Grahamstown couple Laura Forster and Brian Bannatyne are currently puting months of training and preparation to the test as take part, with trail shoes and backpacks, in the Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon (KAEM), a 250 km, seven-day, self-sufficient staged trail run through Great Kalahari Desert near the Augrabies Falls on the Orange River.
Grahamstown couple Laura Forster and Brian Bannatyne are currently puting months of training and preparation to the test as take part, with trail shoes and backpacks, in the Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon (KAEM), a 250 km, seven-day, self-sufficient staged trail run through Great Kalahari Desert near the Augrabies Falls on the Orange River.
The marathon started on 27 October and sees athletes finish the event on 2 November.
In six daily stages Brian and Laura will traverse the Augrabies Falls National Park, as wellas private game parks, and farms in the area. With most stages distancing between 28 and 45 km, the fourth day is the iconic 79 km “long day” where they will run through the mid-day heat and on through the night. This will be followed by a rest day, before two more days of running will (all being well!) take them across the finish line at the Augrabies Falls Lodge.
The course passes through varied terrain, with everything from barren hillsides, rocky gorges, open grasslands, dry sandy riverbeds, and even sections through the lush vineyards of the Orange River Valley. Average daytime temperatures often exceed 40°c and can drop below 5°c at night. In addition to the rugged terrain, heat stress, blisters, tiredness, dehydration and muscle strains must all be carefully managed and overcome.
Each stage follows a marked route between the overnight camps provided, with runners’ daily results accumulated to give their final time and position.
The race is self-sufficient, and Brian and Laura must carry everything they will need to see them to the end of the race: adequate food, clothes, cooking and sleeping kit, and compulsory items such as a torch, a whistle, blister and rehydration medication, and a space blanket. They will be monitored constantly at checkpoints about every 10k along the route, where water bottles will be topped up and medical help is on hand.
Laura and Brian are no strangers to this type of ultra-distance trail event. This is Laura’s third KAEM, and both of them were members of last year’s crew, acting as “sweeps” ensuring the safety of the runners at the back of the field.
With tough trail races under their belts as training, such as the Merrell Hobbitt 100 (held recently in the Amatolas), Brian commented “We did the Merrell Xtreme along the coast from Port Alfred to East London in April, which was a lovely but gruelling run. The KAEM really is the Big Daddy of them all, though. I think there will be even more sand than on the beach!”
Brian’s pack will weigh about 11kg at the start of the race, with 6.5 kg of that made up of isotonic drink powders and high-calorie foods such as noodles, nuts and droewors, plus 1.5 litres of water. “You can imagine the care with which every item is chosen” said Laura, who expects to start with around 9kg. “We select high-energy food and lightweight kit, and try to trim every extra gram from our load”. Their backpacks and sleeping bags each weigh less than a kilogram, for instance.
You can follow the race here. In addition to competing in the race, Laura is writing daily reports that will be posted on the website.
