Inaugural Baviaanskloof Trail Run is Tomorrow in South Africa

A new long distance, off road race is set to make it’s debut tomorrow as the 50km Baviaanskloof Trail Run makes it’s debut in South Africa. The event is being held in the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve, which is part of the largest wilderness conservation area in the entire country. The region has diverse and unique landscapes, that includes an array of plant and animal life.

Runners will have to deal with both that terrain and the wildlife on the course, where they could potentially encounter baboons, zebras, leopard, black rhinos, and even the dreaded cape cobra. They are expected to be self sufficient while out on the trail, carrying all of their gear, food, and water with them, with few aid stations en route to offer support.

This looks like it’s going to be quite the adventure run, in a beautiful remote region. The racers are allowed to use GPS devices, but cell phone service doesn’t function in the reserve, so they are on their own once the get out there, and with those animals around, they could potentially be dealing with some challenging situations. It might even turn into a the South African equivalent of that trail running video I posted yesterday. Just substitute the wolves and bears with leopards and cape buffalo and you’ll get the idea. 😉

Good luck to all the runners. Enjoy the run and stay safe.

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Kraig Becker

Kraig is an outdoor and adventure travel writer based in Nashville, TN. Over the course of his career, he has contributed to numerous online and print outlets, including Popular Mechanics, Gear Junkie, Outside Online, National Geographic, Digital Trends, Business Insider, TripSavvy, about.com, and of course The Adventure Blog.