TFP Melville Koppies
Sun, 12 Oct
|Melville Koppies Nature Reserve
The inaugural Trail Fund Project Challenge is here!
Time & Location
12 Oct 2025, 08:00 – 26 Oct 2025, 11:30
Melville Koppies Nature Reserve, 4 Judith Rd, Emmarentia, Randburg, 2195, South Africa
Event Details
Tackle the trails at Melville Koppies Nature Reserve - one of Joburg's oldest nature reserves.
Sponsored by Forge, this virtual trail event invites runners and walkers to complete a set Strava segment within the reserve between October 12 and 26. Your ticket not only secures your place in the challenge (and qualifies you for prizes) but also directly supports the passionate volunteers from Friends of Melville Koppies who have cared for this remarkable piece of wild Joburg since 1959.
Whether you're aiming for the fastest time, walking it for fun, or representing your running or hiking group, every step helps conserve our public parks and reserves.
How the event works
As soon as you've bought your tickets, you'll receive the segment details and GPX via email.
Pick a day to run/hike the segment. Melville Koppies is managed by volunteers and is only open on Sundays between 08h00 - 11h30. The available dates for this challenge are October 12th, 19th and 26th.
Record your attempt with your phone or watch and upload it to Strava (your activity must be made public on Strava to be accounted for).
On Wednesday, 29 October, we'll announce the prize winners and the amount of funds raised for Friends of Melville Koppies.
Important Notes:
There are no route markers, so you absolutely need the route saved on your watch or phone to navigate it. We recommend the mobile apps Outdooractive or GPX Viewer 2 to follow the route on your phone.
Ensure you have your digital ticket on your phone on the day you visit, as it covers your entry fee into the reserve. This ticket will be scanned by a volunteer at the entrance gate.
There is no set start time - you can enter the reserve any time between 08h00 and 11h00.
Your ticket only covers one entry into the reserve. If you wish to attempt the segment on multiple days, you will need to buy additional tickets.
The challenge is only open to individuals aged 18 and above. Under 18s (R50) and children (Free) can, however, still enter the reserve on the day.
Regrettably, dogs are NOT allowed in Melville Koppies Nature Reserve.
Emergency contact at the reserve: Jenny 072 348 0578
Route
The official route is 3.7 km long. If you'd like to do the 10 km Fingers Crossed edition that incorporates the segment, see below.
Prizes and Leaderboards
Prizes
To qualify for prizes, ensure that you:
Buy a ticket
Join the Forge Strava Club.
Complete the segment between 12 and 26 October.
Prizes are awarded for the following categories:
Fastest Lady 🥤 Open Fuel R300 Online Voucher
☕️ Fingers Crossed Voucher (Any drink for two people) 🏡 Two-night stay for two at Hek se Huis in Sutherland 🥜 Eastern Temptations R150 Loyalty Card 🍜 Mama Alles 50%-off Online Store voucher 🍔 Kitchen of Oz R150 truck/store voucher 🎟️ 50%-off next TFP event
Fastest Man 🥤 Open Fuel R300 Online Voucher ☕️ Fingers Crossed Voucher (Any drink for two people) 🏡 Two-night stay for two at Hek se Huis in Sutherland 🥜 Eastern Temptations R150 Loyalty Card 🍜 Mama Alles 50%-off Online Store voucher 🍔 Kitchen of Oz R150 truck/store voucher 🎟️ 50%-off next TFP event ticket
Lucky draw for all competitors
🥤 Open Fuel R200 Online Voucher ☕️ 2x Fingers Crossed Vouchers (Any drink for two people) 🏡 Two-night stay for two at Hek se Huis in Sutherland
🥜 Eastern Temptations R150 Loyalty Card
🍜 Mama Alles 50%-off Online Store voucher 🍔 Kitchen of Oz R150 truck/store voucher 🎟️ 50%-off next TFP event ticket
Lucky draw for all teams* 🥤 5x Open Fuel R100 Online Vouchers 🥜 1x Eastern Temptations R550 Loyalty Card 🍜 1x Mama Alles 50%-off Online Store voucher 🍔 1x Kitchen of Oz R150 truck/store voucher 🎟️ 5x 50%-off next TFP event ticket
Leaderboards
Track your ranking on our leaderboard page, which is updated every Friday during the event timeframe. You can also view your ranking on the segment details on Strava.
*Teams must have a minimum of 5 members. Ensure all competing members have the same team name on entry tickets.
Parking
Free parking is available at Marks Park Sports Club on Judith Road. The entrance to the reserve is directly opposite the club's main entrance.
If you choose to do the 10 km Fingers Crossed Edition, free parking is available at the café.
Event Photos
About Friends of Melville Koppies:
Friends of Melville Koppies (FOMK) have been responsible for conserving the Melville Koppies Nature Reserve since 1959. They preserve its archaeological heritage and conserve its natural vegetation. FOMK employ a three-man, full-time conservation team plus an additional part-time member who weed out invasive alien plants, maintain the ablutions and lecture hut, burn fire-breaks and conduct trail maintenance. They also pay for additional security guards. The ongoing cost of running the reserve is close to R25,000 per month.
To fund these costs, the reserve is open to the public every Sunday morning from 08:00 - 11:30 for a fee. FOMK also host a variety of activities throughout the month that help raise funds
About the Trail Fund Project:
Trail Fund Project is a Forge fundraising initiative that supports volunteer groups that actively maintain trails and conservation infrastructure in public parks and reserves. 60c of every Rand from ticket sales goes directly to selected volunteer groups.
Need more info? Drop us an email.
Tickets
TFP Entry Ticket
R 125,00
+R 3,13 ticket service fee
Sale endedTFP Segment Dash Ticket
50%-off for second attempt
R 62,50
+R 1,56 ticket service fee
Sale ended