#grailoftrail

[jacquesmarais]

#RETTO2020 CHALLENGE Year #12 .. that is just about a lifetime of photographing the @otterafricantrailrun. Yet, every edition offers an incredible new - and very different - adventure. By now, I remember specific rocks along the way, and sometimes even stop to have a chat with a few of my favourite @sanparks #gardenroute trees ... . . That is the thing about #OTTER: it is a true wilderness marathon, and you literally traverse the edge of one of the most pristine marine protected areas in all of Africa. Inland, fecund riparian forests blanket the ridges, with views from the trail on par with anywhere else on the planet. . . Today saw the #OTTERChallenge field face off against #Bloukrans, which - despite the odd surge and wave - seemed in a rather good mood. In so many ways this is a trail that should not be raced, but rather experienced while you reconnect with nature ... this is where you will discover where the true stoke of the #grailoftrail lies rooted 🍃💙🌊 . . #ottertrailrun #trailrunning #Wesgro #gardenroute #nationalparks #guenergy #sonyalpha #sonyafrica #sony // All images shot on @sonyalphasa #A7riii . . A huge thank you to old friend @tonykinahan for putting us up at the brilliant @plettbeaconhouse. It really is like a home from home 🙏😊 (at Plett Beacon House) https://www.instagram.com/p/CG8J4w6Jsbt/?igshid=15asa3yza46pn

[therovingrunner]

#40 #52Weeks52Peaks Hangklip This slab of rock near Pringle Bay was a landmark with some significance for me as a kid growing up! It not only is a landmark signaling the eastern tip of False Bay, but it was our destination of choice outside Struisbaai & yellowtail fishing, where my dad taught his 3 sons the finer arts of geelbek (cape salmon) & kabeljou (cob) fishing at night with his best mate oom Bokka & cray fishing between the bamboes/kelp. So today I decided to grab a few friends and take in the view from “the Rock” from another angle, and what a pleasant surprise running the little trail network inside the Rooiels Conservancy. Last short & easy run before Otter with Tienie (who runs the Otter Challenge on Thursday), his wife Lirina, Maya the not so 🐝, and Will_i_am, my usual training partner on sabbatical 🙈 Next week this time, I’ll be on the #GrailOfTrail #AltraRunning #TailwindNutrition #UltimateDirection #SquirrelsNutButter #SquirrelsWhoTrail 🐿🥜 #Suunto9 #30southsunglasses https://www.instagram.com/p/B3PLSLUpoFt/?igshid=z2m3bdqpqnxd

[jacquesmarais]

This is Sunny. He is a German shepherd and anyone who has been to Point in #Jbay will recognize him right away. Sunny belongs to Oom Robbie, one of the old guard surfers here, and she loyally stands guard on a shallow reef, all the while waiting for her master to finish his dawn surf session. Our trip to #Jbay was all about #FamilyStoke,and there is nothing quite like it. We swapped the rugged mountains of #baviaanskloof for the @kougamunicipality coast, where a booming swell was predicted to roll in (this, according to @robert.marais & his plethora of #surf prediction Apps). And boy, was this surfer boy right! Points. Shallow reefs. Banks. Beach breaks. Wedges ... we surfed them all. The #Jbay breaks worked six days out of seven, with The Robster styling Supers and Tubes (both a bit beyond my personal pay grade). The cherry on top was a gut-thumping final morning of 6ft walls on the Kitchen Windows backline, with only me and @hilanamarais out on #dawnpatrol. Connecting with my parents and siblings, and a whole bunch of old (and new) friends was an added bonus. Because, in the end, it really is all about reconnecting with your tribe 🙏😊 Now it is homeward bound for two days before returning to the #gardenroute to shoot @otterafricantrailrun with the @magneticsouth_events crew. So pleased that this premier #trailrun is back on the calendar (because trail-runners are family, too, my Bru)! #KougaTourism #Kouga #surf #ottertrailrun #magneticsouth #grailoftrail (at Starfishsurfhouse, Jeffreys bay, South Africa.) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGxN_s1pD_D/?igshid=19d2xpjxzd8i4

[jacquesmarais]

This was the year of #Bloukrans... In my 11x years of shooting the #otterafricantrailrun, I've never been subjected to such a brutal and massive tidal surge, and at times during my hour in the river, all you could do was to surrender to the elemental forces of nature. Kudos to each and every runner who took on the @otterafricantrailrun #challenge yesterday - you are all true #trail heroes 😲😬🙌🏻 As always, this epic #marathon #trailrun absolutely pulsed with emotions ... It is no wonder runners from all over the world come here every year to test their mettle in one of the wildest and most beautiful #outdoor playgrounds on #PlanetEarth. And once again, the kickass @magneticsouth_events crew pulled off a truly world-class event - incredible respect especially to the #riversafety team at #Bloukrans! 🙌🏻👌 Next up is the #race edition, and even though the swell levels are dropping, I can guarantee that the stoke level will be sky-high tomorrow. Bring it on! 🙌🏻 💚🙏💙 #ottertrailrun #trailrunning #salomonrunning #grailoftrail #gardenroute #nationalparks #guenergy #Miwater #sonyalpha #sonyafrica #sony // All images shot on @sonyalphasa #A7riii 🙌 (at Nature's Valley, South Africa) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3d_QabJ-jD/?igshid=qt7gpe70lcp5

[jacquesmarais]

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A post shared by Jacques Marais (@jacqmaraisphoto)

#TheYearOfBloukrans In more than a decade of experiencing the tempestuous moods of the #otterafricantrailrun, I've never been subjected to such a brutal and massive tidal surge. On Thursday - while navigating this treacherous crossing during the @otterafricantrailrun #Challenge Shoot - all one could do was to surrender to the elemental forces of nature. This #MovingImage may give those of you who did not face #Bloukrans an inkling of the #fearfactor at play on the day. Kudos to each and every runner who took on #Otter2019 2019 African Trail Run - you are all true #trail heroes 😲😬🙌🏻 It is no wonder runners from all over the world come here every year to test their mettle in one of the wildest and most beautiful playgrounds on #PlanetEarth. Once again, the kickass @magneticsouth_events crew pulled off a truly world-class event. incredible respect especially to the @canyon.adventures_wilderness #riversafety team at #Bloukrans! 🙌🏻👌🙏 #ottertrailrun #trailrunning #grailoftrail #gardenroute #nationalparks #guenergy #magneticsouth #Miwater #sonyalpha #sonyafrica #sony // All images shot on @sonyalphasa #A7riii 🙌 (at Otter African Trail Run) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3ogQeVpFmA/?igshid=pisprcyeisl5

[jacquesmarais]

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A post shared by Jacques Marais (@jacqmaraisphoto)

Emotions ... The Victors & the Vanquished. Triumph and Tragedy. Elation & Exhaustion. Competition & Camaraderie ... Legends and myths unfold every year along the tempestuous #gardenroute coastline during the running of the exhilarating @otterafricantrailrun ... This year will be no different, and I'm as nervous as the first time I shot this amazing #trailrun more than a decade ago! 🌊⛰️🌲🍃 As always, I cannot wait to be part of the kickass crew put together by @magneticsouth_events, a truly world-class event organization. And kudos to each and every athlete lining up to take on this epic #trail challenge. Bring it on. #Bloukrans is waiting! 🙌🏻 💚🙏💙 #ottertrailrun #trailrunning #salomonrunning #salomonsa #grailoftrail #gardenroute #nationalparks #goldentrailseries #guenergy #LiveU #sonyalpha #sonyafrica #sony // All images shot on @sonyalphasa #A7riii 🙌 (at Otter African Trail Run) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3ZUmdnpVga/?igshid=f5wvt5gu0k5

[therovingrunner]

Still not quite getting to grips with what went down yesterday at the #GrailOfTrail. Running a Sub-6 Otter & getting that blue medal has been a dream the past 2 years, and as many can testify, if things go pear shaped on the trail, the Otter devours you! I went into yesterday’s run probably the most underprepared of any other attempt! After the crash end of May, I have not run more than 21km or 3 hours at a time without feeling any back pain! Yesterday I left a piece of my soul behind on the rocks between Ngubu & Stormsriver, but found a mental headspace I lost 2 years ago after the 1st back injury! Things went pretty according to plan, sneaking in the prescribed time checks at each CP, but then the wheels came off between Scott & Ngubu, and the 5 minutes I had in the bank turned into a 10 minute loss! 45min to cover 4.8km of the most technical terrain on the trail! I was about to give up, and just death march it in, but as soon as I hit those rocks a 2nd/3rd & even 4th wind kicked in! I snuck home in 5:57:01, looked up to see my wife Karien in tears, and great friends & family in the stands looking even more relieved than I was (they probably remember my foul mood after 2017’s Otter)! A huge thank you has to go out to the organizers for delivering once again a great event! Mark, John, Christine, Belen & Matty, you guys deserve all the accolades coming your way! To the sponsors that backed me and continue to support this passion of mine, I could not have done it without you! The guys from #AltraRunning & #UltimateDirection for the brilliant gear. Grant & Mel Markey from #TailwindNutrition SA, your support & friendship means the world to me! Kate Frost from #Racefood (damn that last little #FARbar went down without even being chewed)! There are so many friends who send messages of support, or who was out there supporting on the day, I can’t mention you all, but you all played a roll, and I’ll thank you personally over a cold 1 sooner rather than later! What’s next! Well, we’re going back to the #OtterAfricanTrailRun 1 final (5th) time in 2019 for one last dance on the greatest stage of them all! 📸 3/6 Jeff Ayliffe, 4 Alfred Thorpe & 5 Peter Kirk https://www.instagram.com/p/BpNbxQcng7F/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=xiwndm7ir7au

