My Return to the Otter African Trail Marathon 2025

By Petr Vesely

There are trails that call you back, year after year. For me, that trail is the Otter, winding through Tsitsikamma’s indigenous forests where mountains meet the wild Indian Ocean.

Earlier this month, I returned for my fifth pilgrimage to this trail runner’s sacred ground after three years away. Three years of healing – from knee surgery after skiing, a broken collar bone, cracked ribs from mountain biking mishaps. This time wasn’t about chasing my 06:17 personal best from seven years ago. At nearly 50 its all about enjoying the journey.

On the plane from OR to PE I try to guess which of the passengers are also heading for Otter. Trail runners are usually quite recognizable. It’s a different breed, built not for power but for persistence, with that distinct lean frame that speaks of hours spent moving through mountains.

The Otter Run remains the gold standard of trail organization. From the moment you arrive in Nature’s Valley, everything flows seamlessly – parking, registration, accommodation, race briefing, transport. Plus the electric atmosphere of runners excited about the adventure ahead of them.

Friday’s prologue – a sharp 5km taste of what’s to come – served as my reality check. I took it easy, enjoying the steep climb, cautious on the descent, finishing squarely in the middle of the pack. Exactly where I belonged.

That evening, packing my kit, I followed the trail runner’s cardinal rule: don’t experiment on the race day. My On shoes (faithful companions since their first Cloudsurfer in 2011), Patagonia gear, Salomon pack, and most importantly – Matomani endurance bars. Not because my wife Wendy if CEO and founded of the company, but because after years of experimentation, I’ve found nothing else works better for my gut during long efforts.

The formula is simple: #1 Energize bar before the start, #2 Endure and Original Energy bars during the race, #3 Recover at the finish. It’s the same combination that carried me through last year’s Skyrun. Simple ingredients, subtle flavors that don’t overwhelm, highly functional for each stage of the race.

Race morning wake up at 4:30 AM catch the shuttle to Storms Rive at 5. The chilly air, the dolphins surfing in the dawn waves – nature’s blessing for the day ahead. The “Abangeni” elite runners disappear up the trail first. I wait another 30 minutes before my group is sent off. I’ve always preferred the Classic direction to Retto – better to tackle the technical boulder hopping with fresh legs than when exhausted near the end. The first half felt glorious, running every ascent. Awaiting when I hit the wall. It always happens, usually 2/3 into the race. This time it came halfway due to a beginner’s mistake I made. My Camelback hose connection has been worn out for a while and I have been postponing the replacement. Of course, it gave up on me on the race day; constantly disconnecting. Each sip required stopping and reconnecting. Unconsciously, I drank less. By Munchie Point, the tingling in my arms signaled the dehydration. For next  ten kilometers, I increase the Endure bar intake to every 30 minutes, stop frequently to hydrate, taking it really easy, making sure I don’t misstep on this extremely technical terrain.

The Bloukrans River crossing provided the day’s exclamation point – the highest tide I’ve experienced in five Otters, waves crashing over us, turning a simple crossing into an adventure. Hard, yes, but magnificently so.

The final stretch through the forest felt like a slow, steady return to myself. Crossing the finish line brought that unique mix of exhaustion and elation that only trail runners understand. I reached for my #3 Regenerate bar, the perfect reward to a race that really pushed my limits again.

Sitting in the refreshment tent with a cold beer, that familiar post-race thought surfaced: “I’m getting too old for this.” But an hour later, showered and massaged, the struggle had already transformed into memory. The sign-up for 2026 Otter opens in a few weeks. I’ll for sure be there, putting my name on the list!

Otter African Trail Marathon took place on 4th October 2025

Tags: 

#otter #otterrun #otterafricantrail #thegrailoftrail #Matomani #Innonative #AfricanInnonative #MadeInAfrica #MopaniHarvest #IndigenousKnowledge #PlanetPureProtein #SustainableNutrition #EconomicEmpowerment #FoodInnovation #african dietician, african food, african health, african nutrition, amacimbi, healthy african food, healthy habits, heritage foods, mopani, sustainable, insect nutrition, eating insects, entomophagy, edible insects, climate change,

References

https://matomani.com/products/https://matomani.com/products/