MIDLANDS TRAILS & WEEKEND RHYTHMS
The MERRELL KZN Spring Trail Runs invite you into one of KwaZulu Natal’s most loved natural spaces for a morning of movement, connection, and shared effort. Whether you are stepping onto the trail for the first time or returning with a few seasons in your legs, there is space here for your pace and your story.
Why Join
Scenic trails through forest and grassland
Easy going, welcoming trail community
Distances for beginners and regular runners
Stay on site, cottages or camping
Date
Sunday
30 August 2026
42km | 21km | 12km | 6km
Time
Registration: 6:00 AM
Start: 7AM - 42km | 8AM - 21km | 8h30 - 12km | 9AM - 6km
Venue
Cumberland Nature Reserve
Pietermaritzburg, KZN
On site accommodation
Bring
- Trail running shoes
- Picnic blanket
- Friends or family if you can
Run . Breathe . Stay a while
Midlands trails. Forest shade. Open hills and long views near Pietermaritzburg.
A weekend shaped by movement, quiet connection, and time outdoors.
When Entries Open
Entries will open 27 May 2026.
Entry fees can be viewed below alongside the available distances and start times. Pricing reflects the care taken in hosting the event, supporting the reserve, and creating a considered trail experience for every runner.
Entries are limited to 250 runners to protect the atmosphere of the weekend and the landscape we move through.
If you are planning to run, or thinking about bringing friends along, early entry is encouraged. This is a small, place led event shaped by the reserve, the trails, and the people who gather there.
After the Run, Bring & Braai
Once you cross the line, the day is far from over.
The MERRELL KZN Spring Trail Runs end with a relaxed Bring n Braai picnic vibe. No formal seating, no rush to leave. Just runners, families, friends, and food shared outdoors.
What to bring:
- Your own meat or plant based braai option
- Drinks of your choice
- A camp chair or picnic blanket
- Something warm for the late afternoon
Fires and braai facilities will be available. You bring what you love to eat, and the stories usually take care of themselves.
Distances & Routes
The MERRELL KZN Spring Trail Runs offer a range of distances designed to welcome both first time trail runners and seasoned trail legs. From shorter routes through the reserve to longer journeys across the hills and forest edges, each distance offers its own way to experience Cumberland.
42km - Start 7 AM
Traversing the varied singletrack trails and jeeptracks of Cumberland AND Fountain Hill nature reserves on either side of the Umgeni river with the midrace highlight of a ferried canoe crossing!
Elevation - +1200m | Time allowed – up to 7 ½ hours
21km - Start 8 AM
Race it or embrace it, this 21km also welcomes hikers to explore the trails on both reserves, encounter the wildlife and enjoy a canoe ride across the Umgeni river powered by Change A Life Dusi athletes.
Elevation - +650m | Time allowed – up to 6 ½ hours
12km - Start 8h30 AM
Featuring the best of Cumberland trails and cliff edge views this route is fast and flowing for a morning run or equally enjoyable as a walk with some rocky terrain
Elevation – +350m | Time allowed – up to 6 hours
6km - Start 9 AM
Packing in all the excitement of singletrack nature trails with the rocky cliff edge views down to the river and across the reserve. Walkers are of course welcome but please note it is not a golf course pathway and parts of the route are not suitable for those unsteady on their feet.
The setting, Cumberland Nature Reserve
Cumberland Nature Reserve sits just outside Pietermaritzburg, a pocket of rolling hills, forest edges, and open grassland that feels far removed from the city once you step onto the trail. The routes wind through quiet valleys and along ridgelines that open to wide Midlands views, a landscape that rewards those willing to slow down and look around.
What makes Cumberland especially well suited to a weekend away is the way everything lives in one place. Runners, families, and friends can settle in, unpack once, and let the rhythm of the reserve guide the days.
Additional amenities at the reserve include:
- Secure parking
- Toilets and basic facilities
- Open grassed areas for picnics and post run gatherings
- Easy access for spectators and supporters
On site Accommodation
Self catering cottages, tucked into the reserve for those wanting comfort and early morning quiet.
Camping options for tents and vehicles, ideal for groups, families, and runners who like to stay close to the fire.
Staying on site means no early morning drives, no rushing off after your run, and more time to rest, walk, braai, and watch the light change across the hills. It allows the weekend to unfold naturally, rather than feeling like a single morning event.
How to book
Mountain Runner Events has reserved all on site accommodation for the event weekend, so it will not show as available through the Cumberland Nature Reserve website. To check what is open and secure your spot, please email Shirley directly:
📧 info@cumberlandreserve.co.za
Email works best, as cellphone signal within the reserve can be patchy at times.
At this stage, the Rietspruit Campsite and the Impala Room are already booked. Other cottages and camping options are still available.
To browse photos and descriptions of each option before enquiring, visit the Cumberland Nature Reserve website.
Safety & Support on the Trail
Runner safety is central to how this weekend is designed.
You can expect:
- Clearly marked routes
- Water and aid support on longer distances
- Medical support on site
- Marshals at key junctions and checkpoints
- Sweep runners to ensure no one is left behind
This is a trail run, not a race against the clock. The aim is to move well, look out for one another, and return with good stories rather than rushed ones.
Why Run Here?
People return to trail running in KwaZulu Natal for good reason.
- The terrain is varied and honest, never manufactured
- The landscapes are open, green, and quietly powerful
- The community is welcoming, grounded, and unpretentious
- The trails invite reflection as much as effort
This weekend is not about proving anything. It is about moving through a place that has held generations of runners, hikers, and wanderers, and adding your own footsteps to that lineage.
Trail running in KZN has always been about shared experience, long conversations after the run, and learning to read the land underfoot. This event carries that tradition forward.
Prizes & Recognition
While the focus is on participation and shared experience, there will be recognition for top finishers across selected categories, as well as a few quiet acknowledgements that celebrate effort, resilience, and return.
Details will be shared closer to race weekend.
Partners
The MERRELL KZN Spring Trail Runs are proudly hosted in partnership with Merrell, whose commitment to getting people outside aligns deeply with the way this weekend is shaped. Additional partners and local collaborators will be announced as they come on board.
Join us
If this feels like your kind of day out on the trails, mark it in your calendar.
Entries are open. Share the event with someone you would like to run beside, or meet at the fire afterwards.
The trail will be waiting.