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Muratie Trails Marathon —13 December 2026An exclusive trail adventure in the Knorhoek Valley!
Celebrate the end of 2026 and the start of the summer holidays with singletrack at the Muratie Trails Marathon. Enjoy flowing trails on the slopes of Simonsberg, with starts and finishes at the Dirtopia Trail Centre on Muratie Wine Estate near Stellenbosch. Spend a weekend of trail running and mountain biking across private estate singletrack and soak up the unique charm of one of South Africa’s oldest wine farms.
• Saturday 12 December 2026: Trail running
• Sunday 13 December 2026: Mountain biking
Routes and highlights
• Dirtopia Trails at Muratie Wine Estate are renowned for the flowing singletrack network — and this December trail users are invited to explore the slopes of the south-western slopes of Simonsberg. Singletrack-heavy routes across private farmland and established Dirtopia singletrack.
• Mountain Bike — 42 km (intermediate to advanced)
o 27 km singletrack, 1 600 m elevation gain
o E-bikes welcome (separate late-morning start)
o Three refreshment stations: 8.5 km, 12.5 km, 26 km
Event practicals:
• Venue: Muratie Wine Estate (Dirtopia Trail Centre)
• Registration: Sunday from 06:30
• Start times:
o Sunday: MTB (analogue) 07:30; MTB E-bikes 09:30
MTB Solo Men & Women categories. Junior ages 15 to 18 years.
Ebikes Open FUN category only
• Entries: Pre-entry only; limited places; no on-the-day entries
Included for mountain bikers:
• Bottle of Muratie Dry Red (collect at registration)
• A cup of coffee before the start at Dirtopia Trail Centre (Sunday)
• MTBers only: an annual membership to ride on Dirtopia Trails @ Muratie (value R900)
• Well-stocked waterpoints and finish-line support
• Finishers medal
• Trail Tag timing (incl for MTBers)
• Bike wash after the ride by Squirt Cycling Products
• A cold Jack Black Beer when you finish (not 6km or 11km runners)
• A Muratie Burger for lunch (MTBers only on Sunday)
• Live music on Sunday
• Product prizes for top 3 male & female in MTB and trail run
• Lucky-draw hampers
Fees (pre-entry)
• Mountain bikers: R895 per person
Venue and hospitality
• Bring your supporters: Muratie Wine Tasting Centre open — book ahead for Farm Kitchen lunch
• Warm showers next to the Trail Centre
• Event photography by Chris Hitchcock / Photosport
General notes
Explore the Knorhoek Valley on a specially linked and fully marked 42km route—follow the big yellow boards with arrows and don’t unless there is one.
• Ultimate Performance Therapy will offer massages. Can be booked in advance.
• Chris Hitchcock from Photosport will take quality photos for event memories
• Professional MC’s Gerald de Kock & Paul Valstar for MTB day and Altus Schreuder for the run morning.
• Professional route director Hendrico Burger for the mountain bike event.
• Energy brand Enduren for waterpoints and finish line support.
Enter and contact
• Enter: http://www.dirtpass.co.za
• Email: [email protected] | WhatsApp: 078 343 3572
A brief note
The Muratie Trails Marathon celebrates the trails and the people who build them. We’re honoured to share singletrack laid by the late Meurant Botha and grateful to the community who helped bring this weekend to life.
Take on an unforgettable trail challenge through private land, singletrack by the late trail-building godfather Meurant Botha, and enjoy the unique charm of one of South Africa’s oldest wine farms.
Keeping Meurant’s trails alive
The Muratie Trails Marathon celebrates the trail network designed and built by the late Meurant Botha and raises funds for its ongoing upkeep.
Trail permit sales contribute towards maintenance, but do not cover the full cost of labour, tools, vehicles and repairs. Funds raised through the event will help maintain the singletrack, replace signage and update trail maps, keeping Meurant’s legacy open for riders and runners to enjoy.
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Event venue
Muratie wine farm, Knorhoek Road, R44, near Stellenbosch, 7599, 10 Knorhoek Rd, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Tickets
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.