From the Mountains: The Heart of our 2026 Kick-off

By Terence Vrugtman & Thomas van Tonder

There is a specific kind of energy that comes with the first event of the year. For us, the Harties River Trail isn’t just a race on the calendar; it’s the moment where all the planning, the late-night emails, and the trail-building finally come to life. We wanted to pull back the curtain a bit and share the heart of this weekend from both our perspectives—the high points, the human moments, and the things we’re already working to fix for next time.

Thomas van Tonder on the microphone at Harties River Trail.

Thomas: The Heart of the Trails

For me, this event is incredibly personal. When you’re out there running, you’re crossing paths that I’ve spent hours physically carving out of the bush. It’s "home turf" in every sense of the word.

The biggest part of my job that most people don’t see is the "handshake" side of things. We run over private farms, government land, and neighborhoods. It’s a delicate balance to keep everyone happy, and it was such a proud moment for me this year when a new neighbor gave us his blessing because his fellow farmers told him, "You can trust these guys; they look after the land." That kind of community trust is the real foundation of what we do.

But the real highlight for me was much more personal. Seeing the trail community step up when we needed hands at the water points was amazing—we went from being short-staffed to having a surplus of help in hours! And then, watching my wife cross the finish line of her first-ever 12km... that’s what it’s all about. Seeing people push their own boundaries on the trails we built is a feeling that never gets old.

Terence Vrugtman shares his thoughts on a new perspective.

Terence: A New Perspective

Living down in the Western Cape now has changed my rhythm, but it’s actually made my connection to the series even stronger. Being at a distance has forced us to become sharper and more intentional with how we run things. Coming back to Joburg for race day felt like a homecoming.

I spent a lot of time watching the "flow" this weekend. I loved seeing the new faces—nearly 60% of the field were first-timers! It’s a huge compliment to the community we’ve built that so many people feel welcome enough to start their trail journey with us.

I also had a lot of fun with the vibe at the finish. We moved away from the standard "event music" and leaned into a more soulful rock and rap playlist. Watching you guys hang out, Jack Black beer in hand, with that music in the background... it finally felt like the atmosphere we’ve always dreamed of creating.

Growing Pains & Learning

We’re not the kind of directors who pretend everything is perfect. We were gutted that our food vendor had vehicle trouble on Saturday morning. We know that after a tough run, a good meal is part of the reward. We’re already sitting down to figure out how to build a better safety net for the next event so that "Plan B" is just as good as "Plan A."

We’re also taking your feedback to heart for Trail Fest. We’re bringing in more bins to keep our venues pristine and bigger speakers to make sure that energy carries across the whole village.

Runners explore the beauty of the Magaliesberg bird at the Harties Trail Experience.

To the Future

The River Trail is the "forgiving" start to our season, but it’s set a massive tone for the rest of the year. We’ve got a happy community, incredible support from our neighbors, and a fire in our bellies to make the next one even better.

Thank you for trusting us with your Saturday morning. We’ll see you at the Fest!

— Terence & Thomas

Get ready for the Harties Trail Fest