Against the dramatic silhouette of South Africa’s most majestic mountain range, locals Kennedy Sekhuthe and Nicolette Griffioen were crowned champions of the RMB Ultra-trail Drakensberg (RMB UTD) Miler – a 163km adventure across the wild highlands of Lesotho and the rugged spines of the Southern Drakensberg.

The UTD Miler was the first event of a weekend packed with distance options. The Miler took runners on a loop along the remote Lesotho highlands guided by Basotho shepherds on horseback, before traversing the rugged spines of the southern Drakensberg escarpment. These athletes battled isolation, altitude and challenging weather conditions before re-entering South Africa via Sani Pass at nightfall.

Sekhuthe, a police constable from Roodepoort, took an emotional win in 25 hours 8 minutes 26 seconds. Veteran miler Martin Malherbe took a close second in 25:38:58, while Nicolette Griffioen crossed the finish line in third place overall (25:56:06) to successfully defend the women’s title she won in 2024.

GCU65
The GCU65 (Giant’s Cup Ultra) was a fast-paced race that eventually saw last year’s UTD Miler men’s winner, Zimbabwean Admire Muzopambwa, win in 6:01:44. Muzopambwa approached the race strategically, pacing himself and waiting for the perfect moment to surge ahead. Mvuyisi Gcogco took a close-fought second in 6:18:27, just four minutes ahead of Kyle Bucklow. French athletes dominated the women’s race. Olivia Dubern delivered a masterclass to take the women’s title and place seventh overall (07:08:28), while Victoria Devouge took second and 11th overall (07:31:17). SA’s Ruth Cozien claimed third place.

UTD100
Thato Kabeli dominated the 100km race, leading from the start. Fellow Saffa Nicholaas Du Plessis secured second (13:45:15) while American Andre Gayraud and Germany’s Jesse Bonwitt finished together in third (13:53:47). In the women’s UTD100 category, defending champion Melissa Laing retained her title in 14:28:23.

Check out the full race results here https://app.sportraxs.com/en/event/rmb-utd-2025

Now check out the best images from UTD 2025:

READ MORE ON: RMB Ultra-trail Drakensberg Trail Races