Athletics
Robbie Rorich races to dramatic victory at the Otter
Sculptor, engineer and elite trail runner, Robbie Rorich, finally made it to the top of the Otter podium in a dramatic finish to the 18th Otter TERREX Trail, presented by Easy Equities, this morning (Saturday 26 Sept) while ‘Otter Queen’ Bianca Tarboton became the first athlete to win five Otter titles with a hard-run victory.
It was Rorich’s 8th appearance on the iconic 42km stretch through the Tsitsikama Forest, this morning, and he crossed the finish line at Storms River in 4 hrs 08 min 11 sec – his fastest to date – finishing just over a minute clear of Otter debutant, Philani Sengce, to win the 2026 ‘Retto’ (the Otter in reverse).
Otter legend, Kane Reilly was a further 2:45 back in third, making it the closest podium in the history of the race, with 3min 49 sec separating first and third, 5 seconds inside the previous tightest top three in 2024.
Tarboton had, by her own admission, a tough day at the office, and fast-improving Mila Geldenhuys one of her best, but the result was never in doubt with world-class Tarboton winning in 4:55:24, 18:48 ahead of Geldenhuys, with Nadia Booyens a further two minutes back in third.
“The course was difficult today,” Rorich admitted. “At the Otter you are never going to feel good throughout. I had a big breakfast so felt a bit slow in the first half, but had energy in the second.
“I had a few small falls and one bigger one when I fell onto my hip when trying to clamber up a rock face. It was super-nice to run with Philani – we pretty much ran with each other the whole way.”
While the anticipated heavy rain stayed away, affording cool conditions to the elite field of 250, the wettest and muddiest course in years exacted a heavy price with most of the title hopefuls suffering heavy falls along the way.
Kenyan Simon Ngumbau, who set a record time for the 4km Friday Prologue and who was part of the lead group at halfway through Oakhurst, was unable to continue, a severe ankle strain ending his race at Scott Hut, 30km into the race. South African athlete, Tsielo Tsanyane, was another casualty whose race ended at Scott, while regular top five finisher, Mvuyisi Gcogco, and Lovemo Nyaude were forced to walk the final stages after suffering ankle injuries.
“I twisted my ankle quite badly at 8km,” Nyaude explained. “I ran / walked from there with just one shoe. It was tempting to quit but I was determined to finish.”
Spare a thought for Cape Town Trail Marathon double champion, Sengce, running his Otter debut. Sengce was 37 seconds ahead of Rorich at the final checkpoint at the Waterfall, 2,6km from the finish, with multiple Otter podium finisher, Kane Reilly still in contention 1min 48 sec back, before a missed turn spelt ended of his hopes for victory.
Blessed with a remarkable ability to race over wet rocks at high speed, Rorich was closing fast on Sengce on the most technical section of the course, the outcome still in doubt, when Sengce ran off course, losing distance, momentum and ultimately the race as Rorich raced home to a fine victory.
“I was closing on Philani and then saw he ran off course,” related Rorich. “I also took the same wrong turn, but quickly realised the mistake and corrected. I called Philani back and saw he had regained the route, just behind me at that point.
“It’s hard to say what would have happened had he not taken the wrong turn,” Rorich admitted.
And to ponder what might have been had Reilly, running his 14th Otter, avoided the sharp stick which penetrated the sole of his shoe, cutting his foot. The leading TERREX athlete was forced to change his gait, favouring his injured foot which led to hip strain on the opposite side.
“I think in many ways this was my best race, certainly my most strategic,” said Reilly, who ran just 53 seconds off his best ever in 2020 in his fourth sub-4:13 Otter. “I felt I was in with a shout, but the injury may have affected the outcome. There are just so many factors in the Otter and one small incident can cost you the race.
“Perhaps the Otter is not really suited to my strengths. There’s no long, steep climb like Platteklip,” he remarked. “But I guess I’ll keep trying. And it’s so difficult beating a guy like Robbie Rorich – he has no weaknesses and is just such a strong trail athlete.”
Sengce has transitioned from a solid road runner into an exceptional trail athlete and will challenge strongly for a place in the South African team at next year’s World Championships in Cape Town.
Fortunate to have enjoyed guidance from top coaches, Jacques van Rensburg and James Montgomery, Sengce came into his own by defending his title in an upset victory over top Kenyan Simon Ngumbau at the Cape Town Trail Marathon in May. And it was so close to a debut win at Otter.
“I received good advice along the way from the legend Kane Reilly – we ran together from about 15km to near the finish. To run with Kane, wow – he’s such an amazing guy and good example for me. Coach James told me that the Otter is not won with strong running in the first half, but with patience before a strong second half.
