42.2 km · 2 285 m up
The flyover follows every climb in 3D. Then plan your aid-station times against the cut-offs in Make the cut.
Strike II · Saturday 24 October 2026 · Final race briefing
The Runner's Guide
Everything for Saturday on one page. Pick your distance, read the Top 10, save your lock-screen card. The rest is detail.
Read this if nothing else
Top 10
- Collect your race pack by Wed 21 Oct. Last chance: 16:00 to 19:30, Jack Black Tap Room, Diep River. No race-day registration. A friend can collect with a screenshot of your entry confirmation.
- Park across the road. Race-day parking: corner of Firgrove Road, across from Constantia Uitsig. No parking inside the estate. Shuttles leave from here.
- Ride the bus to your start. From Constantia Uitsig: 42 km at 04:45, 33 km at 05:15, 21 km at 05:45. The 10 km starts at the finish.Your bus leaves Constantia Uitsig at 04:45.Your bus leaves Constantia Uitsig at 05:15.Your bus leaves Constantia Uitsig at 05:45.No bus: the 10 km starts at the finish.
- Know your start. 42 km 06:00 Green Point · 33 km 06:30 Noordhoek · 21 km 07:00 Beau Constantia (Constantia Nek) · 10 km 08:00 Constantia Uitsig06:00 at Green Point.06:30 at Noordhoek.07:00 at Beau Constantia (Constantia Nek).08:00 at Constantia Uitsig.
- Kit is spot-checked on the start line. No cups at the tables: bring your own. Carry at least 1 litre.
- Cut-offs are firm. 42 km: 13:00 at the Constantia Glen helipad aid station. Final: 17:00 for the 42, 33 and 21 km. 10 km: 11:00.
- Bib on the front. Always visible, ideally on a race belt.
- Save these numbers now. Any emergency or problem on the day: the VOC (Brandon) 083 643 2087, who sends the medics. If you can't get through: Taurus Medical 072 388 0440.
- Dropping out? Tell the captain. At the nearest aid station, before you leave the course, so nobody starts a search.
- Stay for the party. Finish Line Festival at Constantia Uitsig until 19:00. Main prize giving 16:00.
The rest is detail. Earn the entry.
Know your route
Fly it before you run it
33.9 km · 1 793 m up
The flyover follows every climb in 3D. Then plan your aid-station times against the cut-offs in Make the cut.
23.14 km · 1 094 m up
The flyover follows every climb in 3D. Then plan your aid-station times against the cut-offs in Make the cut.
11.3 km · 569 m up
The flyover follows every climb in 3D. Then plan your aid-station times against the cut-offs in Make the cut.
Race day · no signal needed
Your lock-screen card
Your start, bus, aid stations, cut-offs and the emergency numbers on your phone's lock screen. It works with no signal on the mountain.
iPhone
- Tap your card to open it.
- Touch and hold the card, then tap Save to Photos.
- In Photos, open it, tap Share, then Use as Wallpaper, and set it on the lock screen.
Android
- Tap your card to open it.
- Touch and hold the card, then tap Download image.
- In Gallery or Photos, open it, tap ⋮, then Set as wallpaper and choose Lock screen.
Race week
Before Saturday
Strike II is here. The mountain hasn't moved, but the route has teeth in new places. Read this once, pack properly, and we'll see you on the start line.
Dr Jesse Roberts · Race director
Collect your race pack: last chance
| Day | Time | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 21 October | 16:00–19:30 | Jack Black Tap Room, Diep River |
Bring nothing but your entry confirmation (a screenshot is fine). Gear is not checked at collection: it is spot-checked on the start line. Sending a friend? They show the same screenshot. Out of town? Email support@capecobratrail.com and we'll make a plan.
Watch the weather
Mountain weather changes fast. The Runner Hub shows the forecast for each start area and updates until race morning. Pack for the worst and check again on Friday night.
Join the conversation
The runners' WhatsApp group carries any late changes. So does the status bar at the top of every page on this site.
Race day · Cobra Live
Save Cobra Live to your phone
Your start, cut-offs, follow a runner, the broadcast and the emergency numbers, one tap from your home screen. Nothing to download, no login.
iPhone · Safari
- Open capecobratrail.com/live in Safari.
