Start Cam 1
Gimbal
Anchor / Presenter — roaming unit with live commentary from the Durban start.
Standby
- Live presenter walk-and-talk
- Pre-race build-up and atmosphere
Active Units
0
Live on broadcast
Standby Units
32
Ready for race day
Route Distance
87 km
Durban → Pietermaritzburg
Key Landmarks
10
Up Run · 14 June 2026
Broadcast Window
12h 40m
05:00 – 17:40
Start5 units
Site Plan · Durban City Hall
Outside-broadcast position, start-cam cluster at Church Square, drone corridors east along West St, Cineflex pull-away west on West St.
Start Cam 2
Gimbal
Vibe / Gimbal — emotional close-ups and pre-race atmosphere.
Standby
- Tight character moments in the pen
- Hugs, nerves, last-minute preparation
Start Cam 3
Fixed
Official / Tradition — dedicated to officials and the ceremonial cannon.
Standby
- Cock-crow, Chariots of Fire
- Race official cues and the cannon
Start Cam 4
Fixed
The Arch — wide establishing shot with zoom on the starting arch.
Standby
- Hero wide of the start gantry
- Push-in on field at gun
Start Drone
Drone
Scale & Handover — aerial batch overview transitioning into the route.
Standby
- Top-down field reveal
- Hand-off to Drone 1 on route
Elite Men5 units
Lead Cineflex
Vehicle
Operator · Lee Jackson
Primary Visual Anchor — stable tracking of the men's race leaders.
Standby
- Vehicle-mounted gyro-stabilised lead
- Cinematic profile of the front group
Lead Bike Men
Motorbike
Tactical Lead — follows the top 3 runners and major climbs.
Standby
- Front-of-race tactical angles
- Faces, attacks, surges
Chase Bike Men
Motorbike
Field Depth — covers 2nd–5th position groups with static-option capability.
Standby
- Chase-pack coverage
- Stationary set-ups for splits
Drone 1
Drone
Aerial Tracking — Men — aerial perspective of leaders and topography.
Standby
- Sweeping aerials of the front group
- Climb and descent context
Drone 2
Drone
Aerial Tracking — Men — relay backup ensuring continuous aerial coverage.
Standby
- Battery / range hand-off with Drone 1
- Maintains seamless aerial continuity
Elite Women4 units
Lead Bike Women
Motorbike
Women's Lead — dedicated women's race coverage throughout the route.
Standby
- Front-of-race tactical angles
- Story arc with the women's leader
Chasing Bike Women
Motorbike
Women's Tactical — captures the contest between 2nd and 3rd place.
Standby
- Podium-contender battles
- Splits and gap-tracking
Drone 3
Drone
Women's Aerial — Primary — dedicated aerial perspective with landmark reference.
Standby
- Aerials of the women's leader
- Landmark / climb context
Drone 5
Drone
Women's Aerial — Relay — second women's drone ensuring continuous aerial coverage of the women's race.
Standby
- Battery / range hand-off with Drone 3
- Backup for podium battles & finish approach
Camera Runners4 units · 12 runners · 8 packs
Front-of-race mobile coverage — 12 embedded GoPro runners (R1–R12) ferried by 3 driver vehicles and deployed in 8 packs (P1–P8, incl. backup) across the route. Full pack-level keyframe choreography lives on the Mobile Camera Tracking dashboard.
Camera Runners R1–R12
Runner
Operator · Damien
POV & In-Race Action — 12 embedded GoPro operators deployed across 8 packs (P1–P8) covering leaders, sub-9hr, silver, Bill Rowan and 10/11/12hr buses.
Standby
- Participant POV from inside the pack
- Off-the-line atmosphere and texture
- Pack rotation at Cowies, Fields, Botha's, Drummond, Polly Shortts
Driver 1
Vehicle
Botha's Ferry — pre-positions sub-9hr packs (P4–P7) and runners R4–R7 at Botha's Hill, then leapfrogs to drop-offs along the route.
Standby
- Pre-position at Botha's with P4/P5/P6/P7 + R4–R7
- Drop P4/P5/P6 at Botha's, transit forward
Driver 2
Vehicle
Fields Hill Ferry — pre-positions P2/P3 + R2/R3 at Fields Hill, manages mid-route hand-offs into the elite men's window.
Standby
- Pre-position at Fields Hill with P2/P3 + R2/R3
- Drop P3/R3, transit to next deploy point
Driver 3 — Big Car
Vehicle
Start Ferry — Big Car at Durban Start carrying P1 + R1 (sub-9hr corral); rolls forward to support back-of-race after deployment.
