20/08/2026
Dear KZNTR Community,
We want to speak frankly about where KZN Trail Running currently finds itself.
The past year has been a rebuilding period for KZNTR. We have been rebuilding the organisation while continuing to deliver a full calendar of events, while navigating multiple venue changes and cancellations, and with less administrative capacity than the calendar requires.
Some of our communication has been late or unclear. Information has not always been consistent across RaceConnect and the KZNTR website. Some emails and queries have taken too long to answer. Signage and arrival information have not always been good enough, and certain event services and details have fallen short of what people have come to expect from KZNTR.
These are not concerns we want to dismiss or explain away. They are fair, and we know that some of you have been let down. We are also aware that there has been uncertainty around podium vouchers. As part of making KZNTR financially sustainable, we are no longer issuing complimentary race-entry vouchers as podium or lucky-draw prizes. We pay venue and other event costs for every runner, including complimentary entrants, and routinely giving away race entries is no longer financially sustainable for KZNTR.
Complimentary entries will continue to be used to make trail running accessible to someone who might otherwise not be able to participate.
We will continue to recognise the first three men and women in each distance with our podium trophies. We will also work with sponsors to provide worthwhile prizes where possible. KZNTR remains recreation- and community-focused: competition matters, but it sits within the broader purpose of creating accessible opportunities for people to experience trails, connect with the trail community and explore KZN.
While we acknowledge these shortcomings, there is one area in which we will not compromise: safety.
Whatever administrative pressures we face, our first responsibility is to host safe events. Mace Safety oversees our event safety in compliance with the Events Act, while Medics for Life provides our medical support. Both teams remain central to every event we deliver.
Route planning, emergency preparation, medical support and the safety of runners, staff and volunteers are non-negotiable. Whatever else is under pressure behind the scenes, those safety standards remain the baseline for every event we put on.
That does not mean the rest is unimportant. Good communication, accurate information, clear signage, reliable administration and a welcoming event atmosphere all matter. They form part of the experience people pay for and deserve to receive.
As you know, we are now implementing a new administrative system together with RaceConnect and rebuilding the capacity behind KZNTR. This will help us manage entries, event information, communication and participant support more consistently. The work with RaceConnect is designed to prevent contradictory information appearing across RaceConnect and the KZNTR website, and to make the processing and publishing of results faster and more consistent. Together with improvements to the race village and community experience, the aim is a more consistent, well-run experience from entry through to race day and results.
KZN Trail Running has been around for 17 years, and while we do not get everything right all the time, we are listening, learning and rebuilding KZNTR so it can continue to deliver safe, memorable trail experiences that it has been built around.
We are also doing work to strengthen the competitive side of KZNTR, and we're on the verge of formalizing our KZNTR Club and hosting Champs. At the same time, we remain committed to the recreational runners, families and trail communities that have always formed the heart of our events.
It will take some time to settle, and while there may still be some bumps along the way, the work is underway and some of these changes are already making a meaningful difference to the behind-the-scenes operations.
We appreciate your patience and know that ultimately the way to rebuild confidence is not by asking for more patience, but by letting you see the improvements.
Thank you to everyone who continues to enter, volunteer, offer constructive feedback and stand behind KZNTR. Your support matters, and we intend to repay it by steadily delivering the standard of events and service that this community deserves.
See you on the trails,
Andrew, Lauren, Colin & the KZNTR Team