- Tap Share, at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap Add to Home Screen, then Add.
Android · Chrome
- Open capecobratrail.com/live in Chrome.
- Tap the menu ⋮ at the top right.
- Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
Get the route on your phone and watch
Download your GPX from your route page and load it onto your watch before race day. Signal is patchy on the mountain. New to this? Two minutes, once:
- Get the file. Open your route page and tap Download GPX: 42 km · 33 km · 21 km · 10 km42 km route page33 km route page21 km route page10 km route page.
- Phone. Open the file in the mapping app you already use (Strava, Komoot, Garmin Connect, Gaia GPS) and save the map for offline use.
- Garmin. On connect.garmin.com: Training & Planning → Courses → Import, choose the file, save, then Send to Device. On the watch: Navigation → Courses.
- COROS. COROS app → Routes → Import, choose the file, then sync it to your watch.
- Suunto. Suunto app → Map → Routes → Import, choose the file, and switch on "Use in watch".
- Apple Watch. It cannot open a GPX on its own: import the file into a watch app such as WorkOutDoors.
- Test it by Thursday. Open the route on your watch, check the start is where you expect, and charge it on Friday night. On race morning, start the activity with the course turned on.
Race morning · Saturday 24 October
Bus, start, cut-off
Park at Firgrove Road, walk across to Constantia Uitsig and get on your bus. Be there 15 minutes before it leaves: buses leave on time. Every route finishes back here.
| Distance | Bus from Constantia Uitsig | Start | Where | Time allowed | Final cut-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 km · The Cobra Full | 04:45 | 06:00 | Green Point | 11 hours | 17:00 |
| 33 km · The Cobra Strike | 05:15 | 06:30 | Noordhoek | 10.5 hours | 17:00 |
| 21 km · The Cobra Half | 05:45 | 07:00 | Beau Constantia (Constantia Nek) | 10 hours | 17:00 |
| 10 km · The Vineyard Labyrinth | — | 08:00 | Constantia Uitsig (walk to the start) | 3 hours | 11:00 |
Parking
Race-day parking: corner of Firgrove Road, across from Constantia Uitsig. No parking inside the estate. Shuttles leave from here. Follow the flags and marshals. Parking at the starts is limited: take the bus.
Supporters
Same way in: park at Firgrove Road. Watch the 10 km start at 08:00 and every finish at Constantia Uitsig. The live broadcast on the Cobra Channel starts at 07:30.
No bag drop
Leave your bag locked in your car at Firgrove Road and take the bus. Toilets are at every start and at the finish.
At the start
A short briefing about 15 minutes before the gun, then the Cobra countdown. Kit spot checks happen in the start area. No seeded batches: the elites line up at the front, and everyone else places themselves by pace.
On the course
Aid stations and cut-offs
42 km · The Cobra Full
| km 7.3 | Kloof Nek · Mr O |
| km 14.2 | Woodhead Dam · SANParks Honorary Rangers |
| km 19.3 | Constantia Glen helipad · Wellness Warehouse Out by 13:00 |
| km 22.7 | Eagles Nest · SANParks Honorary Rangers |
| km 27.9 | Price Drive · Gonzo |
| km 34.9 | Klein Constantia · 226ers |
| km 42.2 | Finish · Constantia Uitsig by 17:00 |
33 km · The Cobra Strike
| km 10.6 | Elephant's Eye · SANParks Honorary Rangers |
| km 22.8 | Price Drive · Gonzo |
| km 29.8 | Klein Constantia · 226ers |
| km 33.9 | Finish · Constantia Uitsig by 17:00 |
21 km · The Cobra Half
| km 2.3 | Eagles Nest · SANParks Honorary Rangers |
| km 9.2 | Price Drive · Gonzo |
| km 16.2 | Klein Constantia · 226ers |
| km 23.14 | Finish · Constantia Uitsig by 17:00 |
10 km · The Vineyard Labyrinth
| km 4.1 | Klein Constantia · 226ers |
| km 11.3 | Finish · Constantia Uitsig by 11:00 |
What's on the tables
Bananas and oranges, banana loaf, peanut butter and Marmite sarmies, Lay's lightly salted chips, Revive (our official hydration partner) and water, 226ers gels and bars, biltong and droëwors, Coke. No cups: bring your own. There are no water tables between aid stations: carry enough to reach the next one.
