Archive · 31 Oct 2025
Trail Runners Tackle Cape Town's Iconic Three Peaks Challenge
Imagine a really tough race in South Africa where people run up three big mountains near a city called Cape Town.
It's like a giant obstacle course that tests how strong and fast runners are.
The race starts and ends in the city, and the runners have to climb up and then come back down each of the three mountains.
It's a very old challenge, first done by a brave runner a long time ago.
Now, it happens every year and attracts runners from all over the world.
The weather can change a lot when they are running, from very cold to very hot.
Even though it's super hard, runners feel very accomplished when they finish.
The Three Peaks Challenge is an annual trail running event in Cape Town held on the first Saturday of November.
Participants must summit the city's three iconic peaks: Table Mountain, Devil's Peak, and Lion's Head.
The challenge covers 54-kilometres with a cumulative elevation gain of 2,780 metres and a 14-hour time limit.
The race was first conceptualized in 1897 by Carl Wilhelm Schneeberger and formalized into an annual event by Don Hartley in 1997.
The event is described as a "purist's race" focusing on endurance and the unique route starting and ending in the city, attracting serious runners globally.
- Who
- Trail runners from around the world
- What
- The Three Peaks Challenge, an endurance race summiting three mountain peaks surrounding Cape Town
- When
- The first Saturday in November each year
- Where
- Cape Town, South Africa (starting and ending on Long Street, involving Table Mountain, Devil's Peak, and Lion's Head)
- Why
- A test of endurance and a "bucket-list" event for serious runners, with a focus on the challenge and the unique start-city, mountains, city return route.
- Race Distance
- 54-kilometres
- Cumulative Elevation Gain
- 2,780 metres (9,121 feet)
- Time Limit
- 14 hours
- Men's Record
- 4:42:43 (Kane Reilly, 2019)
- Women's Record
- 6:09:15 (Julika Pahl, 2019)
- First Attempt
- 1897 (Carl Wilhelm Schneeberger)