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LIMITED ENTRIES ARE NOW OPEN!
Hi {name}!
Summer has arrived in the Southern Drakensberg, and as the hills and farmlands start to green up again, we can now open entries for the 2022 Euro Steel Run The Rivers on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 January 2022!
We have a cap of 500 entrants in total for both the long and short runs, and we have already allocated entries to those that carried over their entries for the cancelled 2021 event.
The moral of the story is simple. Enter NOW to avoid getting the news that we are sold out for 2022.
Enter NOW!
Got any questions?
We are here to answer all your questions! Click on the this button to send us an email and we will get back to you
Send an email
In the meantime our trails team is working at fine tuning the routes to make sure this will be an unforgettable Euro Steel Run The Rivers!
The Sani Spoors Team
Hi {name}!
The Spoors Team has completed the preparation for what is surely one of SA’s most spectacular MTB and Trail Run races. The single tracks are sure to challenge and thrill the most widely travelled cyclist and runner while the distances of the days are not huge and the single track will traverse terrain that is spectacular and challenging! You are guaranteed to feel a sense of accomplishment when you reach the finish!
The Euro Steel Drak Descent and Run the Rivers are fully subscribed and entries are now closed.
SPONSORS:
Euro Steel
Our principal sponsors, Euro Steel have been absolutely amazing once again in their support of this event and thus mountain biking and trail running in general in our area. We as the Sani Spoors team and the Euro Steel organising committee would really like again to thank Colin and David Wilson and their team for assisting us in making this event a possibility.
First National Bank
We are pleased to have FNB on board once again as a sponsor for 2022 and we hope we can continue the partnership into the future as they have contributed so much to various Charities and organisations in our area.
To all our other sponsors, we would like to thank the following:
- Case Construction
- Tip Top Dairies
- Underberg Superspar
- Tiger Wheel and Tyre
- Pyga
- TWK
- Dairy Maid
- Aquellé
- Nu-Eco
Some important news regarding the 2022 Euro Steel Run the Rivers
Race Information
Registration for the Run:
Friday 28 January
12:00 – 20:00
The Olde Duck
This will be followed by a meet and greet with local landowners and Sponsors at the Olde Duck.
Feed stalls and bar facilities will be available from 18:00.
Emergency Registration: – if you REALLY could not make it to normal registration!!
Saturday 29 January
05:30 – Swartberg Bridge (at the R617/Drakensberg Gardens Road turn off intersection)
Run the Rivers Trail and Lite Runs:
Day 1 – Start @ 06:00
Saturday 29 January
Swartberg Bridge (at the R617/Drakensberg Gardens Road turn off intersection)
Day 1 Finish
Swartberg Bridge (at the R617/Drakensberg Gardens Road turn off intersection)
Day 2 – Start @ 07:00 (and Finish)
Sunday 30 January
Swartberg Bridge (at the R617/Drakensberg Gardens Road turn off intersection)
Co-ordinates:
Swartberg Bridge - 29°46’30.35”S 29°27’40.18”E
The Olde Duck -29°45’56.35”S 29°27’40.18”E
Please note that our sweeps are familiar with the course and the physical demands required, they have our full support to arrange for competitors, that they know are not going to complete the event or may be putting themselves at risk from a health perspective, be removed at various other selected cut off points along the route.
GPS Files and Limited Route marking :
These route files and final distances will be distributed early next week. Please note some distances may vary slightly from originally advertised due to route adjustments resulting from the huge amount of rain we have been receiving.
Friday 28th January – 6.00pm: “Meet the Sponsors” and Landowners Evening
“Meet the Sponsors and Landowners” evening will be held at The Olde Duck on Friday 28th January at around 6.00pm. It is hoped that after Registration, which is at the same venue, riders and runners will stay and mingle with our sponsors, landowners and other riders and runners and enjoy a few drinks and food that will be for sale.
Late Substitutions
Substitutions after the 24th will cost R300.
Medical and Safety
Underberg Medical Emergency Services under Doctor Grant Lindsay will be handling any medical issues.
ICE arm bands with contact telephone numbers will be issued to all competitors at registration.
Prizes and Prize Sponsors
Sani Spoors is sponsoring product prizes at the end of day two to the top three men and women in both the Trail Runs.
Water Tables
We will have one water table on day 1 and 2 for the trail run, as well as the river along a large portion of the route. This is a lot for the distances but once again we must stress it is a challenging route.
We do warn that we have in the past experienced days of extreme heat and request that runners take their own liquid and not to rely solely on the water tables.
The river is also a real option for filling up water bottles if desperate, and a real way to cool down if you feel you are overheating. (Just watch out for canoeists who definitely have the right of way in the river)
Alien Plants
The Sani Spoors team would like to thank all competitors who have made a contribution towards eradicating alien plants along the route. We would also like to thank Mike Streatfield at Farmers Agricare for the chemicals he has donated
URGENT APPEAL
The Euro Steel organising committee would like to appeal to all riders / runners to refrain from riding or running on any of the route other than the tracks forming part of Sani Spoors.
