Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon 2006 ~ Results and Article

After just one day on the Augrabies Extreme Marathon; certain realities hit home fairly quickly. The runners are phenomenal athletes who have come out here for an experience that goes beyond just eating up kilometres on foot; the terrain is more than willing to deliver a challenge; the crew are almost as crazy as the runners ---- and, most definitely, it does rain in the desert. In fact it hails.  

After battling a windy start to the day that saw the 30 runners face a soft sandy launch to their Augrabies experience – they were soon encountering rocky slopes that must have taken a toll on the less prepared.  

But described as one of the short legs of the marathon – day one saw Chris Hills, a 21 year old rooky from Australia, cross the line first ahead of the troupe that had been running within sight of each other all day.

It was the cooler weather on day one that had Chris smiling. And with strong legs at the end of day one he seemed pleased to have pulled away from the more experienced stage runners.

Legend, Bruce Arnett was not far off his heals and, looking remarkably fresh, finished at the same time as Fritz Koch. Sarel Adams was not far behind them ensuring that at the end of the first day no-one was sitting with a comfortable lead. For as they say – the race is long and it’s not just about physical fitness – it’s about having the presence of mind to endure.  

Interestingly the field of ladies made up a third of the full contingent of racers. That’s a healthy portion and all of them seemed to cope with a fair amount of ease on day one. It was Mimi Anderson who pipped them all to the post though – looking incredibly strong and seemingly taking the race in her stride.  

Not expecting to position at the head of the field, Mimi admitted that it was only day one and that, although she had had a strong finish; she had experienced some asthma at the beginning of the day.  

But it was the gym-bunny, Suzette Linden, who may have surprised a couple of the crew as she finished in second. She’s spent most of her training indoors in an aerobics studio and on a spin bike. That may be a far cry from the reality of the Augrabies dust and miggies – but, speaking to her after finishing her first day she was not surprised at her position in the field and said that she felt better running than walking.  

Marisa Marchini and Caroline Richards were some 12 minutes behind Suzette and in high spirits as they came into the camp – taking up a joint third position.  

But this race is not just about the leaders. Even on day one it’s clear that the next few days of perseverance will reveal more about the runners than simply whether their legs will take them to the finish or not.

Sunrise saw some weary psyches, bleary eyes, a few stiff bodies and a gaggle of mad fools shaking off the night’s sleep – and that was just the crew working behind the scenes at the Augrabies Extreme Marathon. For the most part, however, the runners looked fresh and ready to tackle another shortish day on foot in the desert.  

As the day before the scheduled long run – there was a bit of strategizing amongst the field, with most wanting to be able to follow day two with a strong showing on day three. At the head of the field, however, a drama unfolded as the favourite on the course found himself having to contend with a full hour’s time penalty.  

Having unintentionally lost some compulsory items of kit on day one after an encounter with a thorn bush, Bruce Arnett, had a one hour time penalty against him going into the second leg of the race. And with some serious competition from the young Australian, Chris Hills, this is certainly to result in some serious strategizing from the older competitor during forthcoming stages.  

A coolish day in the desert saw most of the competitors smiling along the route. All except Bruce who is waiting for a heat wave to put some distance between himself and his young rival. Day two had the two of them once again dueling for first position. It was Chris who made the initial move to pull ahead – but Bruce was unconcerned as he attacked from behind.  

Reeling in the Australian, he said he felt strong and realized that he could maintain the pace after passing Chris on an uphill stretch. Taking advantage of some relatively easy terrain and gravel roads, Bruce was the first to enter the river gorge and power towards the finish of day two with a good seven minutes between himself and the 21-year old Chris. 

Sarel was the man sitting on their heels – maintaining his pace and heading towards the river’s edge finish at a good pace. “I slowed down when I was tired – and managed to recover quite quickly,” he said when we caught up with him at the end of day two.  

Bruce also shared some of his wisdom from the shade of a gazebo at the camp site after finishing this 30-odd kilometre stage. “I never push too hard on a day if I know that I will not be able to maintain that pace on the next leg of the race,” he said, adding that he was looking forward to the long stage on day three – and hinting at his reserves for this grueling leg.

He also said that a predicted increase in temperature was sure to be to his advantage. Admitting, however, to not really knowing the capabilities of his Australian rival – the South African endurance legend seemed confident of his ability to perform in the heat.   

Speaking to Chris at the end of the leg revealed a calm competitor ready to rest before a big day. Hoping to only have to endure a couple of hours of extreme heat – Chris was also looking forward to some night running on day three and seemed confident in his ability to put some pressure on his lead pack.  

The ladies once again revealed a group of seriously strong contenders – both mentally and physically. Mimi Anderson took the lead once again and paced herself against some of the men near the top of the pack. This saw her literally power herself towards the finish of day two in a comfortable lead.  

Armed with some of her favourite music – she had the ultimate experience of natural beauty, physical fitness and artistic enlightenment. Still expressing a level of shock at being the leading lady – she admitted to having pushed herself a little during the day, but to having enough in reserve to perform on the long day looming on day three.  The good weather and the strategy to stay with the boys is certainly working in her favour – even though she experienced a short low after turning around at Check Point Two, she seemed to quickly recover at the top of the hill and find her stride again.  

