Clint Seager - Kalahari Extreme Marathon 2011

Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon

Event Overview

The South African Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon, a unique race filled with adventure and determination, will once again be held in the beautiful and contrasting landscape of the Northern Cape’s “Green Kalahari”.  

The Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon is a self-sufficiency run held over six legs in seven days with set distances for each day, ranging from 28km to 75km.  Participants must carry all their supplies, clothes and compulsory safety/survival equipment for the duration of the event.  Overnight shelter in camps, and water, which is strictly controlled and distributed during the race, is supplied.  The event goes way beyond merely covering 250 kilometers in extreme conditions; it is a challenge to get past what normal people would regard as crazy, and achieve one’s personal goals. 

Each participant is required to produce a medical certificate prior to the event.  A full medical team monitors the runners daily, and attends to all their medical needs during the event.  Every entrant and their pack is inspected prior to the start to ensure that they are carrying all their compulsory equipment and that their daily food’s calorie count is sufficient to sustain them, as any outside assistance will result in them being withdrawn from the race.  The management of controlling eating to energy used plays a major role in the success of crossing the finish line. 

The route details are only given to the participants on the day of registration, so there is no unfair advantage in planning.  The route is marked throughout the course, and offers a great contrast for everyone, with landscapes from fertile vineyards to the rocky outcrops, the vast outstretches of the Kalahari Desert, with temperatures varying from mid 40 degrees Celsius during the day to single figures in the evenings. 

Interest in the event is growing throughout the world as the Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon makes a name for itself on the International Calendar of Extreme Events as a difficult, well-organized experience of a lifetime.