RMB Ultra-Trail Cape Town
Ultra-Trail Cape Town 100K (UT100)
Cape Town (Gardens Rugby Club)
Race guide
Updated 29 June 2026
The Ultra-Trail Cape Town 100K (UT100), run under the banner of the RMB Ultra-Trail Cape Town, is one of the most spectacular urban-to-wilderness ultras in the world. Starting and finishing at the Gardens Rugby Club in the heart of Cape Town, the 99 km route threads through the iconic landscapes of the Cape Peninsula — from Signal Hill and the top of Table Mountain to the coastal suburbs of Llandudno and Hout Bay — before looping back through the Constantiaberg and the slopes of the upper mountain. With 4,163 m of climbing and a high point of 1,082 m, this is a genuinely mountainous race despite never straying far from a major city. What defines the UT100 is the sheer variety compressed into a single route: exposed ridgelines, technical rocky singletrack, dense fynbos, root-strewn forest paths and punishing fire-road climbs all feature across the 99 km. There are five crew-accessible checkpoints spread throughout the course, giving crews a real role in race day, and the only hard cut-off published in the course data is the finish at Gardens Rugby Club by 06:00 on Day 2 — making time management a genuine factor for mid-to-back-of-pack runners.
Course & Terrain Overview
The UT100 opens with an early urban climb to Signal Hill (10.3 km, 266 m) before dropping into Kloof Nek (18.5 km, 192 m) — the first crew point — where the race immediately pivots skyward again for the grinding ascent up Platteklip Gorge to 813 m. From the Platteklip checkpoint at 24.5 km the route traverses the top of Table Mountain, passing through the 30.8 km checkpoint at 778 m, before descending steeply toward Constantia Nek and eventually bottoming out at Llandudno (44.4 km, just 27 m above sea level). That sea-level moment is deceptive: the Rocket Road checkpoint at 50.8 km sits at 502 m, meaning runners gain nearly 500 m in roughly 6 km straight out of Llandudno. The course then drops into Hout Bay (58.9 km, 97 m) — another crew point — before climbing back up through Constantia Nek for a second time (68.9 km, 318 m). The final quarter winds through Alphen Trail, Nursery Ravine and the UCT campus (Dead Man's Tree, 88.5 km) before the last few kilometres back to the Gardens Rugby Club finish. Expect a mixture of technical mountain singletrack, fynbos scrub, forest ravines and some paved sections near the start and finish.
The Decisive Climbs & Descents
Three sections will define your race. First is Platteklip Gorge (roughly km 19–25): coming after the Signal Hill opener, it is a sustained, steep climb on well-worn stone steps and rocky trail rising to 813 m. Many runners blow up here by pushing too hard too early; treat it as a hike-with-purpose rather than a run. The second key test is the Llandudno-to-Rocket Road ramp (km 44–51): dropping to 27 m at Llandudno and then immediately regaining over 470 m to Rocket Road at 502 m is a brutal shock to legs already carrying 44 km and several thousand metres of climbing. This is the moment races unravel — arrive at Llandudno under-fuelled or over-cooked and the climb to Rocket Road will feel relentless. The third pivotal section is the second Constantia Nek climb (km 59–69): emerging from the Hout Bay crew point at 97 m and climbing to 318 m might look modest on paper, but at the 60 km mark with fatigue compounding, this extended drag is where pace drops sharply and mental discipline becomes as important as physical fitness. The subsequent descent into Alphen Trail and then the Nursery Ravine section (km 75–80) is technical and can be slippery, demanding concentration when your legs most want to switch off.
Pacing & Fuelling Strategy
With 4,163 m of climbing across 99 km, your average grade-adjusted pace will be significantly slower than a flat 100K — plan your checkpoint splits around effort and elevation, not flat pace. The first 30 km includes the majority of the technical high-mountain terrain and the Platteklip climb; banking time here by running hard rarely pays dividends over the back half. Aim to arrive at Llandudno (km 44) with legs that feel like km 30 — that buffer is what gets you up Rocket Road. Crew access at Kloof Nek (km 18.5), Llandudno (km 44.4), Hout Bay (km 58.9), Alphen Trail (km 75.1) and the finish means you can run a leaner vest and resupply calories, soft flasks and kit every 10–20 km in the second half. Front-load your calories in the first two hours when the gut is most cooperative; from Hout Bay onwards, prioritise liquid calories and easily digestible foods. Carry enough nutrition between crew points to cover a worst-case scenario — especially between Hout Bay and Alphen Trail (17 km with significant climbing). The Day 2 06:00 finish cut-off means slower runners are racing through the night; ensure your headtorch battery and backup lighting are checked at Hout Bay.
Conditions to Expect
Cape Town's weather is notoriously variable and the Cape Peninsula amplifies that unpredictability. The race takes place during the Cape summer, but Table Mountain creates its own microclimate: even on warm days in the city, the plateau at 778–813 m can be cold, windy and shrouded in the famous 'tablecloth' cloud. Temperatures can drop sharply above 600 m while the Hout Bay valley and coastal sections bake in direct sun. Wind is the defining hazard on the exposed ridgeline sections between Platteklip and Constantia Nek — gusts strong enough to affect balance are possible and not unusual. Carry a windproof shell regardless of the forecast at race start. Fynbos singletrack can be scratchy and narrow, and sections through the ravines (Platteklip, Nursery) are rocky and can be wet even in dry weather due to natural seeps. Night running is a near-certainty for all but the fastest runners given the 99 km distance — the descent through Nursery Ravine and the approach to UCT around the 79–88 km marks will almost certainly be completed in darkness for most of the field, so know those navigation markers and don't rely solely on following footprints.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-05) · official source
0 km · 140 m · Sat 04:00
11.9 km · 347 m · —
20.2 km · 241 m · Sat 08:00
25 km · 1079 m · —
31.1 km · 767 m · —
41.5 km · 11 m · —
47.3 km · 169 m · —
57.4 km · 4 m · Sat 18:30
72.3 km · 160 m · —
76.7 km · 50 m · Sat 23:00
81.3 km · 314 m · —
88.4 km · 131 m · Sun 03:00
96.3 km · 362 m · —
99.2 km · 135 m · Sun 06:00
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