Namibia 24Hour Ultra: For Mad Dogs and Englishmen
Namibia 24 Hour Ultra
Namibia 24hour Ultra 2008 - Have you got what it takes?
Next April see’s the first running of the Namibia 24Hour Ultra, a 120km race across the worlds oldest desert and most remote national park in Africa with a coastline considered by many to be the most hostile you’ll ever see.
Runners will be completely self reliant for the duration of the race, having to carry their food and equipment. Water stations and medical tents will be provided at 20km intervals along the route. Temperatures are expected to reach 35 degrees c. The route is mainly flat with undulating sections of gravel, sand and rock, but this one will really test your mental strength to the max.
After flying into Windhoek competitors will transfer to Spitzkoppe in the Namib at the spectacular Spitzkoppe desert mountain range. The race starts in the cool of a desert early evening and participants will run through the night with the full moon of the Namib for light and company. Runners will pass by the Klein Spitzkoppe and Trekkoppe into the wastelands of vast Namib gravel plains, until it finally reaches the finish line on the misted Skeleton Coast and the camp on the beach front at Jakkalsputz (Jackal’s Well) where tents will be on hand to crawl straight into.
The Skeleton Coast Park covers 2 million hectares and is one of the most inhospitable and least visited places on earth gaining its name from the large numbers of shipwrecks which can still be found amongst the drifting desert sands. This is a place of real untouched natural beauty and one that should not be missed. If however 120km seems a bit too far there is also a standard 42.2km distance but this is no ordinary marathon.
Training for such an event isn’t going to be easy and focus must be on endurance as opposed to speed, 24 Hours is a long time to be on your feet! If it is the 120km race you’re doing then expect your body to be pushed to its limit and your mind to its max, mental preparation is as important as physical, it’s a given that your mind will be telling you to stop.
We’re sending a member of The Running Bug team to check it out and if you want to be there too you’ll need to contact the guys Across the Divide. It’ll cost you about £1150 plus a bit of spending money but it’s got to be one of the most spectacular ultra marathons on earth.
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