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The Old Mutual Wild Series Three Cranes Challenge – the first event in the series, will kick off in a spectacular fashion in February 2018.

This is also the first event in the calendar for those wanting to complete the ‘Grand Slam,’ the conquering of all 3 trail events in the series.

The three-day trail run is held in and around the beautiful Karkloof Nature Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal and has become a sought-after experience. The route includes off-road tracks through forests and grasslands, paths through misty forests and magnificent views across the Gilboa escarpment.

The field is limited to 300 runners with registration on Thursday, February 22, a 32km opening stage the next day followed by 42km on Saturday and another 25km on Sunday.

The funds raised through this event go towards the conservation efforts of the Karkloof Conservancy. The focus of the work is centred around the conservation of the critically endangered Cranes (Wattled, Blue and Grey Crowned Cranes) which is a flagship species for South Africa.

Race Organiser, Andrew Booth says, “Every avid trail runner must have this event on their bucket list as it tests even the toughest of athletes. The course will have a few tweaks and it is not to be taken lightly. Exciting aspects of the race include two slides of the Karkloof Canopy tour on Day 1 and a “time-out” zone at the beautiful Benvie Gardens, where runners will have the chance to go off the clock and take in the scenery for a while.”

The event race village is hosted at the Bushwillow Camp, in the Karkloof Valley. Each participant will be accommodated in his or her own tent for the duration of the challenge. Besides hot showers, clean ablutions and a great atmosphere, full catering will be available to all participants for the duration of the challenge. This will include a 24-hour snack and coffee bar.

A main aim of the Old Mutual Wild Series is to raise funds for Wildlands and its local partners (in this case the Karkloof Conservancy) to support their conservation efforts, as well as expose entrants to some of South Africa’s most spectacular landscapes.

For more information visit www.wildseries.co.za or email NoluthandoM@wildlands.co.za.

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