
FRESHPAK Salt Pans Ultra Marathon
100 km Ultra Trail Marathon in Botswana
The Freshpak Salt Pans Ultra Trail Marathon 2020 is a unique 3 day Ultra Trail Run on the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans in Botswana.
Sua Pan, the Eastern of three salt pans situated in the middle of the dry savanna of North-Eastern Botswana, is one of the largest salt flats in the world.
A recent scientific study has identified the Pans area as the place from which all modern mankind originates. A single tribe of modern man established themselves here for 70,000 years before migrating North and South 130,00 years ago. All those years ago the area was a huge vast fertile wet and lake area. It was this Northern migration from the Sua Pans Great Lake area that saw the start of mankind’s colonisation of the World.
The pans are also home to Africa’s only breeding ground of the Greater Flamingo and are the location of Wilbur Smith’s famous novel “The Sunbird”.
The pans are striking in their beauty however the harsh environment of the pans will make conditions on race day anyone’s guess. Late rains may make the pans muddy and wet, and hot winds whip up sand and slow progress, and the headache inducing snow white sand of the pans glares in the sun. October is known as suicide month due to the sudden run Northwards of the mercury on temperature gauges, after the brief cool, winter respite. Be prepared for anything.
At night the stars reach down and caress the horizon. The Milky Way (Botswana’s equivalent of the Northern lights) is as clear to the naked eye here as anywhere else on Earth and shooting stars are bright and sudden. The sunsets and sunrises amaze and the complete solitude forces introspection.
Welcome to Botswana’s first Ultra Marathon
Welcome Home
Entries 2020 Open
Watch the SPU19 video





Ultra
100km route
The 3 days will cover between 100 - 110kms in the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. The race will see athletes running through the middle of pans where for long periods of time you won’t see land. Our base camp will be on Kokonje Island, a beautiful island on the Eastern part of the Sua Pans.
Event
schedule
14:00
arrival
arrive at Kokonje Island Base Camp for sign in and equipment/nutrition inspection. Pitch tents if bringing own.
16:30
official opening
race introduction and race brief
17:30
race preparation
prep for night run
18:15
start of day 1
12 km sunset run around Kokonje Island.
20:00
dinner
pasta supper
from 04:30
breakfast
reveille and breakfast
06.30
start of day 2
52 km run from Kukonje Island to Mosu Village
12:00 to 17:00
race finish
snacks and showers available / relaxing at the camp
17:00
cut off time
latest arrival for runners
18:00
dinner
supper / preparation of day 3
from 04.30
breakfast
reveille and breakfast
6.30
start of day 3
36 km back to our main camp
12:00
cut off time
latest arrival at the base camp
12:00 to 14:00
lunch
lunch for all runners and guests
14:00 to 16:00
chill
relaxed time at the camp
16:00
prize giving
announcement of the winners men/women
16:30
party
beers, braai and boogie
07:00 to 09:00
breakfast
breakfast for all participants
10.00
official end of the race 2019
depart