Once again it was Suzette Linden who beamed into second place. The loose sand was no match for her as she saw the finish banner. Running with a couple of the guys she almost skipped into camp. “I’m feeling much better today,” she said adding that she has become acclimatized to the terrain and to the nature of the event. Still surprising some of the crew, she looks forward to another strong day tomorrow and is set maintain her position to the end.  

Marisa Marchini and Caroline Richards seem to have struck up a comfortable combination on the course and every time you get near them it’s almost like interrupting a private conversation. They’re always chatting cheerfully as they cover the distance between each check point – and it’s hard to tell that they’re actually competitors on an extreme endurance event.  

The rest of the field ranges from just plain amusing to slightly off centre. There’s the yellow submarine who delights in his morning solo of the national anthem as well as sporadic outbursts of Afrikaans Kalahari Folk tunes which we’re not sure if he makes up or are genuine smash hits from some secret top twenty.  

Then there’s Roy Tolfts in his very South African running shorts – with a constant positive outlook and no shortage of smiles for all that pass by.  

Tim Doyle, who suffered with blisters after the very first day, was up and running convincingly today and even managed to charm a herd of goats as he ran towards a farm gate. Shyly grazing as he came past, they eyed him out eagerly as he headed towards the gate and what could have been their free pass out of the confines of the farm. Next minute the whole lot were trotting along after him in the hope of slipping through the gate.  

Fortunately none of the bulls that the runners passed had similar fantasies and seemed content to ignore the opportunity to charge their new two-legged comrades. Reports, however, from Doctor Charl at Check Point Three, however, reveal that the ostriches were less than content to allow some of the runners through without a bit of fun.  

The big birds hassled at least two of the runners as they came through and it’s only a pity that our camera crew missed out on this opportunity to film the locals harassing the mad fools that chose to jog through their territory.  

The Augrabies Extreme Marathon really kicked into gear on Monday as the runners woke up to face the real challenge of the race – the long 70km leg that would see all of them running through the night. 

A staggered start had the slower runners head out of camp first to tackle the treacherous terrain to Check Point One. The staggered start evens out the field and ensures a night finish for even the strongest contesters, most of who only start running as the sun is at its highest.  

Blind athlete, Geoff Hilton-Barber, a well-known South African adventurer was first to leave camp accompanied by his wife, Carol who has been guiding him throughout the race. They were also joined by Anne Centner and headed into the mountains first thing in the morning at 06:30.  

A bigger group consisting of Marcel Brenn, Ian Jones, Shirley Middlemost and Yvonne Texeira were the next to head into the mountains at 07:30. The rest of the runners left in hourly intervals with the strongest two contenders, Chris Hill and Bruce Arnett leaving at 13:30 to face the heat and the hills together.  

Some steady progress was made by all the runners during the daylight hours. The sun continues to spare the runners as it fails to live up to its real potential in the desert – and most of those who have been to Augrabies for previous events are quick to point out this fact. Indeed by the time the sun was ready to depart in a spectacular fashion behind the Kalahari’s backdrop of mountain ranges – most runners had already covered a good distance.   

The first section of the run took the participants over some rocky and hilly terrain that brought them into an oasis of vineyards in the middle of nowhere. Augrabies has the most spectacular grape farms. Unsuspecting visitors are usually astounded by the lushness as well as vastness of the vineyards set against the harshness of the Kalahari bush.  

For the runners it must have been a welcome sight and certainly a pleasure to run amidst the vineyards as they headed for the next check point.  It was only a short respite, however, as they were soon guided out of the farm and into more bushy terrain where many of them had to spend the hottest part of the day.

Race heats up between front runners.... 

By the time the runners hit Check Point 6 with just 21 km still to run – the sun had long said its goodbyes and was no longer a factor in the race between Chris Hill and Bruce Arnett. Racing against a time penalty and a very strong Australian competitor, Bruce began suffering from an ankle injury fairly earlier on in the day.  

When he came through Check Point Six, however, he had got wind that his Australian rival would also be facing a time penalty going into the next leg of the race. Chris had unfortunately dropped his ipod at one of the check points and faced the same hour’s addition to his time that had plagued Bruce on the second day. 

This means that both of these phenomenal athletes have had an hour added to their overall time – leveling the playing field and ensuring an exciting race for runners and onlookers. It also means that the likes of Sarel Adams can push these penalties to his advantage as the next strongest runner in the field.  

So as Augrabies turned on the night lights and hauled out a spectacular array of bright stars – the runners were creating their own stellar performances. The Aussie was looking incredibly strong and showed no signs of weakening. Maintaining a blistering pace, he was motoring towards home keeping a keen interest in the whereabouts of his race rival. Officially finishing the leg in nine hours and one minute – the results will, however, reflect an added hour’s time penalty. 

