The partnership between iconic South African stage racing adventure trail run, the Dryland Traverse, and the shoe brand many associate with adventures, Merrell, is a natural one. It is no surprise then that Merrell has taken up the mantle of Official Footwear Partner of the Dryland Traverse. The sponsorship agreement begins with the 2026 edition, which takes place from the 29th of October to the 1st of November.
Participants will be able to view and test the latest Merrell shoes at the Dryland Traverse. Photo by Karabo Ngcozela Photography.
“The Dryland Traverse embodies everything that Merrell stands for: adventure, resilience, community, and a passion for exploring the outdoors,” praised Liezel Jooste, Marketing Manager for Medicus Shoes, Merrell’s South African distributor. “This perfectly aligns with Merrell’s purpose of inspiring more people to get outside and embrace an active outdoor lifestyle, ‘Sharing the Simple Power of being Outside with Everyone.’”
“The Dryland Traverse embodies everything that Merrell stands for: adventure, resilience, community, and a passion for exploring the outdoors.” Photo by Karabo Ngcozela Photography.
“We’re excited to welcome Merrell into the Dryland Traverse community,” Bernard le Roux, of Dryland Event Management, smiled. “Globally, Merrell’s commitment to developing thoughtfully designed, rigorously tested shoes is certainly admirable. Locally, Medicus Shoes has backed the renowned Merrell products with superb customer service and is keen to build on their community-driven ethos by supporting and empowering Dryland Traverse participants.”
The magnificent Swartberg Mountains set an adventurous scene for the Dryland Traverse. Photo by Oakpics.
“I’m looking forward to elevating the Dryland Traverse athlete experience alongside Merrell,” Le Roux continued. “And I’ll be seeing which of their shoes will perform best on the dance floor too, because Stage 2.5 will require a special kind of takkie.”
Stage 2.5, the fancy dress party on Saturday night, has become one of the highlights of the trail running calendar and a reason to join the Dryland Traverse adventure. Photo by Oakpics.
As Le Roux alluded, there will also be opportunities to experience the latest Merrell shoes first hand at the Dryland Traverse. “Merrell will deliver an engaging brand experience throughout the 2026 Dryland Traverse,” Jooste promised. “Participants can expect exclusive shoe showcases featuring Merrell’s latest trail running footwear, opportunities to test selected shoes, expert advice from the Merrell team on footwear selection and performance, and interactive activations designed to enhance the event experience.”
The Dryland Traverse begins with a Prologue which includes a kilometre of subterranean trail running in the Cango Caves, on Thursday, 29 October. Photo by Oakpics.
The 2026 Dryland Traverse Adventure Trail Run features a prologue and three stages over the course of four days. The adventure begins with a run into the Cango Caves on Thursday afternoon, before the big mountain day in the Swartberg on Friday. Stage 1 offers two route options and is the toughest of the race. The 25-kilometre race route includes 1 100 metres of climbing from the start at Die Tol on Swartberg Pass, while an ‘Adventure’ option is 4 kilometres shorter and features 400 metres less accumulated ascent. Both the 25- and 21-kilometre options mercifully include more downhill than up, so the uphill grind will be more than made up for. Stage 2 is a fast 24 kilometres, packed with scenery and surprises. Sunday’s final stage is a short 9.9 kilometres, brief enough to limp through if the famous Saturday night fancy dress party got out of hand the night before.
The theme for the 2026 fancy dress party is De HoekStock, offering a groovy 60s theme with a Swartberg twist.
The theme this year is: De HoekStock. Combining the groovy 60s Woodstock aesthetic and sound with the remote De Hoek race village. Runners and supporters alike can look forward to dancing the night away, but need to spare some energy for Sunday’s final stage too.
Expect the unexpected on Stage 2 of the Dryland Traverse. Photo by Oakpics.
Limited entries are available and include all meals from Thursday dinner to Sunday lunch, a race garment, medical support, and sports nutrition from Biogen at the water points along the route. To find out more, visit www.drylandtraverse.co.za or browse Merrell’s full range of shoes at www.merrell.co.za.