Ultra-trail Cape Town 2023

The 35km Trail has two major climbs on Table Mountain (first half) and Devil's Peak (second half), while the middle of the race consists mainly of technical descents with some flat runnable sections - take note along the Newlands contour of the climb known as the 400 stairs. The race starts at 6:00 am with a climb from Gardens Rugby Club to Kloof Corner, a trail that puts runners midway up Table Mountain's north face. With the city at their feet, they run along the contour to Platteklip Gorge, the longest vertical ascent of the race - a notorious route with gradients exceeding 35 degrees, up Table Mountain. The climb is a long grind and loads the legs very early on in the race - after 7km an elevation of 900m will have been covered. Reaching the top, runners will traverse the famous tabletop ridge with Cape Town at their feet to Maclears Beacon, the highest point of the race - 1086m. ​ From here the route takes runners through to Echo Valley, the Valley of Isolation and onward to the Scouts Hut next to the dams where the first Table Mountain Aid Station is located. At Woodhead Dam, runners make their way down Nursery Ravine onto the technical sections of Newlands Forest followed by a steep drop down into the University of Cape Town's upper campus. The final 10km requires digging deep with an intense climb to get up to the Blockhouse and lower traverse of Devils Peak. Reaching it marks the home stretch, with the reward of incredible views of the City, the Atlantic Ocean, Table Mountain and Lions Head.