RMB is betting on the road less travelled and in South Africa’s evolving sports economy, that may prove to be a calculated advantage.
While most major sponsors continue to pour resources into rugby, cricket and football, the bank has turned its attention to trail running, a fast-growing but still under-commercialised discipline. At the centre of that strategy is the RMB Ultra-Trail Drakensberg (UTD), now in its second year under RMB’s title sponsorship.
The move reflects a deliberate attempt to enter a space where visibility is easier to secure and long-term influence more attainable.
“We saw an opportunity where there wasn’t significant investment in a rapidly growing sport,” RMB Marketing and Sponsorship Lead Michael Edwards said. “Globally, trail running is expanding commercially, but in South Africa, participation growth is even more striking.”
That growth, reportedly in the triple digits locally, has shifted trail running from the margins toward the mainstream. Unlike traditional codes, where sponsorship inventory is crowded and returns are often diluted, trail running offers what Edwards describes as a “blanker canvas”.
“In traditional sports, there’s already a lot of investment. The opportunity to truly shift the needle is smaller,” he said. “With trail running, we saw a chance to make a big impact from the outset.”
Early indicators suggest that impact is materialising.
At UTD, increased prize money has strengthened the elite field, drawing international competitors, while the addition of a 14km race has widened participation at entry level. The strategy is two-pronged: elevate the top end while simultaneously growing the base.
“We’re not just focusing on elite athletes,” Edwards said. “We’re equally invested in bringing new runners into the sport and giving them something to aspire to.”
Yet the commercial case extends beyond participation metrics.
Trail running’s defining asset is its environment which is a factor that fundamentally reshapes how events are experienced and marketed.
“The mountain is the stadium,” Edwards said. “And that changes everything.”
UTD spans more than 160 kilometres of rugged terrain within a UNESCO World Heritage Site, positioning the event at the intersection of sport, tourism and environmental stewardship. That alignment allows RMB to anchor its sponsorship in something more tangible than branding alone.
“We’re not just investing in an event,” Edwards said. “We’re investing in the preservation of the landscapes that make the sport possible.”
That includes ongoing trail maintenance, a largely invisible but essential component of the ecosystem that supports both competitive racing and recreational use throughout the year.
RMB’s broader trail running portfolio, which also includes Ultra-Trail Cape Town, is built around three pillars: growth, impact and brand alignment. The choice of discipline is not incidental.
“It’s about grit, discipline and long-term commitment,” Edwards said. “You don’t arrive at the finish line without putting in years of work. That resonates strongly with us as a brand.”
The emphasis on authenticity speaks to a wider shift in the sponsorship landscape, where audiences are increasingly sceptical of superficial partnerships that lack depth or continuity.
RMB’s response has been to adopt a long-term horizon.
“We don’t believe in coming in, making noise, and leaving,” Edwards said. “Sustainable partnerships are where you see real value, for the event, for the community, and for the brand.”
The risk, however, lies in whether trail running can sustain its current growth trajectory and translate participation into consistent commercial returns. For now, momentum appears to be on RMB’s side.
If that trend holds, the bank’s early move into the sector could position it ahead of competitors in a space that is only beginning to attract serious investment.
In a saturated sports market, RMB has chosen endurance over immediacy and in trail running, that may be the point.