Eden Duo

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Racers Rave about Eden

Press Release / 03.11.2008

Perfect weather, a quality field and the breathtaking scenery of the Eden District on South Africa’s Garden Route once again made the Eden Duo an unforgettable event. This 140km adventure race, combining disciplines as diverse as mountain biking, kloofing, paddling, trekking and navigation, tested top multi-sport competitors from around the country.

A brand-new route saw racers starting at the Saasveld Gates of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University outside George at 6AM on Saturday, October 18th, 2008. A multi-coloured mass of racers sprinted to the top of the Kaaimans River gorge, and proceeded to kloof their way down to the coast, where they transitioned onto kayaks at the Wilderness National Park.

The next 16 hours saw a series of tough challenges, including a gruelling mountain biking leg along the Karatara back roads during the heat of the day. A monster 26km hike-and-run along the Outeniqua trail traversed indigenous forest before the racers ascended onto the high slopes of Cradock Peak. And then, finally, it was all the way downhill as they blasted down the Montagu Pass switchbacks on their mountain bikes.

Team USN Land Rover Gear, consisting of Martin Dreyer and Jeannie Bomford, moved into the lead during the second leg and never looked back. Chasing a record time of 16 hours, the two experienced campaigners completed a near-flawless race, finishing just shy of 14 hours in the fastest time ever by a mixed team. They biked over the finish line at the Glenwood House Private School just before 8PM, tired but very happy with their achievement.See All Event Posts