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INTERVIEW providers, sponsors, and stakeholders. Every person involved embraced the vision and went the extra mile to help deliver on that mandate. That shared commitment is ultimately what made the 2026 event such a success.
Renée with fellow TTOM management team colleagues, Race Director Dezroy Poole and Compliance & Safety Director Glyn Broomberg
title. Whether it is operations, stakeholder relations, athlete services, sponsorship, or communications, there is a high level of collaboration across the team. So, while the title may differ from one event to another, many of the core skills remain the same: Managing complex mass participation events, and ensuring that all the different elements come together to deliver a world-class experience for participants and stakeholders alike.
Q: You joined the TTOM and Stillwater teams at a time when the TTOM event had been through some challenging times. Can you tell us a bit more about the thought process, planning and execution that saw the 2026 event take place to such wide acclaim?
RJ: When Stillwater Sports first approached me about joining the team that would take over the event, it was a significant decision, particularly given the challenges the event was facing at the time. However, once they shared their vision for the future of the event, it became a very easy decision.
The focus on rebuilding strong operational foundations, enhancing the athlete experience, delivering meaningful value for sponsors and stakeholders, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the event aligned perfectly with my own values and beliefs about what great events should strive to achieve. We shared the same vision for the future of TTOM, and I knew immediately that it was a journey I wanted to be part of.
It has been an incredibly rewarding experience, because our management team brings together a diverse range of skills and expertise while also holding one another accountable. We constantly challenge ourselves by asking questions such as: How does this improve the athlete experience? How does it strengthen safety and compliance? How does it enhance value for our sponsors, partners, and stakeholders? I believe that mindset contributed significantly to the success of the 2026 event.
While there were many moving parts, we consistently brought our decision-making back to the athlete journey and the experience participants would have on race day. You can have the best Expo in the world, but if runners arrive at the first hydration station and there isn’ t enough water, then we have failed as a team. We therefore placed a great deal of pressure on ourselves to ensure that the fundamentals were executed exceptionally well, and I believe that commitment paid off.
Most importantly, though, the success of the event was a true team effort. It was not just the management team, but the collective contribution of our staff, volunteers, service
Q: What were your first impressions of the event, such as the size, complexity, history, traditions and challenges, compared to other events you have worked on?
RJ: Every event is unique and comes with its own set of challenges. Whether you are delivering an event for 30,000 cyclists or 30,000 runners, the fundamentals remain the same: Robust logistical planning, route management, stakeholder coordination and compliance are essential to success.
For me, the past year was less about comparing TTOM to other events and more about understanding what makes it so special. The event is steeped in history and tradition, with a rich legacy that means a great deal to generations of runners. The route itself, the iconic landmarks, the passionate community all set it apart. It is a complex event with many moving parts, but it is precisely those unique characteristics that make it such a remarkable race to be part of.
Q: Okay, let’ s change tack … Would you mind telling us a bit more about your own background, please? In other words, who is Renée Jordaan when she is not in the TTOM office?
RJ: I’ m a wife and mum to a teenager, and I love spending time with my family. I also love being in nature, and my happy place is anywhere close to a wildlife environment. I enjoy exploring new places, and spending time outdoors with my family. In that regard, we’ re incredibly spoiled for choice here in the Western Cape, with so many beautiful natural spaces right on our doorstep.
Q: Tell us about your own sporting background and running. I see you completed the TTOM Half Marathon in 2017, and I see you also entered both the TTOM and Comrades ultras in 2015...
RJ: Sport has also been a big part of my life, even sports I have never participated in, because I’ m always watching local and international events to see how they are
The iconic climb up Chapman’ s Peak is one of the many traditions that make the event special
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