STELLENBOSCH GARDEN TOWN 2026

RETURN TO YOUR ROOTS

Sometimes becoming brave doesn't mean pushing harder.

Sometimes it means returning to where you started.

Back to running because it felt good.
Back to walking when you needed to.
Back to getting outside.
Back to following a trail simply because you wanted to see where it went.

And sometimes, before we can grow again, we need to let something go.

That is the story behind this year's Stellenbosch Garden Town run.

RETURN • COMMIT • RUN • GROW

RETURN — Remember why you started.

COMMIT — Choose your distance. Your entry is the first brave step.

RUN — Through vineyards and Renosterveld, one step at a time.

GROW — Cross the finish line knowing you were brave enough to begin.

You don't have to be the fastest.

You don't have to run every step.

And you certainly don't have to choose 36km to prove that you're brave.

Choose 7km, 16km, 25km or 36km.

Choose the distance that feels like the right next step for you.

Then come and take it.

BECOMING BRAVE — one brave step at a time.

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EVENT DETAILS

📍 Venue: Neethlingshof Wine Estate
📅 Date: Saturday, 31 October 2026
🏃 Distances: 7km | 16km | 25km | 36km
🌿 2026 Theme: Return to Your Roots
🧦 Includes: THE Socks — 2026 Renosterveld Flower Edition
🏅 Plus: Our HUGE Garden Town Finisher's Medal

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THE FLOWER BEHIND THE STORY

RETURN TO YOUR ROOTS

There comes a time each year when our featured Renosterveld flower disappears.

The flowers fade. The leaves die back.

Above the ground, it can look as though its story is over.

But underneath the soil, something important remains.

Hidden underground is its corm — storing what the plant needs to survive the difficult season and grow again.

And when the conditions are right and the winter rains return, something remarkable happens.

It begins again.

New leaves push through the soil.

And eventually, it flowers.

We think there's something worth remembering in that.

Life has seasons too.

Sometimes things don't work out as planned. Sometimes we lose our way. Sometimes we stop doing the things we once loved.

And sometimes something needs to end before something new can grow.

Returning to your roots isn't going backwards.

It's remembering what matters.

It's finding the part of yourself that is still there beneath everything else.

And having the courage to grow from there.

That's why this year's Renosterveld flower appears on your Garden Town medal and THE Socks.

Long after race day, we hope it reminds you:

You can always begin again.

AND YES... THE SOCKS ARE AMAZING.

AND THE MEDAL IS HUGE.

Every Garden Town entrant gets a pair of our limited-edition THE Socks, featuring this year's Renosterveld flower.

And then there's the medal.

It's big.

Really big.

Because if you're going to spend your Saturday running through the Bottelary Hills, we don't think you should go home with something forgettable.

The flower on both is more than a design.

It's your reminder to Return to Your Roots.

THE FURTHER YOU GO...

THE MORE OF THE BOTTELARY HILLS YOU'LL DISCOVER.

Garden Town is different.

These aren't four versions of the same route around one wine farm.

The trails knit together the farms and landscapes of the Bottelary Hills. As your distance grows, so does your journey.

7KM — NEETHLINGSHOF

Maybe this is your first trail run.

Maybe you'll run. Maybe you'll walk. Most likely you'll do a bit of both.

Your Garden Town adventure stays within Neethlingshof, giving you a beautiful introduction to the vineyards and trails around our host farm.

Your brave doesn't need to look like anybody else's.

16KM — GO BEYOND

You've done the shorter distances.

Now you're wondering what happens if you go a little further.

The 16km leaves Neethlingshof and carries you onto Wolwedans.

Two farms. One trail journey.

There's only one good way to find out what's waiting beyond the 7km.

Keep going.

25KM — NOW IT BECOMES AN ADVENTURE

This is where Garden Town really starts to open up.

From Neethlingshof, your journey carries you through Wolwedans, Fort Simon and Kaapzicht, all the way to Mooiplaas.

Then you turn around.

And run it all the way back again.

You're no longer simply running around a wine estate.

You're travelling through the Bottelary Hills — linking five properties in one continuous trail journey.

You'll need patience. You'll need determination. And at some point you'll probably need to remind yourself why you entered.

That's part of it.

36KM — THE FULL JOURNEY

36 kilometres. Around 1,500 metres of climbing.

This is the big one.

Your journey links the landscapes and trails around Neethlingshof, Wolwedans, Fort Simon, Kaapzicht, Mooiplaas and Zevenwacht before eventually bringing you home again.

Six properties.

One continuous adventure through the Bottelary Hills.

Not because 36km makes you braver than anybody else — but because sometimes we need to choose something that makes us wonder:

Can I actually do this?

There's something rather special about discovering the answer.

The further you choose to go, the more of the Bottelary Hills you'll discover.

And eventually, every journey brings you back to where you started.

RELAXED RUN

Choose Your Own Start Time

Don't want to race?

Perfect.

7km and 16km — start anytime from 07:00 to 09:00.

25km — start anytime from 07:00 to 08:00.

No starting gun.

No pressure.

No morning rush.

Collect your timing card and head over to the start when you're ready.

Relaxed Run Registration

1. Collect your timing card from Registration.

2. Scan at the Start Line.

3. Run. Walk. Explore.

4. Cross that finish line.

Simple.

Please note: There is no Relaxed Run option for the 36km.

THE RACE

Prefer a traditional race start?

Join The Race.

Line up together, hear the countdown and go.

The Race Start Times

• 36km — 06:00

• 25km — 07:00

• 16km — 07:45

• 7km — 08:15

The 36km starts early for a reason.

With approximately 1,500 metres of climbing, this is a proper day out on the trails. Starting at 06:00 gives you the morning to take on the challenge and make your way home to Neethlingshof.

THE ANSWER IS YES!

Can I walk it?

YES.

Can I run/walk?

YES.

Can I enter if I've never done a trail run before?

Absolutely.

TrailFun isn't about proving that you belong here.

You already do.

Choose the distance that's right for you.

ENTRY PRICES

ONLINE ENTRIES

7km — R250
16km — R415
25km — R650
36km — R850

TRAILFUN HERO MEMBERS

TrailFun HERO members receive 50% off their chosen distance.

7km — R125
16km — R207.50
25km — R325
36km — R425

JUNIOR RUNNERS

Junior runners receive 50% off the 7km entry.

Junior 7km — R125

The junior discount applies to the 7km only.

ON-THE-DAY ENTRIES

Yes, you can enter on the day.

All on-the-day entries cost R50 more than the listed online entry price.

So if you already know you're coming, enter online.

Save yourself R50 — and make race morning that little bit easier.

SATURDAY, 31 OCTOBER 2026

📍 Neethlingshof Wine Estate

🏃 7km | 16km | 25km | 36km

🧦 THE Socks — Renosterveld Flower Edition
🏅 One seriously BIG Garden Town Finisher's Medal
🌿 Vineyards. Renosterveld. Bottelary Hills. Stellenbosch.

No doggies please.

RETURN TO YOUR ROOTS

Choose your distance.

Take your brave step.

And see what grows from there.

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