Standby
- Start line with P1 + R1
- Transit forward after Pack 1 deploys
Roaming & Storytelling5 units
Drone 4
Drone
Roaming Storyteller — captures the scale of the event and iconic landmarks.
Standby
- Hero landmark imagery
- Scale-of-event sweeps
Roaming Bike 10
Motorbike
Vibe & Human Interest — follows support vehicles and spectator engagement.
Standby
- Crowd, kids, supporters' tables
- Story-led detours mid-route
Roaming Bike 11
Motorbike
Vibe & Human Interest — mirror coverage to Roaming Bike 10.
Standby
- Second-channel human-interest cover
- Ensures spread across the field
Roaming Cam 12
Gimbal
Drummond Specialist — relocates from start to halfway for midpoint drama.
Standby
- Halfway split coverage at Drummond
- Crowd corridor and arch beats
Roaming Cam 13
Gimbal
Polly Shortts Specialist — relocates to the final climb.
Standby
- Polly Shortts drama and pain
- Crest reactions into the city
Finish9 units
Site Plan · Scottsville Racecourse
Finish-line gantry with 15 m no-go area, scaffolding cam at route entry, fixed cam & jib on the line, roaming gimbals at Medals, drone zone south of camera platform.
Finish Arch Cam
Hidden Fixed
Fly-on-the-Wall — Constant Finish Feed — concealed inside the finish arch running an uninterrupted, unmanned feed of every runner crossing the line.
Standby
- 24/7 line-of-tape POV under the arch
- Source feed for every finisher, leader → last across
- Cutaway library for post and sponsor edits
Finish Drone
Drone
The Arrival — tracks runner entry into the finish venue.
Standby
- Aerial reveal of finish stadium
- Final approach overhead
Finish Cam 1
Fixed
The Entry — positioned at the traffic circle marking the final stretch.
Standby
- First sighting into the venue
- Wide context of the home straight
Finish Cam 2
Fixed
The Turn — captures the final corner approach.
Standby
- Final corner geometry
- Last tactical angle before line
Finish Jib
Fixed Jib
The Sweep — dynamic sweeping coverage through the spectator stands.
Standby
- Crane-style movement over the line
- Crowd-to-runner dynamic transitions
Finish Cam 3
Fixed
Hero Shot — Wide — wide finish-line perspective.
Standby
- Banner-and-line composition
- Scale of the finishing chute
Finish Cam 4
Fixed
Hero Shot — Close — tight leader-tracking for the iconic finishing moment.
Standby
- Tight long-lens to the line
- Frozen winning moment
Finish Cam 5
Gimbal
Human Interest — roaming unit capturing reactions and medal moments.
Standby
- Tears, embraces, recovery tents
- Medal hand-overs and family
Finish Cam 6
Gimbal
Interviews — talent-linked for live post-finish interviews.
Standby
- Mixed-zone presenter coverage
- Live cross-back to studio
Start / Finish
Big Five climb
Halfway mark
Reference point
Durban Start
KM 0
Race Start — Durban City Hall.
Start Cam 1Start Cam 2Start Cam 3Start Cam 4Start DroneCamera Runners
Cowies Hill
KM 14.5
First Major Climb — Big Five #1.
Lead CineflexLead Bike MenDrone 1Drone 4Camera Runners
Fields Hill
KM 22
Long Ascent — Big Five #2.
Lead CineflexLead Bike MenChase Bike MenDrone 1Camera Runners
Botha's Hill
KM 37
High Spectator Density — Big Five #3.
Lead CineflexLead Bike MenRoaming Bike 10Roaming Bike 11Drone 4
Arthur's Seat
KM 40
Tradition Point — Flower Drop.
Lead CineflexDrone 4
Drummond
KM 43
HALFWAY MARK — Critical Transition.
Lead CineflexDrone 4Roaming Cam 12Camera Runners
Inchanga
KM 45
Steep Climb — Big Five #4.
Lead CineflexLead Bike MenLead Bike WomenDrone 3Drone 5
Harrison Flats
KM 55
Expansive Shots — Chase Bike Loop Point.
Chase Bike MenRoaming Bike 10Roaming Bike 11
Polly Shortts
KM 78
THE DECIDER — Final Climb · Big Five #5.
Lead CineflexLead Bike MenDrone 1Drone 2Roaming Cam 13Camera Runners
Scottsville PMB
KM 86
FINISH LINE — Scottsville Racecourse.
