Time: 2019 - 2021
Project: Marketing strategy, website, email marketing, social media, paid media, design, event media
Impact: Successfully refreshed the brand’s online presence and marketing strategy, leading to sold out events in all 4 race categories.

Sani Stagger is a legacy South African road race, an institution on the running calendar for decades. It’s a unique event with four races: a marathon up and down the iconic Sani Pass, a half marathon down the pass, and two trail runs. Despite its heritage, the race was under pressure in a changing running climate, facing rising costs and the need to attract a new audience.

I was invited to join the team by the same organiser behind my current client, Ultra-Trail Drakensberg. The brief was clear: bring fresh energy to Sani Stagger, increase participation, strengthen its brand, and position the event for long-term financial sustainability and sponsorship opportunities.

My role spanned both strategy and execution, covering every touchpoint of the event:

Digital & Communications: Social media, paid media, email marketing, runner communication, graphic design, and a full rebuild of the race website (migrating from WordPress to Squarespace), improving usability and streamlining online entries. Proud that the average organic engagement rate across Facebook and Instagram was 12.5% during my tenure at Stagger.
Revenue & Experience: Launched the first online merchandise store (which sold out), hosted a “Saturday Market” with local vendors, and introduced a 5km fun run to raise funds for race beneficiaries.
Brand Collateral: Revamped the full suite of race assets, from finish line arches and chute-banners and other on-site collateral. Every element was designed to be both functional and photogenic, ensuring the brand was visible on all finish- and start-line photos.
Race Media & Coverage: Led content strategy and coverage, briefing photographers on brand style, strategically placing them along the route, and ensuring visuals were edited consistently with the event’s look and feel. This created high-quality, shareable content that runners were eager to post, organically extending the race’s reach.
Visibility & Positioning: Increased brand value and digital presence, positioning the event to attract sponsors and boost profitability in the long term.

It was a rewarding project that combined my love for sports with helping a brand find its voice and attract a new generation of runners, ensuring its place on the South African running calendar for years to come. At the end of 2021, I handed the account over to a new social media manager.

New Website
Full screenshots of my version are included below as the website has since been updated by a new team.

SANI STAGGER WEBSITE