“With about 4km from the finish I felt I still had some more gears in me and started to open a gap and felt I could win, but it was not to be this year.”
After an exceptional 2025 when she won trail races on three continents, Tarboton has struggled this year, but remains motivated to recapture he best form. “This was certainly the hardest of all my Otter races,” Tarboton reflected. I fell repeatedly and just could not get into a relaxed running style. Last year’s run felt much easier (when Tarboton ran to a record of 4:30:55 for the Classic Otter).
Geldenhuys ran a controlled race, holding back in the first half before a strong second which ensured second place ahead of Nadia Booyens, back to form Liljan Burger and Julika Pahl in a close contest for the runners-up berths behind Tarboton.
“I raced Otter in 2023 when I finished an hour slower than today, so I’m really pleased with my race, Geldenhuys reflected. “ It may have been the war paint Rob Rorich painted on us at the start! I’m looking forward to running the Dryland Traverse in a team and then the 55km at Ultra-trail Cape Town in November.”
The ‘Magoeboeskloof Maestro’, Ramaketse Lekaka, used his climbing prowess on the first sharp ascent after a 2km beach run at Nature’s Valley, to forge a lead and he crested the top of the climb 30 seconds clear of Stellenbosch athlete, Jacques du Plessis.
Collin Kanyimo, Bradley Weiss, Kenyan Simon Ngumbau and Kane Reilly were running in close formation a few seconds down with Jacques Buys, who placed second in 2024, Otter legend Mvuyisi Gcogco and top French athlete, Bastien Perez close behind.
Bianca Tarboton, the only athlete to have won the Otter on four occasions, was running in 18th place overall, and already well clear of her rivals, with Mila Geldenhuys a minute back 20 seconds clear of Samantha Pringle and Julia Hunter.
Ramaketse stepped up the pace and was almost three minutes clear of the chasing pack through Andre Hut in 41:40, 10km into the race. Reilly was 87 seconds back with Ngumbau, Kanyimo Du Plessis, Buys and Perez close behind in close formation . Rorich and Sengce were running conservatively 2 min 20 sec off the lead.
“We caught up with the leaders at Bloukrans,” Rorich recalled. “But they ran ahead again and we only caught them again at the Munchie Point (at halfway Rorich and Sengce were 50 seconds behind a group of four including Reilly, Lekaka, Jacques Buys and Jacques du Plessis ).
“There were five of us together for much of the second half till Philani, Kane and I broke away after Scott Hut,” Rorich continued. “Philani was running strongly and he opened a gap before the Waterfall and the final kilometres.”
A feature of the race was the return of three-time winner, and the fastest South African on the Otter to date, Johardt van Heerden for the first time in three years.
“The course was tough today,” reflected the three-time Otter winner. “I was quite surprised when I saw how fast the first runners finished, although the cool weather would have helped.
“It was not my day today, but I’m just happy to be back (after health issues and the birth of his children). Let’s see what the future holds but I think there is at least one more win in the body!”
Van Heerden, who was well-pleased with the performance of 4th placed finisher Du Plessis, whom he coaches, had encouraging words for his long-time rival Reilly.
“If you put yourself there for long enough, one day you will certainly get it. I think of Alexander Zverev who tried for years to win a grand slam in tennis. Then he won this year and soon after won his second. Kane has raced almost 600km on Otter over the years – he is a true legend of the Otter. And he’s a dad of two kids, and that’s also a major responsibility. He’ll get it one day, for sure.”
Results
Men
1 Robbie Rorich 4:08:11; 2 Philani Sengce 4:09:16; 3 Kane Reilly 4:12:00; 4 Jacques du Plessis 4:18:07 ; 5 Jacques Buys 4:21:01 ; 6 Ramaketse Lekaka 4:28:07 ; 7 Kelton Miller 4:53:08 ; 8 Brenden Lombard 4:54:13 ; 9 Andreas van Heerden 4:54:39; 10 Sinovuyo Ngobo 4:57:26
Women
1 Bianca Tarboton 4:55:24; 2 Mila Geldenhuys 5:14:12; 3 Nadia Booyens 5:16:05; 4 Lijan Burger 5 :19 :29 ; 5 Julika Paul 5:27:18; 6 Julia Hunter 5:29:43; 7 Emilie Vidal 5:33:38; 8 Samantha Kruger 5:41:43; 9 Samantha Pringle 5:43:06; 10 Maryke van Zyl 5:44:14
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