Finish Arch CamFinish DroneFinish Cam 1Finish Cam 2Finish JibFinish Cam 3Finish Cam 4Finish Cam 5Finish Cam 6
Phases
Start
Elite
Mid-Field
Back of Race
Finish
Men's leader times reflect Up Run record pace. Women's leader times = Men's pace + 10 min.
05:00
Group Start 1 — Batches A–C (elite / sub-7:30 corral)
Start Cam 1Start Cam 2Start Cam 3Start Cam 4Start DroneCamera Runners
05:15
Group Start 2 — Batches D–G (mid-pack)
Start Cam 1Start Cam 2Start DroneRoaming Cam 12Roaming Cam 13
05:30
Group Start 3 — Batches H–F (final group · back of pack)
Start Cam 1Start Cam 2Start DroneCamera Runners
05:45
Men Leaders through Cowies Hill — KM 14.5 · Big Five #1
Lead CineflexLead Bike MenDrone 1Drone 4Camera Runners
05:55
Women Leaders through Cowies Hill (+10 min on Men)
Lead Bike WomenChasing Bike WomenDrone 3Drone 5
06:18
Men Leaders — Bottom of Fields Hill — KM 22 · Big Five #2
Lead CineflexLead Bike MenChase Bike MenDrone 1Drone 2Camera Runners
06:28
Women Leaders — Bottom of Fields Hill (+10 min on Men)
Lead Bike WomenChasing Bike WomenDrone 3Drone 5Camera Runners
07:45
Men Leaders reach Drummond — KM 43 · HALFWAY
Lead CineflexLead Bike MenDrone 4Roaming Cam 12Camera Runners
07:55
Men Leaders reach Inchanga — KM 45 · Big Five #4
Lead CineflexLead Bike MenDrone 1Drone 2
07:55
Women Leaders reach Drummond (+10 min on Men)
Lead Bike WomenDrone 3Drone 5Roaming Cam 12
08:05
Women Leaders reach Inchanga (+10 min on Men)
Lead Bike WomenDrone 3Drone 5
10:20
Men Winner Finishes — Hero Shot · Up Run record pace
Finish Arch CamFinish DroneFinish Cam 1Finish Cam 2Finish JibFinish Cam 3Finish Cam 4Finish Cam 5Finish Cam 6
10:30
Women Winner Finishes — Hero Shot (+10 min on Men)
Finish Arch CamFinish DroneFinish Cam 1Finish Cam 2Finish JibFinish Cam 3Finish Cam 4Finish Cam 5Finish Cam 6
12:00
Sub-9hr Bill Rowan window — mid-field at Polly Shortts
Roaming Cam 13Roaming Bike 10Roaming Bike 11Drone 4
13:00
Mid-field runners finishing at Scottsville
Finish Arch CamFinish DroneFinish Cam 1Finish Cam 2Finish Cam 3Finish Cam 4Finish Cam 5Finish Cam 6
13:30
Lead Bikes head to Comrades House for back-of-race coverage
Lead Bike MenLead Bike WomenRoaming Bike 10Roaming Bike 11
13:40
DRUMMOND CUTOFF — Final runners battling to beat the clock
Roaming Cam 12Roaming Bike 10Roaming Bike 11Drone 4
14:00
Runners finishing at Scottsville — Emotional finishes
Finish Arch CamFinish DroneFinish Cam 1Finish Cam 2Finish Cam 3Finish Cam 4Finish Cam 5Finish Cam 6
15:00
Late afternoon — runners pushing for sub-11hr (Medal ceremony slot · TBC)
Finish Arch CamFinish Cam 5Finish Cam 6Roaming Bike 10Roaming Bike 11
17:00
Final 30 minutes — Vic Clapham window, last runners crossing the line
Finish Arch CamFinish DroneFinish Cam 1Finish Cam 2Finish Cam 3Finish Cam 4Finish Cam 5Finish Cam 6
17:30
FINAL CUT-OFF — 12hr gun · gates close at Scottsville
Finish Arch CamFinish DroneFinish Cam 1Finish Cam 2Finish Cam 3Finish Cam 4Finish Cam 5Finish Cam 6
17:35
Bugle Playing — Last Post tradition
Finish Arch CamFinish Cam 3Finish Cam 4Finish Cam 5Finish Cam 6Finish Jib
17:40
END OF BROADCAST — Sign-off, sponsor outro, throw to studio
Finish Cam 5Finish Cam 6
| Unit | Type | Role | Operator | Key Points | Relay / Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start · 5 units | |||||
| Start Cam 1start-cam-1 | Gimbal | Anchor / Presenter — roaming unit anchoring the start live. | — |
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| Start Cam 2start-cam-2 | Gimbal | Vibe / Gimbal — creative close-ups and pre-race emotion. | — |
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| Start Cam 3start-cam-3 | Fixed | Official / Tradition — start officials and the canon firing. | — |
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| Start Cam 4start-cam-4 | Fixed | The Arch — wide of arch with dramatic zoom on gun fire. | — |
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| Start Dronestart-drone | Drone | Scale & Handover — aerial of batches, then handover to route. | — |
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| Elite Men · 5 units | |||||
| Lead Cineflexcineflex | Vehicle | Primary Visual Anchor — always live, stable tracking of leaders. | Lee Jackson |
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| Lead Bike Menlead-bike-men | Motorbike | Tactical Lead — backs up Cineflex, top 3 and breakaways. | — |