Follow the markings
Red and blue bamboo flags, roughly one every 20 m, with route boards at junctions telling you to turn, that you're on route, or that you've gone too far. No marker for a few hundred metres? Stop and go back to the last one. Never take a shortcut.
Cut-offs are firm
42 km runners must leave the Constantia Glen helipad aid station by 13:00, before Vlakkenberg. Every 42, 33 and 21 km runner must finish by 17:00, before sunset. The 10 km closes at 11:00. A captain or sweep who stops you is keeping you safe: hand over your bib and take the shuttle back.
Support
Supporters may help you only at official aid stations and within 100 m of them. Not at the Constantia Glen helipad aid station or on the wine farms: both are closed to supporters this year. No pacing, no muling, no help in between.
The numbers, plainly
| Distance | Actual distance (GPX) | Climb | Longest climb | Highest point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 km | 42.2 km | 2 285 m | 576 m | 754 m |
| 33 km | 33.9 km | 1 793 m | 406 m | 670 m |
| 21 km | 23.14 km | 1 094 m | 383 m | 570 m |
| 10 km | 11.3 km | 569 m | 139 m | 193 m |
Trail distances are measured on the GPX, not the name. Plan your water and food for the real number.
Prize money and races within the race
R135,000on the line
R135k in prize money, plus prizes for first place in every age category.
Podium powered by Revive, Wellness Warehouse, Vida e Caffè, Suzuki Constantiaberg and our other partners.
42kmThe Cobra Full
- 1stR15,000
- 2ndR7,500
- 3rdR4,000
Men and women each · R53,000 in total
33kmThe Cobra Strike
- 1stR10,000
- 2ndR7,000
- 3rdR3,000
Men and women each · R40,000 in total
21kmThe Cobra Half
- 1stR8,000
- 2ndR4,500
- 3rdR2,000
Men and women each · R29,000 in total
10kmThe Vineyard Labyrinth
- 1stR3,000
- 2ndR2,000
- 3rdR1,000
Men and women each · R12,000 in total
Races within the race
The Gozney Pursuit
Most places gained between Kloof Nek and a secret second timing point. Men and women.
Prize2 Gozney pizza ovens
The Crew Showdown
Three runners, one distance, one combined finish time. Men's, women's and mixed crews per distance. Register by midnight, Thursday 22 October.
Prize3 Yeti cooler hampers and a place in the Hall of Fame
The Fang
Fastest up Vlakkenberg. No race escapes The Fang.
PrizeThe Bergskaap Floating Trophy and Zweibrüder headlamps
The Final Strike
Fastest down the last kilometre into Constantia Uitsig: 150 m of descent, straight into the supporter tunnel.
PrizeA Cape Peninsula day in a convertible Cobra from Cape Cobra Hire. Four to win.
Strava segments count when you record the run on Strava and join the Cape Cobra club on Strava. Winners at the mini prize giving, 12:15.
Earn the entry
Your kit
Kit is spot-checked on the start line and can be checked on the course. Each missing core safety item (active phone, water reserve, space blanket, waterproof jacket) costs 45 minutes: two missing is 90 minutes. You may also have to get the item before you start or carry on.
Mandatory · 42, 33 and 21 km · and the 10 km
- Waterproof jacket with hood and sealed seams
- Long-sleeve base layer (thermal or technical)
- Emergency space blanket
- Headlamp or torch, with spare batteries or power
- Whistle
- Phone, with the VOC (083 643 2087) and Taurus Medical (072 388 0440) saved and your route downloaded
- Strapping or support tape
- Water, 1 litre minimum
- Nutrition: enough between aid stations
- Beanie or buff
- Personal cup
- Gloves, if the forecast calls for them
10 km
The same list as the 21 km, unless we officially announce a warm-weather relaxation in race week: then you may leave out the jacket, space blanket, headlamp and gloves. A long-sleeve base layer is still recommended, and bring your own cup.
