The Freedom Challenge
Elite Endurance Athletes for Extreme Event
Press Release / 14.06.2011
Following a fixed route made up of cattle paths, jeep tracks and dirt roads the riders will cross six mountain ranges, including the Maluti Drakensberg, as well as the open expanses of the Karoo. Along the way are a number of overnight stops where riders can get meals and sleep, if they want. It is entirely up to the individual riders to decide when and for how long they wish to sleep. Taking place during the heart of the South African winter, riders can expect sub-zero temperatures and snow. “It is the combination of the testing terrain, the cold weather and the non-stop format of the event that make Freedom Challenge so demanding� said Race Organisor, David Waddilove.
Willing to test themselves in this extreme event 100 participants have signed up for the 2011 Freedom Challenge. Half of them will stop after 500 kms in the Eastern Cape village of Rhodes. The other half will push on to Cape Town.
Most of the riders taking on the full 2300 kms of the 2011 Freedom Challenge Race Across South Africa will simply be looking to finish within the 26 day cut-off. However, some are bound to be looking to better the current men’s record of 13 days, 15 hours and 50 minutes set in 2009 by Springbok cyclist Tim James.
Included amongst them are Tim James himself, who returns to the event for the 4th time, Alex Harris who was the 2010 winner and the first South African to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents, including Mount Everest, Glenn Harrison who is the holder of the single speed and tandem records, 2010 third place finishers, Veldkornet Marnitz Nienaber and August ‘Boskind’ Carstens, Pietermaritzburg local Andrew Barnes who led much of the 2009 race as well as multiple Dusi Canoe Marathon and World Landrover G4 Champion Martin Dreyer and South African Adventure Racing champion, Graham Bird.
SleepMonsters
