THE WILD ONES

George Mountain Ultra Trail

- ALANA MUNNIK

WHEN THE DAWN BREAKS

As the sun rose over the horizon on 18 June 2022 and the Outeniqua mountains came into view, all the dreams that race organizer Zane Schmahl had for the George Mountain Ultra Trail (MUT) came into being. The initial event, held in 2018, was a small gathering of 260 runners; but four years later, 800 runners from all over South Africa flocked to George for an event that has established itself as one of the country's most respected extreme trail races.

Schmahl knew that George needed a trail-running event, but initially was unsure what that would mean. But he knew one thing: he didn't want to create yet another Saturday fun run. Schmahl comes from a gritty adventure-racing background and wanted to distill that ethos into MUT to create a real running adventure race.

So one weekend, he and fellow runner Jacques Mouton set out on a route that they had mapped out for a potential 60km race. Coming back from that run, he knew he'd found something special. It was tougher than it looked on paper, and felt remote, even though they had always been within 5km of the city. The challenge was to finalize a route that would do the surrounding landscape justice, while still creating a unique experience for the participants.

The route he finally decided on is run around the Outeniqua range, characterized by its gentle southern slopes and its steep drops to the north into the valleys of the Little Karoo. The trail system in the area offers unfettered access to the rugged peaks that surround the route, and to the beautiful indigenous forest. Steep passes such as the old Cradock Pass mimic classic Alpine routes, and make for a great training ground for locals aspiring to participate in mountainous European events.