K2C Challenge 2026: runners, rangers and a race stitched into the landscape

The 2026 Kruger2Canyon Challenge brought 266 participants to Kampersrus for a weekend of trails, mountain views and conservation connection.

Hosted from Laerskool Mariepskop, the event once again offered runners and hikers the rare opportunity to experience the foothills and diverse slopes of Mariepskop Mountain, with routes that move through one of South Africa’s most striking and ecologically important landscapes.

Ideal weather conditions added to the weekend’s success, with clear skies and sweeping Lowveld views helping make the 2026 edition one to remember.

A new summit experience on Day 1

Road conditions on Mariepskop Mountain led to a late decision to adjust the Day 1 42km route. Instead of dropping down into the Blyde Picnic Site, runners completed an out-and-back section to the summit of Mariepskop Mountain for the first time.

While slightly shorter and less technical than the previous climb out of the canyon, the revised route gave runners an extraordinary reward: views unfolding across the Lowveld and the chance to move through the unique fynbos grasslands on top of the mountain. The change proved to be a strong one for the race, adding a distinctive summit experience to an already demanding day on the trails.

2026 Stage Race results

While the K2C Challenge is about far more than times and placings, results remain part of the story. For many runners, this event is a personal test against terrain, distance, altitude and the raw honesty of the mountain.

In the 70km Stage Race, Tyler Rance delivered a standout performance, taking the men’s win in 7:40:01, ahead of Glen Morgan in 8:08:22 and Grant Lapping in 8:17:27.

Shannon Parker-Dennison won the women’s 70km race in 9:07:59, followed by Angela Bunge in 10:02:05. Kathleen Greeff and Donna James shared third place in 12:00:39.

Local runners also featured strongly across the podiums, with Hoedspruit runners including Jason Kipling, David Rose, Libby Page, Trust Ngomane, Hope Mohlala, and Beate Smit among those delivering standout performances across the distances.

Full results are available at www.kruger2canyonchallenge.co.za/results/.

A race connected to the Biosphere

The K2C Challenge is built around the idea that trail running and hiking can do more than move people through a landscape – it connects them to it.

The event raises funds for the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere NPC, custodians of the UNESCO-recognised Biosphere stretching from the Blyde River Canyon and the Kruger National Park (east to west) and from the Olifants River to the Sabie River (north to south). The K2C Biosphere was present throughout the weekend, with a stand at the race village, team members assisting at aid stations, logistical support, and hosting.

“Thank you for supporting an event like this” said Marie-Tinka Uys, CEO of the K2C Biosphere NPC, “You have challenged yourselves in such a rich landscape, but more than that, you are all leaving the event as ambassadors for the region!”

Rangers on the start line

One of the most meaningful elements of the 2026 event was the Ranger Challenge, which saw more rangers than ever taking part.

This category brings the people who work daily to protect the region’s wildlife and landscapes into the heart of the event, not as spectators or support teams, but as participants taking on the same demanding trails.

Team Timbavati Foundation were the fastest on the day, with impressive performances from Team Siyafunda, GKEPF, Colbec K9 and the Black Mambas.  Their participation added a powerful layer to the weekend, reminding runners that this landscape is not only beautiful, but actively protected by people whose work is often difficult, dangerous and deeply important.

Colbec K9 also gave an impressive demonstration of their tracking dogs and how they are used in conservation, which was a highlight of the event.

A comfortable race village and local support

The 2026 event was also marked by the warmth of the race village and the many people working behind the scenes.

One of the strongest participant reflections from the weekend was the way the Biosphere story was woven through the event, from local flavours at the refreshment stations to the stories shared about communities, farmers, the landscape and the Biosphere itself.

That sense of care, from the comfort food to the route stories to the race village welcome, helped create a race experience that felt grounded, local and closely connected to place.

One ankle injury was expertly handled by SARZA Limpopo and the medical team, carrying the participant off the mountain before transferring them for further assessment.

Local farmers, businesses and community members put their hands up to support the runner experience through aid station supplies, hydration and podium prizes. These touches are what takes an event and creates an experience rooted in the region itself.

A race that continues to grow into its purpose

While the participants dig deep and the route presented its brutal but beautiful challenge, the Biosphere story ran through the weekend like a golden thread.

For organisers Andrew and Lauren Booth, who live in Kampersrus and have hosted the event for the past 11 years, seeing all of these elements come together was hugely rewarding. “I get emotional at events like this, when I see how deep participants have dug out on the course.” said Lauren. “Every kilometre out there has to be hard earned, and knowing how hard organisations like the K2C Biosphere work day in and day out to protect this space, it seems a fitting meeting of effort and passion.”

Described by many as the “Best Edition Yet”, the 2026 Kruger2Canyon Challenge was a reminder that this event is more than a race. It is a challenge, a gathering, a fundraiser, a story-sharing platform, and a way of sending people home as champions of and for the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere.

Photos by Phonix Capture