The Experience
The Rhodes Run, South Africa's iconic breathtaking trail run, is staged in the tranquil beauty of the southern Drakensberg mountains in the Eastern Cape Highlands, surrounding the Victorian-era village of Rhodes.
The atmosphere before and after the race is extremely festive. It is common for the temperature at the start to be below zero (usually around -10 degrees Celsius!).
Details for entry to the 2026 event will be announced soon.
In the true spirit of trail running there are no financial prizes, other than a few floating trophies. All our runners are treated equally with the same pre and post race hand-outs, which in themselves are usually rather special.
About Us
The idea of the race came during a discussion between Rhodes property owners over a couple of drinks one night in 1986. The intention was to put Rhodes back on the map before it followed the same fate as other small platteland villages which faded into obscurity. This vision led to the birth of a unique event on the South African sports calendar. The first event was staged in July 1989, and almost did not happen thanks to very heavy snow falls during the night before the event.
Since then, the event was held each year until COVID-19 interrupted everything for two years. The Raubenheimer family were involved in the race from the second event in 1990. They took the mantle of race organisers from 1998 to 2023. They handed over the reins to Rudi Hiestermann and Heather Ralph, allowing the Rhodes community to continue hosting the event. They look forward to a bright future for the run challenging many runners.
Since 1989
run colours
30+ runs
20+ runs
3+ runs
Our partners
For our 2026 Event, we're reviewing all partnerships. Please contact us if you are interested in partnering with us!
Gallery
