Wild Racers - South Africa

South Africa comprises episodes 17 to 20 of Wild Racers series that takes viewers on a journey into the ultimate feat of endurance within the Adventure Racing World Series. Episode one lands us on the shores of Port Alfred on the Eastern Cape a land to rich in history, staggering wilderness and the wildest animals on earth. For the first time teams will be challenged by extreme terrain and natural hazards, countless hours of trekking without trails and the challenge of the extremely harsh countryside. All this coupled with no sleep and the relentless pursuit to finish will prove too much for many though there are always those that rise to the top. The Teams – Our teams converge on the stunning coastal town of Port Alfred where they prepare for the challenging journey ahead. With the most competitive and evenly matched field to far in Wild Racers the athletes are keen to size up their competition. The opening days have all the feature racers train and acclimatise in some of the most natural surrounding known to human kind. We venture amongst some of Africa’s wildest game and venture deep into the cultural past of this diverse nation. Registration and Preparations – After some extremely memorable first days it’s now time to get down to business as teams prepare for the route ahead. They all meet to receive the maps for the course and to make last minute preparations prior to the start. It’s a daunting scenario unfolding. Pre-Race and The Start – An extreme level of tension is mounting as our field head towards the dawn start. The short but anxious bus ride sees many of our athletes opening up to reveal the true reality of the situation.

The first 24hours of any Adventure Challenge on the World Stage is the toughest, lead teams push hard to open gaps that they feel will be hard to close down over the coming days. As they say when its go time … suffer. Leg 1 Trek 17km – A frantic start with some simple navigational challenges. Small mistakes made early on in a race of this nature can make significant differences later on. Teams push very hard to make whatever time they can early on. Leg 2 Kayak 23km – South Africa begins to show her true natural wonders as our teams commence a winding kayak against the tide and through some astonishing wildlife. Gaps are already opening up as the stronger teams show their pedigree. Leg 3 Trek 23km – Off the water and the teams get their first taste of this epic coastline with a half marathon trek. Staggering open vistas along this wind swept terrain make going fast which allows for teams to make up the time they lost earlier in the day, though maybe the pace has already caught some by surprise. Leg 4 Kayak 17km – Following on from a fast paces wind swept trek the teams now face an up-stream Kayak into the fading light though yet again passing through some of the most spectacular wildlife sanctuaries on earth. Its only night one, so no sleep just relentless forward motion. Leg 5 Trek 18km – With the fast pace that our leaders are forcing only a few select teams make the trek by nightfall with many forced to navigate in the dark. What will happen over the next testing hours will see many changes by dawn.

Our lead teams now push so hard that they lead by an entire leg, though it remains to be seen if they have pushed to hard to soon. There is a great deal to be said about working within ones limits as using up vital reserves early can have devastating effects in the latter stages. Leg 6 Kayak 23km – Following on from the first hard competitive night without sleep our teams come face to face with the usual and dreaded sleep monsters, with others finding a pace that allows for a more consistent level of fatigue. Together with the incoming tides all our teams find the going tougher than expected. Leg 7 Mountain Bike 60km – Teams now exchanges the rolling ocean for relentless rolling hills and the transition from kayak to mountain bike for most is more brutal than anticipated. Coupled with the high temperatures and low humidity and no sleep this race so early on starts to take shape. As teams now face their second night without sleep in the pursuit of adventure we start to see the true nature of human spirit. Leg 8 Trek 5km + 70mtr Abseil – With just over a third of the journey completed teams now face the technical challenge of a 70mtr abseil of an abandoned railway bridge, though first needing to accomplish a dangerous traverse. It forces many to confront their own inner demons whilst others struggle under the relentless African heat. From here it’s a brutal trek up a dense and impenetrable canyon. Leg 9 Mountain Bike 67km – We join our lead teams as they ride through some very remote and spectacular wilderness trails towards the mid-way point of the adventure whilst experience all that South Africa has to offer along the way. With a new day come new hopes and many new challenges. Further back our chasing teams face another long night on the course.

For some the race has now become extremely tough. Finding ones limits is in itself a journey, so once put up against the challenges of racing under such conditions it is truly a real life drama. With then end in sight teams are now forced to endure some of the longest legs so far. Leg 10 Mountain Bike 128km – Teams now head to the remote Transkei region where they are greeted by wonderful open vistas and delightful villages. All work towards lessening the mental strain the teams are facing on one of the longest legs of the race. Leg 11 Kayak 15km – With little respite the teams face what they believe is a very short and easy kayak though with the falling tide the mud is almost debilitating causing many to loose valuable time. This distraction brings many teams within striking range and the competition hots up. Leg 12 Trek 63km – With just under a marathon and a half of trekking ahead our teams now struggling to walk and bodies shattered must gain the mental fortitude to push through all conceivable pain barriers and aim for the finish. The race is not over until its over with all still harbouring hopes of a podium finish. Leg 13 Mountain Bike 13km – In the dark of night our teams face the final but brutal mountain bike to the end, with many finishing in the blistering heat the following day. It is a time for celebration and reflection on the monumental achievement that all who take part in this race can now feel. Recovery will be long but sweet. Following this epic adventure, for the first time all the teams that started completed the course. It is not only a credit to the athletes but to the ability of teams to support one another till the end. This is Wild Racers and many will return next time. Stop number two on the adventure highway is Interlaken Switzerland. … Stay tuned.