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Africa: 8 opening dates to watch

Opening dates for lotteries, permits, huts and registrations

4 lotteries3 agency permits1 registration

Updated · Checked

Next opening 79 days Grand Raid, Diagonale des Fous, January 20

In short

8 trails and races: 4 lotteries; 3 agency permits; 1 registration. Next opening: Grand Raid, Diagonale des Fous, January 20, 2027. Also: 4 can be booked all year.

Edge colour: type of opening Lotteries and ballotsFixed-date bookingsQuota permits and tour operators

Upcoming openings soonest first

January 2027

  1. 20Jan.Wed.
    Grand Raid, Diagonale des FousLottery opens, at 2:00 p.m., Réunion time, closes March 6Réunion Island, France · Ultra-trail · Lottery
    in 79 daysestimated

June 2027

  1. 9JuneWed.
    Cape Town MarathonLottery opens, closes June 23Cape Town, South Africa · Marathons and halve · Lottery
    in 219 daysestimated

August 2027

  1. 4Aug.Wed.
    Two Oceans MarathonLottery opens, at 10:00 a.m., Johannesburg time, closes August 15Cape Town, South Africa · Marathons and halve · Lottery
    in 275 daysestimated

September 2027

  1. 8Sept.Wed.
    Comrades MarathonLottery opens, at 10:00 a.m., Johannesburg time, closes September 21Durban, South Africa · Marathons and halve · Lottery
    in 310 daysestimated

All year round no single opening date

  1. ∞all year
    Bwindi gorilla trekkingBookable all year, no single opening dateUganda · Hike · Agency permit
  2. ∞all year
    KilimanjaroBookable all year, no single opening dateTanzania · Hike · Agency permit
  3. ∞all year
    Marathon des SablesBookable all year, no single opening dateMorocco · Ultra-trail · Registration
  4. ∞all year
    Volcanoes gorilla trekkingBookable all year, no single opening dateRwanda · Hike · Agency permit

Don't miss an opening

Add every opening on this page to your calendar: your phone reminds you 1 week before and the day before each one.

Frequently asked questions

What is the next opening?

Grand Raid, Diagonale des Fous: lottery opens on Wednesday, January 20, 2027.

Which ones use a lottery?

Grand Raid, Diagonale des Fous; Cape Town Marathon; Two Oceans Marathon; Comrades Marathon.

Which ones can be booked all year?

Bwindi gorilla trekking; Kilimanjaro; Marathon des Sables; Volcanoes gorilla trekking.

See also

What opens in JanuaryEvery opening this month
Sources and checks. Each date comes from its guide, which gives its source and how reliable it is. “Estimated”: worked out from previous years, to be confirmed. “Press”: announced by the specialist press. Page updated on October 27, 2026.