The Namib Desert Challenge is back for the second consecutive year and will once again take in the Sossusvlei region from the 21st – 25th February.

The ultimate running adventure – Namib Desert Challenge is a 220Km Footrace over 5 days through the toughest and most scenic terrain which Namibia has to offer. The competitors carry everything they need to survive in their ultra running backpacks and each night they have to reach a designated tented campsite which marks the completion of the stage.

Competitors will challenge each other completely unaided, averaging the equivalent distance of a full marathon each day. There are no route indicators, distance markers or crowds offering support. This is the ultimate test of endurance, each person against the toughest elements on the planet and equipped with only a map and a compass for navigation purposes.

There are five stages ranging from 30 – 60 kilometres over five days. The stages are arranged to cover the most spectacular and varied part of the area. Each stage consists of several legs whereby competitors must pass through a checkpoint to collect water and where medical assistance is also available. . The course includes a variety of different terrain including African bushveld, rocky mountain trails and sand desert. Competitors will race to the Sossusvlei in the heart of the Namib Desert, which is a huge clay-pan, enclosed by mighty sand dunes. Some of the spectacular dunes reach a height of 300 metres and are of the highest in the world.

Team Project Athena from the USA has signed up for the challenge!

This remarkable team of ladies from California have taken up the challenge to raise money and awareness for their worthy cause.

The mission of Project Athena is to help women with breast cancer and other medical or traumatic setbacks live their athletic and adventurous dreams through the Project Athena Foundation. Awareness for Project Athena will be achieved through the ultra endurance endeavours of an experienced and high profile all-female adventure team who embody the spirit of Athena. Project Athena is a non-profit foundation that encourages women who’ve endured life altering medical setbacks like Breast Cancer to unleash the athlete and “adventurer” within and complete the journey of a lifetime — This remarkable ladies team have now chosen the Namib Desert Challenge as their next goal!
Be sure to follow Robyn Benincasa, Florence Debout and Melissa Cleary as they take on the challenge in Africa. For more information on Robyn and her team, visit http://www.projectathena.org

Celebrity endurance runner, Mimi Anderson has also recently signed up for the race. During May this year, she was the first female to complete the Comrades Marathon in South Africa back to back (running an “up race”, before turning around and completing the actual “down race” with the rest of the field) and in 2008 she became the Female World Record Holder to run from John O’Grotes to Lands End.

Much of the route for the Namib Desert Challenge runs through the Naukluft National park, through untouched areas which are strictly off limits to the public. Special permissions have been obtained and to minimize the impact on the environment, there is a maximum limit of 80 competitors. Competitors will also be treated to regular sightings of the local wildlife which include Oryx; Springbok; Zebra; Ostrich; Jackal and a variety of bird life.

Entries are now open and the organisers are currently looking for volunteers and medical crew to assist, so please contact them directly should you be interested.
For more information visit www.kineticevents.net/ndc or email info@kineticevents.net