is for runners only, and does not cater to spectators.

Shuttle buses depart from Nature’s Valley from 04:45 on race day and take runners to the start line at Storms River. You can either be dropped off at the shuttle point or park and ride from there. Please refer to your final race day schedule for departure times.

There is unfortunately no return shuttle after the race from Nature’s Valley back to the start at Storms River. Should you need a shuttle back, you can arrange this directly with Jansen Travel: +27 81 775 2187.

You may arrange your own drop-off at the start (self-drive option). In this case, the driver will need to present a completed SANParks permit at the Storms River Mouth Rest Camp gate.

We’ll include all the necessary details and the downloadable permit in the final event communications.

Unfortunately, no. The Otter TERREX Trail, presented by EasyEquities, runs through restricted private and protected land, which means only our accredited team members with the necessary permits are allowed on the route. While this limits supporter access along the trail, it’s also part of what makes the Otter so unique, as runners are fully immersed in untouched wilderness, far from crowds and distractions.

We encourage all supporters to bring their gees to the Race Village and help create an unforgettable atmosphere at the finish line as runners emerge from the trail and cross that iconic covered finish!

You may be having difficulty getting access to Howler and finding your entry because you have not completed the registration process yet. 

If you can’t find the Howler confirmation email that has the link to complete the process, we can resend your confirmation email. 

Please reach out to raceoffice@otter.run for assistance.

It could be that our emails are going to your spam/junk folder. 

We can check which email address we have on record for you, and if it needs to be updated. 

Alternatively, it could be that you’ve unsubscribed from getting our emails. You can resubscribe here: [insert subscription link]

Contact raceoffice@otter.run and we can make sure you stay in the loop.

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). Important to note is that you are free to run the Prologue anytime between 10:30am and 4:30pm for the Challenge and 10:30am and 3:00pm for the Race. There is no designated start time, and it is timed mat to mat.

The Prologue is a key tactical element of the race: you’ll want to push hard enough to secure an appropriate batch, but not so hard that you drain your legs before race day. PS: there are no rules about re-running the Prologue should you not be happy with your seeding.

You can run the Prologue anytime between 10:30am and 4:30pm for the Challenge and 10:30am and 3:00pm for the Race. If you opt not to run the Prologue you will simply be seeded in the last batch, with no additional consequences. Please note however that should you opt out of the Prologue you are then not eligible for prize money or category prizes.

Both the Race and the Challenge take place on the same course, over the same week, with identical logistics, support, and structure, including a Prologue event followed by the trail marathon the following day. The key difference lies in the cut-off times and competition level. 

The Otter Race has a stricter 9-hour cut-off and offers prize money, attracting a highly competitive, elite field. The Otter Challenge, with an 11-hour cut-off, provides a more achievable yet still demanding experience for committed trail runners and weekend warriors alike.

The Otter Trail runs from Storms River to Nature’s Valley, which is also the traditional hiking direction. When we refer to the Classic direction, we mean the race that follows this original route.

In contrast, the Retto direction refers to the reverse, starting in Nature’s Valley and finishing in Storms River. Each year, we alternate directions, giving rise to what we call “the two Otters.” Interestingly, the Classic tends to produce faster times, as the technical boulder sections come early, followed by more runnable terrain toward the finish.

You can email us to apply: email raceoffice@otter.run.

Included with entry is a buffet lunch after the finish and an awards ceremony dinner (a buffet-style dinner with various meat options, salads, and other sides). Vegetarian and vegan options will be available. 

In addition, we’re hosting a pre-race burger night (optional for participants). 

Meal tickets for the pre-race burger night and for any additional friend or family members who would like to join participants at the pre-race burger night or the awards ceremony dinner will be available for purchase online via Howler (from 31 July), or at registration. 

There will be small food stalls on-site offering light meals and snacks.

Participants are responsible for arranging their own meals outside of these options. We recommend making use of nearby restaurants or self-catering where possible.

Please note that for those camping and glamping, the park does offer a shared kitchen facility with refrigeration options.