• Waterskei

Adventure Race will turn spotlight on Namibia

• 1 Year Ago 13 July 2023

In a very exciting development for Namibia, the country is set to be included for the first time as the host of an Adventure Race next year.

Adventure Racing is the ultimate test of human endurance.

Teams of four athletes race non-stop, day and night, through distances of up to 800 km. Each course is a unique journey, including stages of mountain biking, trail running, kayaking and rope work, among others.

Teams must navigate using maps and compasses through remote wilderness checkpoints.

They battle not only other teams but also extreme fatigue, sleep deprivation and unpredictable weather.

Ultimate test of endurance

Although most of the groundwork, logistical organising, and confirmed route of the first uniquely Namibian route must still be done, organisers have announced that the country’s first Adventure Race will be held towards the end of May next year.

Expedition Africa race directors Heidi and Stephan Muller, who have been organising such events for about ten years now, are in Windhoek this week and launched the event to invite potential sponsors, participants, and contributors.

They emphasised the economic value of the international teams that are set to visit the country, as well as the global social media following that many of these races generate.

"The biggest simultaneous online audience on the live tracking system we’ve ever had for a race in South Africa has been over 80 000 people, which is a filled rugby stadium," Stephan said.

"During an Adventure Race World Championship, we get over half a million spectators. We are busy right now organising the next world championship to be held at Kouga in the Eastern Cape in South Africa. The online following generated by the few competitors in a country like Sweden, for instance, is simply incredible."

Tougher than Iron Man

Stephan and his wife Heidi, a Namibian born in Walvis Bay, both previously competed in the sport before moving their focus to organising races.

Danie van Aswegen, an experienced competitor from Namibia who has has been involved with Adventure Racing since 2010 for Team Namaqua, said: "In many long explanations trying to explain to people what an Adventure Race entails, they often come to the conclusion that it must be comparable to an Iron Man triathlon.

"Except that it is more like ten consecutive Iron Mans, and you don’t get to go home after ten hours to go to sleep in your own bed. Also, it is not just constrained to three disciplines but may include kayaking, horseback riding, mountaineering, abseiling, surfing or other means of advancing through different terrain.

"Navigating your way to the control points and deciding whether you are going over or around the mountain is part of the challenge, as well as adapting to whatever the weather might throw at you."

Van Aswegen says Namibia’s captivating natural landscapes are perfectly suited to host the mother of Adventure Races and next year’s event is set to become a dream come true.