The journey starts at the Winterton Country Club at 19H00 (7pm) on Friday evening, 27th August 2010. The date is selected as the Friday closest to the full moon in August each year. This doesn't reflect on the athletes but is for the purely practical reason of light along the road at night

After the start in the Club gates, the athletes take a right turn onto the Bergville road and then again onto the Colenso Road before rounding a marker and returning past the Club's entrance to begin their epic journey towards the finish at the Carbineers' historic Headquarters in Pietermaritzburg.

This short loop (of approximately 5,4 km) allows the field to spread out a little as they are picked up by their individual seconding vehicles and support team who will escort them along the way. The race passes through Estcourt, where the local Athletics Club treats the runners and seconds to hot soup and warm encouragement.

After the climb out of Estcourt the field turns left onto the R103 and negotiates the daunting Griffin's Hill before descending to the cold of Mooi River and the host Club's soup kitchen and checkpoint at the Wimpy (where the management allow us to set up on their lawns and afford athletes and seconds clean toilets and clean hot water to refresh tired bodies). The actual half way is marked and is about 700 metres further along the road towards Rosetta.

At Nottingham Road the route takes a right turn just after the subway and rolls on past Michaelhouse and the hamlets of Balgowan, Lidgeton, Lions River (3/4 mark - 120 km) and Tweedie. After crossing the Umgeni River at the foot of the Midmar Dam wall they climb across the N3 and enter Howick opposite the Midlands Hospital. Another right turn and they meander through Merrivale, under the N3 and through Merrivale Heights.

Over the N3 again and along the Cedara Flats then up through Hilton. The 20 kilometre countdown starts at the Rotunda.

At the traffic lights at Crossways Country Inn they turn right and climb over the rise past Cowan House. With 15 km to go, they start the tortuous descent down Sweetwaters Road. At the bottom of the hill begins the looooong haul along the relatively 'flat' Swartkop Road, Mayors Walk and Hoosen Haffajee Street before the last right turn (ONE MILE TO GO) along Chief Albert Luthuli Street, past the City Hall (1,2km to go!) And down to the left turn at the end of the old cemetery and into the welcoming finish at the Drill Hall.

This journey will endure for between 15 hours (for the winner) and 26 hours (cut off) for the back markers.

Herewith, places and times to look out for the runners......

Distance	Place	Approximate Times of First and Last Participants
Start	Winterton	19H00
48 km	Estcourt Bridge	21H00 to 02H00
65 km	Top of Griffins	Midnight to 05H30
Half Way	Mooi River Wimpy	03H00 to 08H00
100 km	Michaelhouse	04H50 to 11H00
120 km	Lions River	06H50 to 15H00
130 km	N3 bridge after Midmar	07H50 to 16H30
140 km	Rotunda at Hilton	08H45 to 18H00
145 km	Cowan House	09H15 to 18H45
155 km	Botanical Gardens	10H00 to 20H00
Finish	Carbineers' Drill Hall	10H25 to 21H00

Current Record - 15 Hrs 21 min 30 sec: Craig Norris
Ladies Record - 18 Hrs 23 min 38 sec: Debbie de Koning