We have got permission from landowners along the route to use the tracks on the race days only and persons using the tracks illegally are putting the whole race in jeopardy.
Saturday Night Entertainment
The Olde Duck will be having live music and food for sale on Saturday evening. Entrance for participants who can present their race bangle will be allowed free access. The entrance fee for everyone else will be R 40.00.
In conclusion
Thanks to you all for the wonderful response to the Euro Steel Drak Descent and Run the Rivers. Interest in the ride and run has been fantastic and we are sure that all will be in for a great two days of riding, running and fun.
If you hear that your team mate has not received an email Newsletter please ask him/her to email me their correct email address. We have had a fair amount of difficulty with some of the emails coming back “Undelivered”.
Otherwise, a few days to go (no festive season excuses anymore!!) and watch your emails, Instagram and Facebook and websites for more updates. We are looking really forward to hosting you in Underberg for a ride and run that promises to be challenging, exciting and beautiful. Our target again at the start of preparation for this year’s route was to prepare a route that we felt 90% of riders and runners would be able to ride or run 90% of the way. We think we are achieving this!
The Sani Spoors Team
Email: drakdescent@sanispoors.co.za
Ride, Run and Paddle with purpose when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must, just never drop out!
Local Charities supported through your involvement in this event:
Noah’s Ark and Asifunde Sonke Teacher’s Training College:
Family Literacy Project - www.familyliteracyproject.co.za
Clouds of Hope - https://cloudsofhope.com
Restmount Children’s Home - www.restmount.org
Pevensey Place – www.pevenseyplace.co.za
Noahs Ark Early learning Centre - familyliteracyproject.co.za
Entries are pouring in for the Euro Steel Run The Rivers and Run The Rivers Lite trail runs, and our trail designers have been very hard at work.
Every year we ask and listen, with the intention of making the next event even better.
With the runs starting early in the day, many people had to race back to Underberg to check out of their accommodation after the final days run.
We also fully understand the problem with getting back to your car when the start and finish are far apart.
Add to that, we have made great plans to ensure our event is safe and fully compliant with the COVID-19 rules limiting gathering outdoors to no more than 500 at any one time.
We have been working hard on new trails that aim to take you up to viewpoints where you can get awesome views of the Southern Drakensberg.
So here are the plans for 2021.
- Lots of NEW Trails with great Berg views!
- Both days start AND finish at Swartberg Road bridge - easy parking and close to Underberg accommodation.
Have a look at the routes for the 2021 races here. We are sure you are going to LOVE them!
Euro Steel Run The Rivers Day One
Euro Steel Run The Rivers Day Two
Euro Steel Run The Rivers Lite Day One
Euro Steel Run The Rivers Lite Day Two
Right now we have only 126 entries left for the Euro Steel Run The Rivers, so if you want to be part of the 2021 event, please get your entry in now to avoid disappointment.
REGISTRATION
A reminder that our Registration and the Meet and Greet of Landowners and Sponsors will take place at Olde Duck on the Drak Gardens road from 12pm on Friday 29 January.
WATTLE CLEARING
We have been continuing our ongoing programme of eradicating the Black Wattle alien invaders in the uMzimkhulu valley. A big thank you to Mike Streetfield from Farmers Agri care for the donation of chemicals that we have been using in the project!
Got any questions?
We are here to answer all your questions! Click on the this button to send us an email and we will get back to you
Keep up that training! We can't wait to see you again at the Euro Steel Run the Rivers Trail Runs in January!
Run safely through 2020!
Greetings from the Sani Spoors team!
We are all very grateful to have received our first summer rains, to help river levels rise and to allow the summer crops to be planted.
We are also thrilled and grateful at the incredible response to the entries received already and thank every one of you who has committed to the event next year in these crazy times. We are heading towards a full field at record pace, so don't miss out if you want to be part of the events on the weekend of 30 & 31 January 2021. Please remember that the Euro Steel Run the Rivers entry numbers are capped.
If you have run one of the runs in the past, you are entitled to a pre-entry right now. This Sunday 1 November we open the entries to the general public, and we anticipate that the available spots in the full run and the Lite run will get snapped up pretty quickly.
So, if you have run before, please use the button below to secure your spot in the 2021 race. And if you are excited about running our trails for the first time, click this button on Sunday to secure your entry.
REGISTRATION MEET & GREET
We would like to thank Glen, Mandy, Bianca and the family for the successful use of Glencairn as a Registration Venue for the past two years, but for logistical reasons we will be moving the Registration and the Meet and Greet of Landowners and Sponsors back to the Olde Duck for 2021.
