The TM35 race features two major climbs, the first on Table Mountain and the second on Devil's Peak. The middle section of the race consists mainly of technical descents and some flat, runnable sections, with a notable climb known as the 400 stairs along the Newlands contour.

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With the city at their feet, they run along the contour to Platteklip Gorge, the longest vertical ascent of the race - a notorious route with gradients exceeding 35 degrees, up Table Mountain. The climb is a long grind and loads the legs very early on in the race - after 7km runners will have gained an elevation of 900m. Reaching the top, runners traverse the famous tabletop ridge with Cape Town at their feet to Maclears Beacon, the highest point of the race - 1086m, with breathtaking views of Cape Town.
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From Maclears Beacon, runners head to Echo Valley and the Valley of Isolation before reaching the Scouts Hut next to the dams where the first Table Mountain Aid Station is located. At Woodhead Dam, runners then descend Nursery Ravine onto the technical sections of Newlands Forest, followed by a steep drop down into the University of Cape Town's upper campus. The final 10 km will test runners' endurance with a challenging climb to the Blockhouse and lower traverse of Devils Peak. Reaching the Blockhouse marks the home stretch, with the reward of incredible views of the City, the Atlantic Ocean, Table Mountain and Lions Head.