SWAKOPMUND – The 12th and final edition of Expedition Africa, an iconic expedition-length adventure race, is taking place in Namibia for the first time.
The race, ongoing at the coastal towns of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund, was established in 2011 by South African duo Heidi and Stephan Muller, with the objective of uniting events and racers around the world.
The two were active competitors in adventure racing for 10 years before establishing the competition.
Heidi, who is Namibian-born, highlighted the major success and attention the race has had over the years, and expressed the need to end it on a high note.
“It is the country of my birth, and is so beautiful and spectacular. Yet there has never been an expedition race here before. We had to have one last Expedition Africa, in Namibia,” she expressed.
The race has been held in South Africa, Lesotho, eSwatini and Rodrigues Island before.
The race consists of sporting disciplines such as kayaking, trekking, mountain biking, rope work and camel trekking, making up a total distance of approximately 490 kilometres, with the majority of this (335km) being covered on mountain bikes.
Racers from 11 countries across the world lined up at Walvis Bay on Sunday, where they started the race with kayaking, which made up 35km of the race.
From the start, teams determine their pace and strategy, deciding when to rest or sleep.
The teams will navigate by map-and-compass, and they are each carrying a SPOT GPS tracking unit, which enables family, friends and supporters around the world to follow their teams and watch the race unfold on their smartphones.
Last year, Expedition Africa hosted the 2023 Adventure Racing World Championships, with the participation of 109 teams representing 40 countries.
“Hosting a World Championship in Africa was a dream come true, and might have been the time for Expedition Africa to finish on a high note. But there was one more dream still to be fulfilled, and that was an expedition race in Namibia,” Heidi added.
The first teams were expected to finish by Wednesday, 29 May 2024.
Those behind will have until the morning of Saturday, 1 June to reach the finish line.
– Nampa