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| Chase Bike Menchase-bike-men | Motorbike | Field Depth — chasing groups (2nd–5th), loops ahead for static shots. | — |
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| Drone 1drone-1 | Drone | Aerial Tracking — Men leaders and chasing groups. | — |
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| Drone 2drone-2 | Drone | Aerial Tracking — relay system with Drone 1 for 100% uptime. | — |
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| Elite Women · 4 units | |||||
| Lead Bike Womenlead-bike-women | Motorbike | Women's Lead — dedicated coverage of the leading women. | — |
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| Chasing Bike Womenchasing-bike-women | Motorbike | Women's Tactical — race between 2nd and 3rd women. | — |
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| Drone 3drone-3 | Drone | Women's Aerial — Primary. Dedicated aerial perspective for the women's race. | — |
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| Drone 5drone-5 | Drone | Women's Aerial — Relay. Second women's drone for continuous aerial coverage. | — |
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| Camera Runners · 4 units · 12 runners · 8 packs | |||||
| Camera Runners R1–R12runners-r1-r12 | Runner | POV & In-Race Action — 12 embedded GoPro operators deployed across 8 packs (P1–P8) covering leaders → 12hr cut-off. | Damien |
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| Driver 1driver-1 | Vehicle | Botha's Ferry — pre-positions sub-9hr packs P4/P5/P6/P7 + runners R4–R7. | — |
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| Driver 2driver-2 | Vehicle | Fields Hill Ferry — pre-positions P2/P3 + R2/R3 for the elite men's window. | — |
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| Driver 3 — Big Cardriver-3 | Vehicle | Start Ferry — Big Car at Durban Start carrying P1 + R1 (sub-9hr corral). | — |
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| Roaming & Storytelling · 5 units | |||||
| Drone 4drone-4 | Drone | Roaming Storyteller — scale of mass race and iconic landmarks. | — |
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| Roaming Bike 10roaming-bike-10 | Motorbike | Vibe & Human Interest — runner buses, spectator reactions, interviews. | — |
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| Roaming Bike 11roaming-bike-11 | Motorbike | Vibe & Human Interest — mirror coverage to Roaming Bike 10. | — |
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| Roaming Cam 12roaming-cam-12 | Gimbal | Drummond Specialist — start batches, then halfway drama. | — |
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| Roaming Cam 13roaming-cam-13 | Gimbal | Polly Shortts Specialist — start batches, then final climb. | — |
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| Finish · 9 units | |||||
| Finish Arch Camfinish-arch-cam | Hidden Fixed | Fly-on-the-Wall — concealed inside the finish arch, constant unmanned feed of every finisher. | — |
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| Finish Dronefinish-drone | Drone | The Arrival — picks runners off Comrades Road into finish venue. | — |
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| Finish Cam 1finish-cam-1 | Fixed | The Entry — first corner traffic circle into the final stretch. | — |
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| Finish Cam 2finish-cam-2 | Fixed | The Turn — final corner toward the finish line. | — |
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| Finish Jibfinish-jib | Fixed Jib | The Sweep — sweeps through the stands as runners pass. | — |
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| Finish Cam 3finish-cam-3 | Fixed | Hero Shot — Wide. Wide behind the line, full scale of finish. | — |
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| Finish Cam 4finish-cam-4 | Fixed | Hero Shot — Close. Tight tracking of the leader for the iconic moment. | — |
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| Finish Cam 5finish-cam-5 | Gimbal | Human Interest — reactions, close-ups, medal area. | — |
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| Finish Cam 6finish-cam-6 | Gimbal | Interviews — talent-linked for live finisher and official interviews. | — |
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