Adventure racing is the ultimate endurance sport. Fact!
At the time of writing the last straggling teams taking part in the World Adventure Racing Championships in Brazil were crossing the finish line 4 days behind the winning team. That winning team was the seemingly unbeatable Team Seagate from New Zealand who finished the 700 km event in 160 hours.
The team of four, 3 males and a female athlete (the rules state that at least one member of the team must be female) had just swam, ran, cycled and paddled through the Brazilian Pantanal in sleep deprived states’ orienteering and navigating their way to the various check points which are supposed to keep the teams on course. Amazingly they were the only team to complete the entire route and not miss any checkpoints.
The Adventure Racing World Series consists of 9 events worldwide and each year one of these event’s is chosen as the world championship. The circuit has been around since 2001 and the Southern African edition “ Expedition Africa“ joined in 2012.
Last year it took place in Swaziland. Before that it was held in the Drakensberg, Port Alfred and Port Edward. Next year it will be held on the Garden Route and will start and finish at Pine Lake Marina, outside Sedgefield.
Expedition Africa organizers and pioneers, Kinetic Events were in Plett recently and husband and wife team Stephan and Heidi Muller took some wide eyed local runners and adventurers through a number of slide shows and Q and A’s to gather momentum for next years event and hopefully dispel some myths.
One cannot under estimate the importance of this event to the area or the stigma that accompanies it. Forty teams from around the world will descend on the area from 13 th – 22 nd may next year. It is big news and a wonderful opportunity for a region to cement its credentials as the adventure capital of South Africa.
Adventure racing is well represented here on the Garden Route and team Merrell Adventure Addicts ( Knysna) who we featured in edition….. 2 weeks ago finished in a very creditable 7 th position overall in the recent World Championships.
Team Pennypinchers from Plettenberg Bay are already on board and James Stewart who has competed in 4 EA events, is sure to put together and guide a few novice teams from the entrants of his cycle and trail running events.
Legends Mark and brother John Collins from Magnetic South Knysna may put a team together but they are keeping their cards very close to their chest’s which is a very important and common practice in this sport of ‘out lasting and out witting’.
Master route designer Stephan Muller is busy scouting the wilderness in and around Sedgefield for the perfect route and he hopes that all teams will finish next year’s event. “ Finishing an event is the ultimate achievement and I want everyone, every team to cross the line. Even if we have to re route some stragglers.”
Well the teams will have 6 days to achieve this. When last did you cycle, climb, run and paddle non-stop with very little sleep for 6 days in winter… Mmmmmmmmh?
Article and photos Glen Murray, courtsey of CXPress.