We are always looking at ways to improve our trails! We got great feedback from last year and are basing our plans very much around the trails we ran in January 2020. Check them out:
Euro Steel Run The Rivers Day One
Euro Steel Run The Rivers Day Two
Euro Steel Run The Rivers Lite Day One
Euro Steel Run The Rivers Lite Day Two
Everything else you need to know is on our new website at www.runtherivers.co.za
LOCAL RIDERS
We remain particularly proud of our team of riders and runners whom we have identified from our local community to be participants in the Drak Descent and Run the Rivers again next year. They are all honing their skills out on the trails, hard at work and gaining fitness every day. If you can assist these riders and runners in any way with helmets, bike shoes, pumps, spare parts, tyres, running shoes or any accessories which you may have extra, then we’d be most happy to pass them on. If you would like to donate items, please could you bring these along to Registration. Our event is inclusive for all riders and runners who wish to be part of something unique, spectacular and special and this happens through the wonderful group of people who assemble for the ride each year. Let’s keep this momentum going and growing.
We are delighted and proud to continue our relationship with Euro Steel, FNB and the other sponsors listed below. They have all loyally backed our events and we are committed to supporting them in return wherever we can!
Got any questions?
We are here to answer all your questions! Click on the this button to send us an email and we will get back to you
Send an email
The Sani Spoors Team is really looking forward to hosting you all again at the Euro Steel Run the Rivers Trail Run in 2021!
Run safely through 2020!
After a year of uncertainty and upset where we never knew what the next day could bring, the Spoors Team are able to offer some stability…The now famous Euro Steel Drak Descent MTB & Run the Rivers Trail Run, will be held on the 30th and 31st of January 2021. We are thrilled to bring you even more improvements, new energy & excitement in our 2021 edition of this iconic Southern Drakensberg event at exactly the same price as we did in 2020. Our events form part of the growing FNB Drak Adventure Weekend, which will include the N3TC Drak Challenge and FNB Music Experience.
As a result of an overwhelming number of requests coming in from potential entrants for the Drak Descent and Run the Rivers, we would first like to offer our faithful previous entrants a preferential entry period. To those of you that have heard the hype, but have not had an opportunity to enter in the past, never fear, there may still be a spot or two available when the entries open to the public. Jump in and enter in order to be placed onto the waiting list for entry allocation once the preferential entries close! In order to ensure that you receive what we have always strived to provide – “value for money” – the Spoors Team will guarantee a 100% refund should the event be cancelled due to another COVID19 Lockdown situation.
Remember, with regards to the MTB, while called the Descent, it is not an easy ride – and to our surprise, that is what most riders of reasonable fitness and skill really enjoy. They have called it “real mountain biking”. We hope that the date gives you adequate weeks of riding to work off the Christmas and New Years’ excesses and be in better shape for our event. We are happy to announce that for 2021 our founding sponsor Euro Steel is again involved with the MTB race and the Trail Run
Entries will open on 6 October to all previous years’ participants and entries to the general public will open on 1 November. For 2021, payment for the race must be made upon registration. We no longer have a register now and pay later option. Due to our event having a limited number of participants, we cannot hold entries indefinitely. We will allow previous years’ participants to register and pay up until 30 November 2020.
Euro Steel Drak Descent & MTB Challenge:
Drak Descent Team – R1600
Drak Descent Solo – R800
Euro Steel MTB Challenge – R500
(substitutions at a cost of R200)
Approximate Distances:
Drak Descent Day 1 = 42km Day 2 = 45km
MTB Challenge Day 1 = 25km Day 2 = 18km
The Euro Steel Drak Descent is classified as a Mini Stage Race and therefore riders of the age 15+ in December are allowed to ride.
Euro Steel will continue to support the Run the Rivers Trail Run 2021. What more could organisers ask for from a sponsor when they just continue to do more, give more and add such value to our event? We are ever grateful to Colin and his team and all at Euro Steel who make this possible.
Euro Steel Run the Rivers Trail Run & Lite:
Trail Run & Lite – R500
(substitutions at a cost of R200)
Approximate Distances:
Trail Run Day 1 = 25km Day 2 = 16km
Lite Day 1 = 12km Day 2 = 8km
Riders and Runners who enter either the Euro Steel MTB Challenge or one of the Euro Steel Run the Rivers Trail Runs, have to ENTER FOR BOTH DAYS (i.e. you cannot enter for only one of the days, but you can run or ride only one day if you so wish).
TO ENTER:
For the MTB event click here or for the Trail Run click here (as of 6th October) which will take you to the specific event. Ride and Run safely through 2020!
The Sani Spoors Team is really looking forward to hosting you all again at the Euro Steel Drak Descent, MTB Challenge and Euro Steel Run the Rivers Trail Run in 2021!
