Top 10 Annual Sports Events in KZN
Whether you are an athlete or sports spectator, you will want to arrange your travel itinerary around these major sports events in KZN.
Kwa-Zulu Natal has everything a traveler could look for in a vacation destination: Warm summer days and mild winters, majestic scenery including Beach, Big 5 game viewing in the Bush and of course Berg in the ancient Drakensberg Escarpment.
What the friendly province also has, is some of the world’s greatest sporting events.
1. Dusi Canoe Marathon – February
Started in 1951, the Dusi Canoe Marathon is the largest canoeing race on the African continent. It attracts up to 2000 competitors each year who make the 120 km river trip between Pietermaritzburg and Durban over 3 days. The race starts on the uMsindusi River that runs through Pietermaritzburg, joins the uMngeni River where the rapids become more challenging and ends at Blue Lagoon.
Photo Credit: Anthony Grove
2. Midmar Mile – February
The Midmar Mile is the world’s largest open water swimming race with as many as 16 000 entrants hoping to complete the one mile swim held each year at Midmar Dam, outside of Pietermartizburg. The race began in 1974 with 150 entrants and achieved Guinness World Record status in 2009 as the largest open water race in the world.
3. Sani2c Mountain Bike Race – May
The Sani2C is an overland mountain bike race taking contestants from the mountain heights at Sani Pass in the Drakensburg to the sea at Scotburgh, south of Durban. The race follows a rough route over various farms over 3 days.
Photo: Kap Sani2c4. Comrades Marathon – May
Begun in 1921 in an initiative to support devastated families in the aftermath of the largest war the world had ever known (WW1 1914-1918), the Comrades Marathon endures with a spirit of camaraderie like no other.
The event draws up to 23 000 entrants from 60 countries to make the grueling road trip between Pietermartizburg and Durban on foot. The race alternates starting points each year between Durban and Pietermaritzburg making an ‘Up Run’ (Durban to Pietermaritzburg of 87 km) and a ‘Down Run’ between Pietermaritzburg and Durban of 89 km.
Photo: Comrades Marathon5. Sardine Run “The Greatest Shoal on Earth” – May, June, July
Each year in June or July along the KwaZulu-Natal coast, vast shoals of sardines leave their cold-water home in South Africa’s temperate seas and travel north into the sub-tropical seas of South Africa’s Wild Coast. The migration stirs a frenzy of human and animal activity.
Beneath the waves; sharks, gamefish, marine mammals and birds converge in a feeding frenzy, delighting in the abundant mass of fresh food available. This annual event marks an EPIC opportunity for onshore or offshore fishermen, divers and tourist trips out to sea to view the plethora of marine life up close.
6. Spar Womens Race – June
Each year, elite athletes join thousands of regular women (and some men dressed as women!) in the Spar Women’s 10km/ 5km Race. The 10 km road race draws international runners for prize purse monies while the fun run/walk component within the race attracts women of all walks of life and fitness levels for an enjoyable morning of camaraderie in Durban city. The race starts and ends at Growthpoint Kings Park Stadium with a route providing flat stretches of road with magnificent sea views.
7. Ballito Pro presented by Billabong – June-July
This iconic ASP World Tour Surf event is the longest running international surf event in the world! What began as the Gunston 500 on Durban’s Bay of Plenty beach, has evolved into a world championship surfing event with over 100 million viewers catching the live feed of the event around the world.
Ballito is renowned for its enormous winter swells, offering spectators nail-biting action as 96 of the worlds top seeded professionals compete for the ASP ranked title in the tough surf conditions. Ballito Pro presented by Billabong
8. Vodacom Durban July
The Durban July Handicap has been held on the first Saturday of July since 1897. South Africa’s premier thoroughbred race horses are carefully selected to run the 2200 m turf race at Greyville Race Course.
The event is a celebrated society event, drawing the Who’s Who of South Africa for a day of high fashion, top entertainment and, of course, horse racing!
9. AmaShova Durban Classic Road Race – October
The AmaShova Classic is the oldest classic cycle race started in 1986 with the intention of following the traditional Comrades Marathon Route between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. Resistance from authorities to host a second all day road event which would upset traffic flow restricted the number of entrants to the competition and the cut off time of just 4 hours to complete the almost 100 km race for many years.
Over the 29 years history, the race has gained popularity and now enjoys title sponsorship from Tsogo Sun and Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World is the official finish venue of this 106 km race. A half race from Cato Ridge (65 km) was introduced in 2013 with Minishova races of 5 km and 1 km accommodating novice and minor riders.
Photo: Tsogo Amashova Classic10. Rugby Season in the Shark Tank
The The Sharks are the home team based at Kings Park Rugby Stadium. Each winter, the season warms to the enthusiastic support of avid rugby fans who attend home games hosted on a Saturday afternoon or evening.
The post-game events are often as popular as the game itself. Friends gather around a braai or picnic snacks and well stocked cooler boxes on the adjoining training fields where they park their vehicles for the game and enjoy lively discussions of play-by-play events in the game recently watched.
More Tourist Attractions | More Events in Durban |