A Hat Trick and a First to Four on the Line as Reilly and McCann Top Prologue Times

3 October 2025, Nature’s Valley, South Africa – The Grail of Trail promises to live up to its name on Saturday 4 October, as record holders and past winners return to race to prove themselves against the terrain and competition.

The Race by the Otter TERREX Trail, presented by EasyEquities is a celebration of fiercely competitive racing over exceptionally diverse terrain. The Classic Race – following the hiking trail from Storms River to Nature’s Valley – delivers a front-loaded course with 5 kilometres of technical boulders and rocky terrain as the introduction to the 42 kilometre race. Historically, the event has been won in the last 10 kilometres, as the course opens up to terrain where it is easier to drop the hammer.

*Robbie Simpson runs through the river crossing during Prologue. Image by Mentz Germishuis*

A decade ago, the men’s record for the Classic course was set by Swiss athlete Marc Lauenstein, notably the only athlete to ever run under 4 hours in the history of the event, completing the 42 kilometre trail in 03:59:29.

The following year, Lauenstein won the Retto – the reverse course, run from Nature’s Valley to Storms River – marking him as the first international athlete to win back-to-back Otters. Scotsman Robbie Simpson joined the ranks in 2024 and could be the first overall to take the honours of winning three Otter races in a row.

*Kane Reilly runs through the Tsitsikamma forest during the Race Prologue. Image by Mentz Germishuis*

Local athlete Kane Reilly returns to race his 13th Otter. While he has come second 5 times, the top step of the podium has eluded him. He remains competitive at heart, but the community and family has captured his attention more than ever. As a father of two, Reilly said: “Otter has always been about connection and people, and the last three years have really become about my family. Getting to see my wife race and my kids experience this with me is really special.”

A Race for the Record Could Be on the Cards

Many eyes will be on the women’s race as local athlete Bianca Tarboton, current Classic record holder, also stands to complete the hat-trick of wins, which would make her the most decorated Otter winner if she takes the top step of the podium. Her approach to the race is to avoid an early surge, and maintain her energy for a strong second half, saying: “I actually quite enjoy watching people run past me, I think to myself “I’ll see ya later!” Obviously, you don’t want to get too left behind, but you don’t want to be stupid about it too.”

*Bianca Tarboton through the water during the Race Prologue. Image by Mentz Germishuis*

This is the first year that both Otter and Retto record holders are racing against one another, with Toni McCann stepping up to the startline for the first time since 2022.

McCann – hailing from KwaZulu Natal and now based in Chamonix, France – is coming off a heart-breaking end to her previous race, where she withdrew after a bad fall threatened worsening an possible injury to her knee. She is excited to race, saying “I’m just really happy to be back here, I needed a race for my soul, to reconnect with why I love this sport.”

*Toni McCann through the Tsitsikamma Forest during the Race Prologue. Image by Mentz Germishuis*

A Shifting Energy, as the Racing Ramps up

The relaxed atmosphere of the Race Village was exchanged as the baton was passed from the Challenge’s fun-filled racing experience to the traditionally more competitive, highly anticipated Race.

The Prologue is the qualifying event before the race, a time trial used to establish the starting batches. It’s well known that the Prologue is the dress rehearsal rather than the main event, and it can be a game of strategy, as burning too much energy can be to the detriment of the race.

As the Prologue got underway at 10h00 on Friday 3 October, the Vasselot Race Village became more tense and as athletes donned their Prologue race bibs, many wore nerves just as openly. Eyes were on the Prologue leaderboard throughout the day, with athletes prepared to size up a second run if their times fell short of the desired batch.

The Test of Speed Before the Race

Reilly’s Prologue time of 00:20:14 set him up as the fastest on the day, and Simpson’s time of 00:20:36 – the second fastest – was set twenty minutes earlier than Reilly. Jacques Buys, third place in 2024’s Otter Race, sets his eyes on cracking a chance at another Otter podium, completing his Prologue in 00:21:03.

McCann’s blistering Prologue time of 00:22:10 took her to the top ten overall. Also lighting up the trails, Tarboton set a time of 00:23:34. Both started their Prologue within 30 minutes of the proverbial doors opening, giving ample time to rest before the race.

Rebecca Watney, the runner up in 2024’s Race, was the third fastest over the 4.5 kilometer time trial in 00:25:20. She’ll be seeking a back-to-back podium.

*Pete Calitz running through the Tsitiskamma forest. Image by Caleb Bjergfelt*

Sporting Legends to Keep an Eye on

Otter familiars will be pleased to see the return of Johardt van Heerden after two years off racing owing to health concerns. A triple winner and the closest a South African has come to getting under the elusive 4-hour mark, van Heerden will start in the elite Abangeni batch, the top 24 men and 16 women.

Olympian athlete Robyn De Groot will join van Heerden in the Abangeni as she races her debut Otter. As a retired professional mountain bike rider, De Groot has a wealth of sporting experience including top finishes at the Absa Cape Epic, Swiss Epic, and UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships. While she might not have experience racing the course, she’s not one to rule out for a potential podium.

Easing the Nerves, the Dassie Set Off With High Excitement

At 16h00, a shorter race took place, tucked away in the Tsitsikamma forest. Known as “Otter’s little brother”, the Dassie allows younger athletes and family members to experience the revelries of racing at an Otter event, while still supporting those undertaking the 42 kilometre Otter Trail. The 8km loop starts at the service gate of De Vasselot and gains 200 metres of vertical elevation, finishing in the heart of the Race Village.

*Otter’s Dassie race start line. Image by Mentz Germishuis*

The 17th edition of the Otter TERREX Trail, presented by EasyEquities gets underway at 06h30 on Saturday 4 October with the winners expected to cross the finish line at De Vasselot, Nature’s Valley from 10h30.

2025 Race Prologue Results

Men

1. Kane Reilly (00:20:14)

2. Robbie Simpson (00:20:36)

3. Jacques Buys (00:21:03)

Women:

1. Toni McCann (00:22:10)

2. Bianca Tarboton (00:23:34)

3. Rebecca Watney (00:25:20)

For more results, please visit www.otter.run. For any media-related queries, please email Kendra@faces.africa.