Three Peaks Challenge


The Three Peaks Challenge is a mountain running trail of some 50km first done by Carl Wilhelm Schneeberger in March 1897. The challenge comprises ascending the three major peaks above Cape Town, namely Devil's Peak, Table Mountain and Lion's Head. Schneeberger completed the course in 9h5m, not counting his rest stops at the old Johannesburg Hotel in Long Street after each peak. On the centenary of Schneeberger's feat, Don Hartley and a group of 13 runners took on the challenge on 13 September 1997. In 2001 Chad Ulansky set a new record at 5h27m29s, a record which stood until 2010 when Andrew Hagen posted a time of 5h23m20sec. One year later, newcomer Andre Calitz beat Hagen, bettering the record by nearly 16 minutes, and set an astonishing new mark in 2012 with a winning time of 4h50m21s.
The course starts at 108 Long Street and runners scramble up Devil’s Peak, Table Mountain and Lion’s Head, returning to Greenmarket Square after each peak.
Three Peaks Records: 1897 to 2014
YearMenTimeYearWomenTime
1897Carl Schneeberger *10:50:00Pioneer
1927Sandy Trimble *07:17:00
1977Geoff Pitter *06:51:00
* solo efforts
1997Don Hartley07:18:001997Catherine Schorr09:27:00
1998Danny Biggs06:07:421998Tanya Katzchner08:23:07
1999Glenn Castle06:41:561999Helen Davies08:43:15
2000Arvind Varsani06:18:202000Tanya Katzchner07:38:27
2001Chad Ulansky05:27:292001Caroline Brawner07:43:49
2002Danny Biggs05:33:512002Sylvie Harris07:31:19
2003Danny Biggs05:44:242003Nicola Le Marquand07:07:21
2004Ake Fagereng06:36:132004Sylvie Harris06:42:32
2005Ake Fagereng05:46:532005Janette Terblanche07:52:54
2006Roger Steel05:56:422006Sylvie Harris06:17:26
2007Andrew Hagen06:11:382007Karen De Kock07:48:12
2008Bruce Arnett05:28:082008Caroline Balkwill07:40:34
2009Andrew Hagen05:34:272009Cherilyn Vossberg07:09:23
2010Andrew Hagen05:23:202010Janette Terblanche07:28:13
2011Andre Calitz05:07:392011Caroline Balkwill07:14:09
2012Andre Calitz04:50:212012Katya Soggott06:15:27
2013Charl Souma05:46:572013Katya Soggott06:15:02
2014Martin Kleynhans05:24:592014Katya Soggott06:15:44

Record Times:
NameDateDevil's PeakTable MountainLion's HeadTotal Time
MenAndre Calitz03-11-201201:42:5201:51:2001:16:0904:50:21
WomenKatya Soggott02-11-201302:02:3802:32:1701:40:0706:15:02

Ten or more Three Peaks Challenges completed:
NameTimes completedYear first completed
Gavin Snell181997
Rolf Aebischer151999
Roger Steel131998
Brian Key132001
Barry Washkansky132002
Stephen Hector122000
Mark Lemmon112002
Annie Lemmon112002
Roz Menne112003
Glenn Castle101997
Sonia Beard102001
Guy Meredith102004
Mark Spengler10
David Foyn10
Alan Green10
Sibylla Eickhoff10