The Leopard Run

Eco Awareness | Sustainability | Mindfulness

“Look deep into nature,
and then you will understand
everything better.”
Albert Einstein

“In this moment, there is plenty of time.
In this moment, you are precisely as you should be.
In this moment, there is infinite possibility.”
Victoria Moran

The Leopard Run is a three day trail run through the remote Kouga Mountains in the heart of the Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve. Expect technical mountain running, hearty food sourced from the local Baviaans farms and a long weekend without the distractions of technology.

Leopard Run – Covid-19 Policy

The 2022 Leopard run event will be capped at 50 participants on site in the tented village with the option of alternative accommodation on the neighbouring guest farms to keep it Covid friendly and create a unique and boutique atmosphere.

We will offer a 95% refund on your entry up to 1 September 2022, when the final call will be made as to if the event can take place within Government regulations at that point. Please note that our normal refund policy will be in place for any other cancellation scenarios, the 95% refund will only be paid out if the event can’t be held due to Government Regulations.

We are looking forward to sharing this tranquil wilderness space with you come October.

Entries Are Open
ENTER HERE
14 - 16 October 2022
Event Date
14 - 16 October 2022

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Run the Leopard Trail; a beautiful track through the remote Kouga Mountains where the extent of your concerns with the modern world is the battery life of your GPS running watch. The three day trail run boasts a hippy vibe, with hearty South African meals prepared from locally produce setting the tone for a long weekend of eco-friendly living.

The weekend will kick off with a prologue, which can be undertaken from 8am to 4pm on the Friday. The 10 kilometre long prologue or “kloofing” route requires swimming and a scramble or two in order to reach the Cedar Falls waterfall and fill your Leopard Run bottle.

Stage 1, which takes place on the Saturday, is the big mountain day. 34 kilometres of scintillating mountain running through diverse landscapes of high passes and narrow gullies awaits the Leopard Run adventurers.

The third and final stage, on the Sunday, the flow of mountain meadows day, features a 23 kilometre long route; the option of a further kilometre of scenic detours. It provides a fitting end to the weekend’s mountain running with a mix of easily traversable and technical trails.

Come immerse yourself in the ancient landscapes and warm hospitality of the Baviaanskloof. Come run the Leopard Run and follow the spoor!

Info

Fees Venue Schedule Gear Rules Refunds Accommodation Results

All entries include the following:

3 Days of exploring the Baviaanskloof and Kouga Mountains
Friday Lunch Snack Table and Dinner
Saturday 3 x Meals
Sunday Breakfast and Lunch
(All meals responsibly sourced and prepared by the locals)
Responsible Sourced Race Apparel / Gear

Event Entry Options

Full Package Team Entry – R9750 – Team of 2 share a Luxury Safari Dome Tent with bedding, 2 x stretcher beds and 2 x Safari Chairs.
Full Package Solo Entry – R5450 – Luxury Safari Dome Tent with bedding, 1 x stretcher bed and 1 x Safari Chair.
Own Accommodation Solo Entry – R4200 – You source your own accommodation on one of the neighbouring Guest Farms.
Supporter package per person sharing with a runner – R3200. All meals and Safari Dome Tent included accommodation included.

Maps were disabled by the visitor on this site.

Friday

08:00 Registration Opens
08:00 Prologue Opens
16:00 Last Runners to leave for Prologue
18:00 Dinner
19:00 Race Briefing

Saturday

05:00 Breakfast
06:30 Start Check-In
07:00 Stage 1 Starts
13:00 Lunch
16:00 Stage 1 Cut Off
18:00 Dinner
19:00 Route Briefing
19:00 Nutrition Talk

Sunday

05:00 Breakfast
06:30 Start Check-In
07:00 Stage 2 Starts
12:00 Lunch
13:00 Prize Giving
16:00 Stage 2 Cut Off

Compulsory Gear

Because of the remoteness of the trails, they are not accessible by vehicles. Therefore, a compulsory gear list is mandatory for the participation of this event.

The trails are technical, cover high altitudes and are exposed to the elements. It can turn harsh out there, real quick.

Please study the following gear list and have it all available for registration. Weather depended gear will be made clear at registration:

GEAR	NOTES	COMPULSORY
Race Number	To always be on your outer layer visible	Yes
Own Cup	To make use of Aid Stations	Yes
Jacket	Waterproof with a hood and taped seems	Yes
Long sleeve mid layer	Dependent on weather conditions	No
Thermal Base layer	Dependent on weather conditions	No
Shoes	Trail run specific recommended	Yes
Buff or Beanie
Running Pack / Race Vest / Hip belt	Hip belt must have enough space for equipment	Yes
Hydration	Capacity of 1.5l	Yes
Food	Enough for 6 hours in the mountain and to have emergency food in tact at all times and only to be used in case of an emergency.	Yes
Space Blanket	Emergency blanket	Yes
Bandage / Strapping	Emergency bandage or strapping 50mm wide x 1m long minimum	Yes
Whistle		Yes
Tablets & Lotions	Cramp stop, anti-inflammatory, chafe cream, sunscreen	No

Items (including wrappers, empty Gell sachets etc.) cannot be discarded along the route and must be carried with you to the finish line. The event takes place in a Nature Reserve and littering will lead to disqualification.

Please take note of weather conditions on the day and dress appropriately.

Conservation / Environmental:

The event is taking place in a Nature Reserve – Normal Nature Conservation rules and regulations apply.
DO NOT LITTER – anyone observed littering will be disqualified and banned from future races.
Smoking or the lighting of fires is forbidden at all times during the race.
Washing of apparel and equipment in streams or lakes is forbidden at all times during the race.
Strictly adhere to the “leave no trace and take no souvenirs” policy.

Support / Outside Assistance:

No Support/Seconding/Outside assistance will be allowed.

This includes:

Any form of mobile support along the route, eg: pacing or muling. Carrying, pulling or pushing by other racers or members of the public is prohibited.
Not carrying on your person at all times the full set of mandatory gear. Including a 300ml reserve of water at all times.
Switching of running packs is not allowed. Start with one pack and carry it for the full duration of your race.
Race participants may take as much food and beverage as needed from the aid station provided by the organizer. Race participants will not be allowed to take any bottles, cans or cups from these areas and should plan on carrying and refilling their own hydration systems at the stations.
Participants may not make use of any motorized or wheeled vehicles during the race.
If you choose to use poles they are to be carried on you at all times from start to finish. You are not allowed to discard, stash or give to officials for keeping.
Please be conscious of those around you when using poles.

On Route:

The event takes place on very rugged, single-track hiking trails. Running on such trails comes with inherent risks that participants accept upon entering the event.
Your race number must be visible at all times on the outside of your clothing and on the front of your body. Do not cover your race number with any backpack strap or article of clothing.
Most of the course will be clearly marked (follow the marked course route) however basic trail finding skills and common sense will be required to find the route on certain sections. No taking shortcuts.
Tampering with Route Markers will lead to disqualification. Misplaced or damaged event signage must be reported to the next marshal immediately.
Yield trail by respecting other participants when passing – keep left and pass right, be aware of blind spots and slow down when you need to.
Withdrawal: Should you need to drop out of the race, inform the nearest race official. If you leave the course and fail to notify race officials, you will be banned from participating in the future (unless assisted from the course by First Aid crews).
The organisers reserve the rights to change the routing and format at any time during the event.

Compulsory Equipment:

Participants are to have their mandatory equipment with them at all times during the race.
There may be an equipment check; prior to the start, during the race or at the finish line. It is the participant’s responsibility to display all the items in order to pass the equipment check.
Any participant failing to display the mandatory gear will not be able to proceed until they arrange for the missing item to be replaced. For the sake of fairness to other runners, there will also be a penalty ranging from a time penalty to disqualification based on the severity of the breach.
Headphones are not permitted. Full awareness of one’s surroundings and the ability to communicate with other participants, race officials/volunteers is critical to everyone’s safety.

General:

The use of band performance Enhancing Substances is not permitted during this event. Event organisers reserve the right to test participants for Banned Substances. Participants failing to provide a sample on request will be disqualified from the event.
Racers wishing to make a protest must notify a race organiser within 60 minutes of finishing the race. Protests will be considered by a three-person committee consisting of the race director and two race organisers. Decisions of the committee are final.
Bad sportsmanship and abuse towards officials can lead to disqualification. As participants please show your appreciation for their efforts to help you finish the race by thanking and giving a smile to our volunteers.

