The route was first completed by Carl Wilhelm Schneeberger in 1897.
Schneeberger completed the course in 9 hours and 5 minutes, not counting his rest stops at the old Johannesburg Hotel in Long Street after each peak.
On the centenary of Schneeberger's feat, Don Hartley and a group of 13 runners took on the challenge on 13 September 1997, and the time has been continually bettered since.
[1] In 2022, the trail was used as a fundraiser to support low-fee Calling Education schools in South Africa.
[2] Bold = current record; an asterisk indicates solo efforts.