[jacquesmarais]

The @salomon_sa @otterafricantrailrun. It's unforgiving. It's in your face. It's the undisputed #grailoftrail, and this year, it kicks up another level as the final event in the #goldentrailseries. This is as close to a world-championship #trailrun as one can get, with our local #SA trail heroes being joined on this gruelling but beautiful marathon-distance route by the world's top off-road endurance runners. Names like @kilianjornet, Marc Lauenstein, @ruthcrofty, @sagecanaday, @lauraorgue, @idanilssi & @stianangermundvik will make for a mouth-watering contest, especially when pitched against our own @christiaangrey, @megmackenzie1, @robynkime and @kanereilly1. There's only one guarantee, and that is that there's no guarantee who will walk away victorious at #retto2018. Let's just say it's #TimeToPlay 🙌 #salomonsa #salomonrunning #salomon #guenergy #ottertrailrun #otter2018 #magneticsouth #gardenrouteNP #sony #sonyalpha #SonyZA #sonyalphaSA #sonyxperiaza #sonyxperia (at Nature's Valley, South Africa) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpIZWywFDlN/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1nwdea3tbwkfd

[therovingrunner]

Busy packing & getting my choice of weaponry ready 2 tackle the #GrailOfTrail on Saturday during the #OtterTrailRun & #Salomon’s #GoldenTrailSeries Final. #AltraRunning #KingMT 1.5’s #ZeroLimits #UDhydrates #SelfPropelled #TailwindNutrion #GoTailwind #AllYouNeedAllDayReally #Rebuild #Racefood #FARbar #ApplePearCinnamon #Injinji #ToeSocksOrNoSocks #Suunto #Suunto9 #Road2Retto #Otter2018 https://www.instagram.com/p/BpAWbgTncub/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1xhxfdkl81rcy

[therovingrunner]

Basically sums up my #Otter tale! If you want to tackle the #GrailOfTrail and not get eaten alive, #HTFU! Things didn’t go my way yesterday, but still managed a PB! Disappointed, but happy to be able to #RUN this amazing trail injury free again! Will be back stronger, leaner & meaner come the #OtterClassic 2019! 📸 @andrewkingphoto

[jacquesmarais]

Mountains and Oceans. We have a lot of those here on the #capepeninsula, and I ended up spending most of my weekend in one or on the other. Three #surf sessions and a 2hr mountain #trailrun, to be specific (the latter because in a few days, it's @otterafricantrailrun, and I need to get my ass in gear) 😬 Best thing about this #outdoor life is that I get to do it with my kids (and wife and mates, of course), and see the pleasure the young guns get from their first #barrel, or the confidence with which they attack the back line break. Next week it will be the #grailoftrail in the #gardenroute NP - going to be great to get to test the #pentaxk1, #tomtombandit and #xzpremium on one of the most scenic sections of #trail in the world 🙌 (at Otter African Trail Run)

[jacquesmarais]

Into the final mind and body #taper for the @otterafricantrailrun, happening in the @gardenroute NP this coming week. So chuffed to be shooting #grailoftrail once again with @magneticsouth_events, and all those legendary #trailrunning heroes who'll be burning up this epic #trail. Can't wait to see you on the rock ledges, in the fantastic forests, and at the infamous #bloukrans crossing 🙌 #OtterTrailRun #salomonsa #guenergy #tomtomsports #trailrun #getgoing (at Garden Route National Park)

[jacquesmarais]

The @salomon_sa @otterafricantrailrun. It's unforgiving. It's in your face. It's the undisputed #grailoftrail, and this year, it kicks up another level as the final event in the #goldentrailseries. This is as close to a world-championship #trailrun as one can get, with our local #SA trail heroes being joined on this gruelling but beautiful marathon-distance route by the world's top off-road endurance runners. Names like @kilianjornet, Marc Lauenstein, @ruthcrofty, @sagecanaday, @lauraorgue, @idanilssi & @stianangermundvik will make for a mouth-watering contest, especially when pitched against our own @christiaangrey, @megmackenzie1, @robynkime and @kanereilly1. There's only one guarantee, and that is that there's no guarantee who will walk away victorious at #retto2018. Let's just say it's #TimeToPlay 🙌 #salomonsa #salomonrunning #salomon #guenergy #ottertrailrun #otter2018 #magneticsouth #gardenrouteNP #sony #sonyalpha #SonyZA #sonyalphaSA #sonyxperiaza #sonyxperia (at Garden Route National Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpCIkYbFR0J/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=18dkofyo9m3b1