100 Kilometres. On Purpose.
Finished the MUT 100 by UTMB in the Outeniqua mountains: 98.1km with 5,060m of climbing, in 20 hours 41 minutes of continuous forward motion. Voluntarily.
Source: his UTMB runner profile ↗Most people pick the spreadsheet or the summit. Brenden does the regression analysis, then runs up the mountain it was plotted on, then gets back in time to do the Scout troop's books. This corner of the internet is here to say so.
The Receipts
A short, entirely admiring dossier.
The Progression
2023: the MUT 60, a 60km, 3,052m-of-vert, 12-hour day in the Outeniquas. 2024: back to the same mountains for the 100. That is how you eat an elephant: one contour line at a time.
Source: UTMB race history ↗Data Scientist
Now doing data science at Altius Reach, the family-adjacent due diligence firm, including market mapping and benchmarking of European utility providers. Start-ups and big corporates both survived him.
Source: LinkedIn ↗The Capitec Years
Cut his teeth at agencies doing data science for Capitec, which means his models have quietly touched the finances of a very large slice of South Africa.
Scouter & Troop Treasurer
In Scouting for ages, and still in it: he helps run 2nd Rondebosch (est. 1909), with weekly meetings, hikes and camps, and he keeps the troop's day-to-day finances straight.
Sources: LinkedIn · 2ndrondebosch.com ↗Bosch, Then UCT
Schooled at Rondebosch Boys' High, then on to the University of Cape Town. The numbers thing clearly runs in the family.
Source: LinkedIn (UCT) ↗Married to the Doctor
Married to Dr Katelyn Taylor (née Jones), an actual medical doctor, and by every account the best result on this page. One of them fixes people, the other fixes datasets. The household is covered.
Volunteer Hours, VFS
Put in a lot of volunteer work for VFS on top of the Scouting. Some people guard their weekends; Brenden keeps donating his to whoever needs them.
Retired From Padel
Formerly available for padel; now medically excused on account of The Leg (self-described as leg-disabled, a status recognised by no medical board). The leg is, mysteriously, fine for 100km of mountain.
The Younger Taylor
Younger brother of Travis Taylor: both Joburg-born, both Bosch, both Altius Reach. One brother assesses the risk, the other runs straight up it.
Related reading: the Travis dossier ↗How He Got Here
Joburg → Bosch → UCT → the trails.
JOBURG
Enters the world
Born in Johannesburg, the younger of the Taylor brothers. The family's centre of gravity later slides south to Cape Town.
BOSCH
Rondebosch Boys' High
Follows the family route through RBHS, in the shadow of Devil's Peak. Semper Paratus starts early.
SCOUTS
Scouting, for ages
Into Scouting young and never really out of it. These days he helps run 2nd Rondebosch, a troop older than the word "teenager."
UCT
University of Cape Town
The academic grounding for the data science career. Also conveniently located next to a mountain.
DATA
Agency data science, Capitec on the books
Builds the trade at agencies serving one of South Africa's biggest banks, across start-ups and heavyweight corporates.
2023
MUT 60: the warm-up
60km and 3,052m of vert through the Outeniquas in 12:01. Most people's lifetime achievement; his training block.
2024
MUT 100: the big one
98.1km, 5,060m up, 20 hours 41 minutes. Runs through the night and comes out the other side smiling.
ALONG THE WAY
Marries Dr Katelyn
Katelyn Jones becomes Dr Katelyn Taylor. The single smartest move on this entire timeline, and it includes a 100km ultra.
NOW
Data science at Altius Reach
Mapping markets by day, troop books by Thursday night, mountains by dawn. The system works.
The Official Coolness Readout
Peer-reviewed by friends. Statistically significant.
“Semper Paratus. Always prepared.” — motto of 2nd Rondebosch, the 1909-vintage troop he helps run
Sources
This is a fan page, but the facts are real. Uncited claims came from people who know him best.
- Brenden Taylor on the UTMB index — South African runner; MUT 100 by UTMB 2024 (98.1km, 5,060m+, 20:41:13, rank 46 of 67 finishers) and MUT 60 2023 (60km, 3,052m+, 12:01:49).
- Brenden Taylor on LinkedIn — data scientist at Altius Reach, University of Cape Town, based in the Cape; helps run the 2nd Rondebosch Scout Troop and its day-to-day finances.
- 2ndrondebosch.com — the troop: founded 1909, 110+ years of hikes, camps, kayaking and surfing from Table Mountain to Mozambique. Motto: Semper Paratus.
- SCOUTS South Africa — 2nd Rondebosch Scout Group's official listing.
- altiusreach.com — the firm: commercial due diligence for private equity; offices in London, New York and Cape Town.
- travis.rouxtaccess.com — the companion dossier on the elder Taylor brother.