SPU50

The Race starts at 05h00 from the race village on the Southern end of the Pans. Because of the full Moon you may not need your head torch that first hour. The field will have 15kms to spread out on the way to Check Point Bravo. Make the most of the cool night air, you will dream of it later. At 05h54 the sun will be rising off to your East (on your right). You will marvel at the Earth’s beauty. If you can tear your eyes away from the Sun you will probably now also see Check Point Alpha materialising in the distance.

Having topped up your liquids and taken on a bite to eat you will turn towards the recently risen and soon to be sworn at Sun. As you close in on the spit that protrudes deep into the pan you will see some big baobab trees start to loom proud on the horizon. Under one of these is Check Point Echo. To get there you will need to navigate the old game track. In 2022 this was littered with elephant dung. Don’t worry, we will give you a brief on what to do if you encounter this impressive animal on the trail! Check Point Echo is under a baobab tree that is over 1,500 years old. Perhaps you will have started to notice the mercury creeping up as the heat of the day moves in.

Leaving Echo you will run Southeast along an old jeep trail on the edge of the Pans. Eventually you start to cross the Pans again towards Check Point Foxtrot. You might now be feeling the race start to take its toll. The temperature will be rising into the 30s (centigrade) and your water will be getting warm between check points. Your love for the Sun at sunrise will slowly turn to an altogether less joyful feeling in the hours to come. Foxtrot will shimmer at you for a while but will be a good few kilometres away still. At Foxtrot take the chance to cool down a little. Your next turn Southwest is the final leg of the triangle back to the finish. 

More grass and pans await and it will be hot as Hades. Try to enjoy it! You are almost done. You will see the compound off to your left, run past this, through the gate, over the airstrip and you’ve made it! You will be met by your supporters, the medical team for a quick vitals check, be given a cold Steri Stumpie and Pepsi and if you made cut off, your medal. Time for your well earned beer!