Hedianga Farm
Posted by Izak Van Der Merwe in Running, Trails on August 24, 2016
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Hedianga Farm is nestled in the heart of the east of Pretoria and provides 3 trails for trail runners at the time of writing:
Green (5km), Blue (10km) and Red (15km)Route: Red
Distance: 14 km
Difficulty: Hard
Terrain: Rocky Savannah, Bushveld, Forest
Entry: Adults – R30 / Children (13-17) R10 and Children under 12 Free
Times: 06:30 – 18:30
Contact: 082 552 0955General
From arriving through the gates the place leaves a good impression. The parking is ample and there is a nice big sign with information on the routes as well as some general terms and conditions since this venue is also utilised by mountain bikers (separate trail).
You pay your entry fee at a table right by the start of the trails and from there all trails start on the same route for the first km or so where the split is indicated clearly with nice large visible arrow signs. The trail running route is also utilised by hikers and dog owners alike but with the rules for dog owners clearly set out with off the leash areas in some parts. Horses are also welcome on the route and really opens this up for the whole family.
The course
The course is made up out of varying terrain including savannah, bushveld and even some forested areas next to the spruit. The red route is tough but manageable although a high degree of fitness is advised and also some trail running experience if you want to run it all the way.
About 95% of the route is single track and either downhill or uphill with very few flat sections in between. The trails are mostly rocky with quite a few sections where you have to keep your wits about you less you slip and / or step badly and injure yourself. These are however the sections that excite me as they really get the heart pumping and teach you skill and focus. The climbs are quite technical and if you run them at a decent pace will get the legs and lungs working properly to say the least. I spoke to some others who ran the blue route and they indicated that it is very doable even for novices.
Route markings
Route marking is excellent and there are even warning signs as you come up to a MTB trail runner crossing so that proper attention can be paid to possible traffic on the trail.
What excited me most about this is that there are several markings showing that new routes are being built. This is always a good sign as it means that the owners are investing in the trails and that you will always have new challenges waiting for you.
Summary
This is really a beautiful route and I can’t wait to run it again. It is conveniently situated and there are ablution facilities at the start should you require these.
Something that really caught my eye was how clean the route was and I literally did not see one piece of rubbish en-route. Dog owners and dogs alike were very well behaved and abided by the rules as far as I was aware.
Check out their facebook page for info and events:
https://www.facebook.com/hedianga.farmHere’s some amateur video footage of some of the sections: