Karkloof 100 Miler

Results: 2026

44 of 71 starters finished.

Provisional: these are live-timing results embedded on the organizer's site, not a final results sheet, and two runners were still marked as racing when checked.

Source: Vantage Timing — Karkloof 100 Miler 2026 live timing. Checked October 3, 2026.

Next edition: September 24, 2027. The 11th Karkloof 100 Miler starts at 8:00 PM on Friday, September 24, 2027, with entries scheduled to open November 1, 2026 at R6,100.

Event Overview

The tenth edition of a South African 100-miler through the Karkloof's indigenous forest, plantations, farmland, valleys, and waterfalls.

Course & Terrain

Marked trail route from Karkloof Country Club through forest and farmland, turning at Benvie Gardens before returning to the race village.

Key course features to know before comparing this race:

• Karkloof Falls water point, 7.9 km from the start and again 7.9 km from the finish
• Indigenous mistbelt forest and Sappi pine plantations
• Mbona Game Reserve aid station, 64 km out
• Benvie Gardens turnaround at about 80 km, where pacers join

The organizer calls the trails fast, flowing and runnable, and the climbing comes in many short rises rather than big mountains: the official GPX profile never drops below 1,055 m or rises above 1,441 m. The route mixes shaded indigenous mistbelt forest, commercial pine plantation on Sappi land with forest roads, jeep track and singletrack, and open, exposed farmland on private farms that open only on race day. The course is fully marked, but a GPS watch or navigation device with the route loaded is compulsory. Because the route crosses private land, the official 2027 GPX files will not be released until mid-September 2027, and the private sections cannot be previewed before race day; the organizer's training camp on August 6–8, 2027 is the legal way to learn the race trails.

The organizer does not publish climate averages for the Karkloof. Older race descriptions warned that temperatures can swing from about 36°C (97°F) to near 0°C (32°F) during the run, and the organizer's archive records 2024 as a snow year with no official KK100 finishers. A waterproof jacket with taped seams becomes compulsory when the race team calls for it, and the organizer recommends a long-sleeve mid-layer, gloves and a buff. The 8:00 PM start puts runners into the first night immediately, and slower runners face a second night before the 08:00 Sunday close.

Format & Support (as run)

Why This Race Matters

The Karkloof 100 Miler, or KK100, first ran in September 2017 in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands near Howick, and the organizer says it was inspired by the Leadville 100: sub-24 finishers earn a silver buckle made in Denver by the makers of Leadville's buckles. Runners start at 8:00 PM on a Friday and run out and back to Benvie Gardens through mistbelt forest, Sappi pine plantations and private farmland that opens only on race day. The 2026 race was the 10th edition, and Jaco Ebertsohn ran 16:51:00, the fastest time in the race's archive. Mzwakhe Khanyile has won three times, and in 2024 snow left the race with no official finishers. The race is a Western States qualifier.

Historical benchmark notes in the directory record (verify current records with the linked official sources):

• Men: Jaco Ebertsohn, 16:51:00, 2026
• Women: Naomi Brand, 18:19:40, 2017 (third overall)
• Most wins: Mzwakhe Khanyile, three (2019, 2021 and 2025); his 17:27:07 in 2019 is the second-fastest time in the archive
• Most sub-24 silver buckles: Martin Malherbe, six (best 18:40:08 in 2020)

Preparing for a Race Like Karkloof 100 Miler

The fixed-distance race guide covers the format as a whole. These guides go deeper:

• Walking strategy for ultramarathons: When and how to walk by terrain, effort and cutoffs.
• Crew and aid-station strategy: Crew tables, aid stops, drop bags and runner preferences.
• Hydration and sodium for ultramarathons: Fluid, sodium, thirst, sweat rate and hyponatremia risk.
• Tapering for ultramarathons: Plan the taper and race week around your own recovery.

Best Fit

• Runners looking for a runnable first 100-miler with aid about every 10 miles
• Western States lottery applicants who need a qualifier
• Runners chasing a sub-24 silver buckle
• Runners who want company: up to four pacers over the second half

Planning Notes

• Prepare for sleep decisions, weather swings, and aid-station discipline. The distance is only one part of a multi-day fixed-distance race.
• Train for terrain-specific fatigue. Technical trails and mountain courses demand downhill durability, hiking efficiency, and reliable night lighting.
• The directory does not mark this as having simpler logistics. Confirm qualification, terrain, support, registration, medical, and withdrawal requirements before planning around it.

Event FAQs

Related Preparation

• Compare this race in the full 2026 calendar
• Open the Fixed-Distance format guide
• Compare all race formats
• Use the timed-race pace calculator
• Plan checkpoint arrivals and cutoff buffers
• Print a pace band for your goal time
• Estimate race calories and plan fueling
• Build a crew and drop-bag plan
• Build a race-specific gear checklist