Nicolette Griffioen

About

Nicolette Griffioen is a South African trail runner widely regarded as the queen of South African long-distance trail running. A qualified veterinarian by training, she became a certified running coach (UESCA) and co-founded Mountain Abandon — a trail running, coaching, and mountain guiding organization — with her partner Pierre Jordaan. In 2025 she achieved an unprecedented sweep of South Africa's three trail majors in a single season: the RMB Ultra Trail Drakensberg, the Mountain Ultra Trail by UTMB, and the RMB Ultra-Trail Cape Town (100 miles), the last of which she won in a course record of 24 hours 39 minutes 42 seconds, breaking American Hillary Allen's 2022 mark of 24:55:22. No athlete — male or female — had previously completed that clean sweep. She was the South African national long-distance and ultra-trail champion in 2015 and holds the women's course record at the Skyrun 100km. Through Mountain Abandon she works to inspire future generations to appreciate and preserve South Africa's natural heritage while continuing to compete at the elite level of international ultra trail.

Notable Wins

• — RMB Ultra-Trail Cape Town 2025 (24:39:42 CR); RMB Ultra Trail Drakensberg winner; Mountain Ultra Trail by UTMB winner; SA Long-Distance Champion 2015; SA Ultra-Trail Champion 2015; Skyrun 100km women's record

Race History