Suggested, not checked
Small first aid kit (plasters, blister kit; no anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen or diclofenac during the race: with dehydration they raise the risk of kidney injury) · sunscreen and sunglasses · trekking poles, only if you've trained with them · electrolytes and fuel (Revive electrolytes and 226ers gels and bars are on the aid-station tables) · spare socks · light gloves and a buff for the cold starts · a power bank · cash or card for the festival.
Run it right
We are guests
The route crosses Table Mountain National Park and private wine farms. We are guests on both.
| Bib on the front | Always visible, ideally on a race belt. Never on your back. |
| No litter, no trace | Everything you carry in, you carry out. Gel tops included. |
| No shortcuts | Stay on the marked route. Cutting it means disqualification. |
| Help only at aid stations | Supporters within 100 m of an official aid station only, not at the Constantia Glen helipad or on the wine farms. No pacers, no muling. |
| One ear free | Headphones are fine with one ear free. Take them out on technical sections and at road crossings. |
| No dogs on the course | Dogs on a lead are welcome at the finish. |
| Poles allowed | Only if you've trained with them: untested, they slow you down. Keep them low and close in the field. |
| Give wildlife space | Expect baboons and bees. Call out on blind corners. |
| Results and protests | Provisional results after the race, final within a few days. Protests at Race HQ within 60 minutes of finishing. |
If something goes wrong
Save these numbers before Saturday
VOC · race operationsBrandon · first call for any emergency or problem083 643 2087Taurus MedicalMedical emergency, if you can't reach the VOC072 388 0440Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR)Lost, stuck or injured on the mountain021 937 0300Table Mountain National Park emergencyFire or park emergency086 110 6417National emergency (from a mobile)Police, ambulance, fire112
- Hurt or unwell. Stop somewhere safe and visible. Call the VOC (Taurus Medical if you can't get through) with your race number, name and where you are (your phone's map gives coordinates). Keep warm: this is what the space blanket is for.
- Another runner is hurt. Stay with them, call it in, and send the next runner ahead to the nearest aid station or marshal.
- No signal. Stay put and ask the next runner to alert a marshal or aid station. Use your whistle: three short blasts.
- Lost. Go back to the last marker you saw. Still lost? Call Search and Rescue.
- Dropping out. Walk to the nearest aid station on the marked route and tell the captain before you leave the course. They log you out and a shuttle brings you back to Constantia Uitsig (expect a wait). Leaving without telling anyone starts a search.
- Weather or fire changes the route. We race in normal mountain weather, rain and wind included. The race director makes any call about an hour before each start; cancelling is a last resort. Updates go out on the status bar on this site, the WhatsApp group and the start-line briefing.
The finish
Stay for the party
Every route ends at Constantia Uitsig, across the road from your car. The Finish Line Festival runs until 19:00. Bring your people: kids and dogs on a lead are welcome.
| 07:30 | Live broadcast starts |
| 09:00 | School of Rock · first set (09:00–10:15). Elite finishers expected: 10/21 km ~08:50, 33 km ~09:50, 42 km ~09:55 |
| 10:15 | Mini prize giving · age categories (10:15–10:45) |
| 11:00 | Heavy Petals live (11:00–12:15) |
| 12:15 | Mini prize giving · teams, Segment Strike, Gozney Pursuit (12:15–12:45). Kiddies race registration at the same time |
| 13:00 | Kiddies race (13:00–13:30), prize giving straight after until 14:15 |
| 14:15 | School of Rock · second set (14:15–15:45) |
| 16:00 | Main prize giving, then DJ |
| 17:00 | Final cut-off · 42, 33 and 21 km |
| 19:00 | Finish Line Festival ends |
Results
Provisional results go live after the race; final results within a few days, all on the Live page.
Photos
All official photos are on Bossfotos. Upload a selfie to find yours, then buy the ones you like; every purchase comes with a Cape Cobra highlights pack.
Once is never enough
Strike III entries: date to come.
