On the first Saturday in November each year, trail runners take on a unique challenge in Cape Town to summit the three mountain peaks that surround the city in a test of endurance that was first attempted 128 years ago.
The iconic Table Mountain is a globally famous attraction and listed as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature along with the Amazon Rainforest and Komodo in Indonesia.
Less famous landmarks on either side of it are Devil's Peak and Lion's Head, which are equally accessible from the city centre.
In 1897, a 25-year-old Carl Wilhelm Schneeberger set out from Cape Town’s bustling Long Street to conquer the city’s three great summits in one continuous push, returning to his starting point after each ascent.
He completed the challenge in a little under 11 hours and won acclaim for doing so.
Others tried sporadically through the years, before local runner Don Hartley took up a more significant challenge in 1997, to formalise the race into something which has since become an annual event that draws entrants from around the world.
"The first couple of years weren’t official races, just a few of us testing ourselves. For me it was always about the challenge. It’s not a fun run, it’s for people who like tough things," Hartley tells Reuters.
"We’re a bit of a purist’s race. If we ever turned it into a mass event with thousands of people, it would lose its mystique. The beauty is that it starts in the city, goes up the mountains, and returns (to the city). That’s the magic.
"I’ve always thought it would become one of those bucket-list events, something every serious runner should do once."
The race distance is 54-kilometres, with a cumulative total elevation of 2,780 metres (9,121 feet) across the three peaks.
Hartley says they offer the 150-odd competitors 14 hours to complete the course, though the record for men now stands at 4:42:43 by elite trail runner Kane Reilly and 6:09:15 for women by Namibian triathlete Julika Pahl, both set in 2019.
"The weather can change dramatically across the three peaks. It’s often freezing on Devil’s Peak, sometimes even icy, then warm on Table Mountain and very hot by the time you reach Lion’s Head," Hartley said.
"It’s meant to be tough, but doable. That’s why we give people 14 hours. It’s a long, hard day, but the sense of achievement at the end makes it worthwhile. That’s what the Three Peaks Challenge is all about."
