The mountains are a rugged and dangerous place to be in and runners need to be confident they can look after themselves in the mountains. You will be on your own for between 15 and 20 km at a time, so that means that rescue teams either have to hike in 10 km to find you or send in a rescue chopper (which if there is mist and rain will not be an option) if something happens. It may also mean you could be sitting waiting for help for periods of over 3 hours.
There are wild animals, these range from large predators like leopard and packs of baboons to smaller things like snakes (Puffadders), bees, scorpions, spiders and ticks. If you are allergic to bee-stings and do not have your medication with you, a sting could be lethal.
There are steep slopes that are often slippery, a fall could be lethal. Furthermore there are loose stones and roots that could trip you and you could damage your ankle. If this happens you will not be able to move as fast and you will not be generating as much body heat, a warm middle layer (like a First Ascent Firestorm Fleece) will definitely make life more comfortable.
The race is run in the heart of winter, and there could be snow on the mountain (though this is a rare occurrence), it could rain the whole day (this happened in during the 2008 run). There could also be berg winds which will warm things up a bit. It is also not impossible that you can have all 4 seasons in one day so the weather will always be a factor that will influence the event. You need to be prepared for all weather situations. You need to have sufficient water to prevent dehydration, there are mountain streams but these often dry up. You also need to have the minimum kit to help prevent hypothermia.
The terrain consists of some steep climbs and descends, your legs will burn, take it easy on the climbs otherwise you might burn out with over 20 km to go! If the weather is clear you will also experience some amazing views which I would recommend you stop for at least 10 seconds to savour. If you rush past, you will loose out on the experience. The trail itself is often overgrown at places, between Cape Nature and myself we will do our best to make it runable, but expect scratchesand the odd bush-wack from time to time.
The route will contain a few checkpoints, to qualify as an official finisher, you will need to find all the checkpoints. Between checkpoints I am pretty flexible with your route choice, but for me the challenge will be to place the checkpoints in such a manner as to greatly influence your route choice. If you find yourself hanging on a cliff then you made a wrong route choice, it will probably be safer to retrace your steps and try a better alternative. Do not expect intersections to be marked, I will be going through the route and will put some spray paint markings out, but these should be used in conjunction with your map to confirm where you are. Do not rely solely on route marking.
If you are a roadie and this is your first time "off road" you might never want run on tar again!
Of the 41 people who started last year's run all 41 were still living after the event, and apart from bruised egos, a twisted ankle and bad knee going into the event there were no major injuries. A few people did get lost, but in any good mountain run this is to be expected, especially if the weather is rainy and misty and it is their first time on the mountain. You have been warned, please do not sue me if something happens to you. You will need to pay for emergency / search and rescue costs.
