The first Trojan Om Die Dam was run in 1991 and has grown into one of the finest ultra-marathons in South Africa. On non-race day the venue is an hour’s drive from Johannesburg, or around 40 mins from Pretoria.

On race day runners should allow considerably more time, and it is important to see the route maps on the other pages. Keep in mind that most of the routes have now been upgraded with wider and better roads, making for quicker trips than in the last decade.

That said it is always better to make a weekend of it, by driving through to the area on Friday and leaving on Sunday, which not only allows for race recovery and celebration, but also the opportunity to enjoy some of the many tourist attractions from game lodges, and craft markets to balloon rides and zip lining.

A trip to the Hartbeespoort Dam is always a pleasure, and if that wasn’t enough the magnificently scenic routes will have you wanting to do a second lap when you reach the finish.