Ultra X South Africa

Results: 2026

39 of 56 starters finished.

Source: Official results: Webscorer series standings (linked from the organizer’s race page). Checked October 25, 2026.

Next edition: October 2027, date to be confirmed. The organizer announces October 16–24, 2027 as the event window, and Race Space lists the first stage for Monday, October 18, 2027.

Event Overview

A six-stage, 330 km expedition through the Western Cape's valleys, vineyards, remote gorges, mountain passes, and Cederberg wilderness.

Course & Terrain

Point-to-point mountain stages from the Tulbagh area into the Cederberg, with a new remote camp on most nights.

Key course features to know before comparing this race:

• Tulbagh Valley
• Cederberg sandstone country
• Stage 4, “The Beast,” the race’s 80 km long day
• Vineyards, orchards and farm singletrack on land rarely open to the public
• Wild camps with a campfire every night

Ultra X’s own breakdown is 59% singletrack and 4x4 track, 40% gravel farm and district roads and 1% tarmac. The route crosses vineyards, orchards and farmland, including singletrack cut by local farmers, then climbs through remote gorges, mountain passes and the sculpted sandstone of the Cederberg, across land rarely open to the public. The organizer rates it 6 out of 6 for difficulty and 3 out of 5 for technicality and recommends poles and desert gaiters to keep out sand. The course is marked with ribbons and flags, but every runner must carry a phone loaded with the GPX track as a backup.

The organizer gives a range of 10–32°C (50–90°F) for race week. Its 2025 race FAQ called late-October weather in the Cederberg unpredictable, with night lows around 10°C and daytime highs up to about 30°C, and the 2027 entry page warns of scorching days and freezing mountain nights. The kit list covers both ends: a legionnaire-style sun hat and a taped-seam waterproof jacket must be carried on every stage, and the camp kit calls for a warm jacket and a sleeping bag for nights between 0 and 17°C.

Format & Support (as run)

Why This Race Matters

Ultra X South Africa is the longest race in the Ultra X series, the British stage-race company that Sam Heward and Jamie Sparks set up in late 2018 after rebranding the Wadi Rum Ultra as Ultra X Jordan. Billed as “Africa’s toughest footrace” and nicknamed The MAX, it stretches the series’ usual five-day format to six stages and an advertised 330 km, from the Tulbagh Valley into the Cederberg. Ultra X says the 70 places for the first edition sold out within 48 hours in 2025. At that inaugural race, October 19–24, 2026, Britain’s Charlie Mason won or shared the first five stages and finished in 33:33:02.5, and Anna Lawson was first woman and second overall in 34:36:06.9. The race is UTMB-indexed in the 100K category.

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

• Men: Charlie Mason (UK), 33:33:02.5, 2026
• Women: Anna Lawson (UK), 34:36:06.9, 2026

Preparing for a Race Like Ultra X South Africa

The stage race guide covers the format as a whole. These guides go deeper:

• Stage race packing list: Mandatory kit, daily carry, camp bags, food and foot care.
• Walking strategy for ultramarathons: When and how to walk by terrain, effort and cutoffs.
• Hydration and sodium for ultramarathons: Fluid, sodium, thirst, sweat rate and hyponatremia risk.
• Blister prevention: Socks, taping, lubrication, shoe fit and hot spots.

Best Fit

• Runners who have finished a five-day stage race and want a longer, harder week
• Previous Ultra X finishers, who get priority in the application review
• Runners who want to carry only a day pack while managing their own food

Planning Notes

• Study the mandatory gear list early and rehearse carrying the exact pack weight you expect to use on race day.
• 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
• Browse the multiday stage-race calendar
• Open the Stage Race format guide
• Compare all race formats
• Use the timed-race pace calculator
• Plan checkpoint arrivals and cutoff buffers
• Estimate race calories and plan fueling
• Build a crew and drop-bag plan
• Build a race-specific gear checklist