This race is brutally tough but stunningly beautiful. You are first bussed into the forest for the start of a most delightful marathon. Here, in the cold morning air, coffee and rusks are served as both marathon and half marathon runners wait to get going. The two events set off in opposite directions.
The first 12 kilometre section consists of a relentless climb which seems to go on forever. There is some relief as the road drops slightly around the 15-kilometre mark, but the challenge of the route is renewed as you run through forest, over stream, ever upward. The dirt road becomes a single track; the climb seems never-ending until the halfway mark.
It is here that you can lose yourself in the peace of birdsong, babbling mountain streams, massive beautiful trees, stunning views of the Outeniqua Mountains and a kind of ‘eensaamheid’ that could be best put down to a runner’s high. A bone-jarring nine kilometre plummet to the 30-or-so kilometre mark brings you back to reality. It is brutal and will shake even the most well trained quads.
This is followed by a brutal two kilometre climb to the Simola Country Club. Here the race has yet another special treat for below lies the sweeping panoramic view of the intense green of the golf course with the Knysna River snaking between the fairways. The next section demands concentration and a conservative approach: between the 33 and 37 kilometre markers, the route plummets down to sea level with a bone-crunching descent that will leave those already battered quads feeling even more wobbly. Take it slowly here and you will reap the benefits in the last few kilometres alongside the N2, right on the bank of the stunning Knysna Lagoon. Here the excitement of the crowds and the atmosphere that is uniquely Knysna will get you to the finish line.
FACILITES
There is a festival with stalls selling food, drinks and other goods at the finish venue.