Weather:

The event will take place irrespective of weather conditions unless intervened by Disaster Management.
The event organisers reserve the right to cancel the race at any time and the race can be cancelled due to any circumstances. Serious considerations will be taken before this happens and the decision will not be taken lightly.

Lost and Found:

Any personal items left after the race will be donated to a charity or to other local runners in need. We will not ship items to you.

Covid-19 Protocol:

We will offer a 95% refund on your entry up to 1 September 2022, when the final call will be made as to if the event can take place within Government regulations at that point. Please note that our normal refund policy will be in place for any other cancellation scenarios, the 95% refund will only be paid out if the event can’t be held due to Government Regulations.

Refund procedure:

All refund requests must be made in writing via email. The date the email was sent will determine the refund amount.

team@ecobound.co.za

Please see below refund scale:

50% refund if refund requests are emailed before 1 July
No refunds will be given after 1 August
Replacements will be allowed up to 1 September but the runner will be responsible to collect the refund from the replacement runner.
No credit towards another event will be given

Cancelling the Event:

We (the event organisers) reserve the right to cancel the race at any time and the race can be cancelled due to any circumstances. Serious considerations will be taken before this happens as the decision will not be taken lightly. If the event is cancelled, no refund will be made.

If you choose not to stay in the Tented Village you are welcome to go to one of the following websites to seek accommodation from the very well catered neighbouring farms:

Route

Prologue Stage 1 Stage 2

Prologue

Kloofing

10km with 450m of climbing

An entertaining introduction to the spirit and trails of the Leopard Run, the Prologue can be undertaken at your leisure on the Friday. The route starts with a gradual ascent from the race village towards the kloof and the waterfall with gives the Cedar Falls farm its name. Once in the kloof don’t be too concerned about keeping your feet dry as you criss-cross the river, you’ll be swimming soon. Filling the Leopard Run bottle, which you will be given without a lid at registration will require you swimming and scrambling to the Cedar Falls waterfall. There you’ll find not only the best, crystal clear, mountain water you are ever likely to encounter but also the lid to seal your bottle. Bring it back full to prove you completed the Leopard Run Prologue.

Stage 1

Big Mountain Day

34km with 1 200m of climbing

The Leopard Run’s big mountain day, on the Saturday, features 1 200 metres of climbing in 34 kilometres of technical trail running. The climbing beings from the off, with a 250 meter gain in elevation in just over 5 kilometres. This big climb takes runners to the top of the first of three saddles, each of which requires descending into a valley before trekking back uphill. After 10 kilometres of ascending and descending the route reaches a scenic kloof lined by dramatic sand stone walls, complete with aloes and other succulents growing precariously from its ledges. 15 relatively easy running kilometres take trail runners down one kloof, past the stage’s only water point at the 20 kilometre mark, and up another. After 25 kilometres on the trails the climbing begins once more in earnest. The switch back ascent of a scree slope is the steepest climb of the Leopard Run, but rewards with spectacular views over the greater Baviaanskloof region from its summit. From there the route trends downhill to the finish, at Cedar Falls, with two more saddles providing the day’s final challenges.

Stage 2

Mountain Meadows

23km with 700m of climbing

The closing day of the Leopard Run, on the Sunday, includes a manageable 700 metres of climbing in the 23 kilometre distance. It starts with a climb from Cedar Falls to a broad and fertile mountain meadow, where the most easily runnable kilometres of the race await. Trail runners should keep their eyes peeled for wild horses and donkeys as well as other more subtle signs of the farming activities which once took place in the Baviaanskloof’s mountains. Near the 5 kilometre mark the first of two optional detours provides the chance to explore a hidden valley and visit Gabriel’s Pools, while later in the day there is a detour up a lush kloof to Cedar Views. After the stage’s water point, at the 9 kilometre mark, the route begins to ascend in a wide loop through the mountains back towards Cedar Falls. The smooth trails of the meadow give way to technical mountain tracks once more and views abound – across the folds of the Kouga Mountains. At the 13 and 18 kilometre marks the opportunity arises to refill your bottles from crisp mountain streams before taking on the final few climbs towards the finish. The last major summit is reached 4 kilometres from home and from there it is largely downhill; with the only section of jeep track in the race, in closing kilometre providing the opportunity for reflection of the trail running journey which is the Leopard Run.