Marriott cyclists.
Doggy dash.
Runners starting.
On Sunday 14 August the Lions River Club once again hosted the popular Marriott Dargle Trails Festival. With a spectacular backdrop of snowy Drakensberg mountains, trail runners and cyclists were off to an early start. Mild weather ensured a warmer than expected day but the cooling breeze provided welcome relief to competitors.
This year’s festival included three trail runs (6, 12 and 21kms), three MTB routes (6, 21 and 40kms), a social horse outride and a 3km family bike ride and dog walk. A portion of the proceeds from the family dog walk and horse events went to the SPCA and the KZN Coastal Horse Care Unit respectively – two well deserving charities.
Race organisers added a new dimension to the festival this year by encouraging enthusiastic trail runners to bring their dogs along with them on the 6km and 12km routes. Owners, and their pets, agreed that this new addition to the Dargle Festival was a real hit.
Trail preparation was top priority and apart from ensuring that participants were treated to spectacular, changing scenery, particular attention was paid to the quality of the track itself. Riders especially were pleased with the improvements which ensured a challenging but ‘clean’ ride.
While participants were enjoying the trails, spectators and visitors browsed the market stalls and made good use of the food tent and bar. The supervised ‘Kids Corner’ was a popular attraction too, giving parents a chance to enjoy some time out.
Keep your eye out for next year’s event which promises to deliver more of the midlands magic.
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