Press release from ATRA corporate member TriSport South Africa.
Gourikwa Nature Reserve, Boggomsbaai, Vleesbaai and the St Blaize hiking trail are places your average South African would never have heard of. Conversely Mossel Bay, Garden Route and Gouritz river mouth are more likely to be places South Africans are familiar with. This year will be the 5th annual Oystercatcher Trail Run which will take place over three days. The brainchild of Hano and Sonja Otto from TriSport, who also happen to know the area rather well, the event is proving to be a favourite amongst the trailies. The Oystercatcher hiking trail takes runners along some of the most spectacular coastlines our country has to offer with a variety of wildlife to enjoy. The Oystercatcher, whom until recently was on the endangered species list, is one of the bird species runners can expect to see en route. Part of the initiative of this run is to bring awareness to the plight of the species and educate the public in order to help preserve the fragile ecosystem it inhabits.
The trail run is primarily aimed at trail runners looking for their first multi-day stage race. The distances covered are manageable and the terrain, although technical in areas, is made up mainly of single track (hiking trails) and beach running.
Day one takes the runners from Gourikwa Nature Reserve, past the towering lighthouse along the coast to the jetty at Gouritz river mouth, covering a distance of 25 km. Day two, with some more technical patches, covers a distance of 20 km with runners starting at Gouritz river mouth on the opposite bank of day 1 and ending at the Sandpiper Sports Centre in Boggomsbaai. On the final day runners will run from Dana Bay beach to the lighthouse at The Point in Mossel Bay along the cliffs of the St Blaize hiking trail, after which they will receive a well-deserved Oystercatcher finisher medal and a seafood meal from Big Blu.
This year 150 runners will enjoy the terrain over 3 days from 23rd September to 25th September.