By Check Point Six Bruce seemed to have sorted his ankle out and, with a guestimated forty minutes between him and Chris was also throttling down in an effort to pull in the front runner. Running a short way with him revealed a steady pace and a renewed enthusiasm to catch up some lost time. His day was over in nine hours and 48 minutes. 

Sarel Adams and Guy Jennings had hooked up and were keeping each other company on the night run. Both seemed very strong and comfortable on their feet – and in good spirits as they motivated each other from check point to check point. Due to the time penalties imposed on the two strongest runners, Sarel now finds himself in second position just two or so minutes ahead of Bruce.  

All the ladies continue to impress. There’s no doubting their ability to meet the demands of the Kalahari and push their bodies through the pain and fatigue.  

The two front runners, Mimi Anderson and Suzette Linden, are putting some of the men in their place. Suzette left camp a half hour before Mimi, but despite getting lost and losing time early in the day, Mimi managed to catch the younger runner and continue to put distance between them throughout the day.  

Admitting to listening to a selection of “cheesy” music on her mp3 player, Mimi says it’s certainly helping her out there when she’s on her own. She seems to have spent most of the long day in solitude. Whatever the collection of tunes – it is driving her to perform and she came home in 11 hours and 11 minutes.  

Suzette, on the other hand, is managing to hook up with one or two of the guys. Today she teamed up with Charles Schuman and Dick Stubbs – and the three of them made a triumphant entrance into the finishers’ camp in just over 13 hours. She’s so strong mentally that nothing unsettles her on the course. Preferring to run than walk, she’s not letting go of her second position amongst the ladies.

A great orange ball of a moon sat on the horizon only briefly before rolling up into the night sky to keep the runners’ company.  

Italian runner, Marisa Marchini and the Caroline Richards of the UK are still running as a pair. Caroline’s ability to speak a number of languages including Italian has meant that the two foreigners look set to complete the entire race together. They are currently lying in joint third position ahead of Jo Mackenzie who hooked up with Frans Lotter during this leg of the race.  

Lying further down the field, Shirley Middlemost and Yvonne Teixeira came here to run the race together and are sticking together throughout. Today’s tough distance took strain on Yvonne who tried to convince Shirley to go on ahead. But the two crossed into camp together after a long 15 hours on their feet. Concern about their dwindling food provisions may still be an issue for these two further into the race.  

Tim Doyle, who suffered from blisters very early on in the race, pulled out of the race today. Although plagued by his feet, he said it was more the element of fatigue that persuaded him to walk away. Unable to keep warm out on the course, and eating up a good portion of his provisions, he made a wise call to pull himself out of the race.

By now everyone’s feet reflect varying degrees of blistering. While some are taking the time to pull off their shoes and clean off any gravel as it starts to niggle out there – others are pushing on and suffering the consequences.  

The medical team from Medic Clinic hauled out their kit and spent a good few hours at the runners’ camp attending to the feet. Long needles, sewing thread and mercurochrome had most competitors gritting their teeth as blisters were popped, threaded and injected.  

All in all, however, spirits seem high and none of the runners look near their personal thresholds of endurance. With a day of rest before the next 40km leg, they have time to regroup and tend to any problems they may be experiencing.

Tackling the Augrabies Extreme Marathon is a bit like tackling life. The road is long (and winding). There are steep uphills and ferocious downhills evened out with some easy roads – there are times you want to be left alone and others when you yearn for a little good company. There are beautiful views, awesome creatures and wide open spaces followed by narrow gorges, the tendency to just watch one’s feet and the constant swatting away of pesky miggies.  

Yes, the Augrabies Marathon is definitely a reflection of life; for just as in life there are those that scream by at breakneck speed and there are those that face it with a determined pace. But at the end of the day; we all end up at the same place – a little sore, somewhat bewildered, yet ready to sit down with our fellow travelers and discuss the day’s journey.  

Life in the Kalahari got a little tougher on day four for our runners. The heat was turned up just a notch and athletes had to put on a brave face after their rest day as they once again returned to the task of conquering the space between each check point on the route.  

Now with our two top runners each carrying a time penalty of one hour, the competition between Chris Hill and Bruce Arnett was on. Bruce, who has been praying for an increase in temperature, finally got his wish and headed out to obliterate some of the time that the Australian had on him.  

Living up to his reputation as a multi-staged racer, Bruce managed to leave the younger athlete behind during the day and arrived at the finishers’ camp having taken a significant slice out of Chris’s lead. Only time will tell, however, if Chris will be able to make a comeback and hold onto the 20 or so minutes he has on Bruce at the end of this stage.  

It was interesting to see how each runner handled this leg of the race. Whilst some of the top athletes seemed to have found previous legs, including the long one, a bit of a breeze – some of them now were taking strain on the fourth day. In contrast the middle runners have managed to settle into their pace and have found their desert groove.  

Suzette Linden who has been consistently strong over the previous three legs came into the finishers’ camp somewhat less chirpy than usual. She battled against the heat today and had to be content to walk a good deal of this leg.  

Mimi Anderson continues to be unbeatable, however, and although certainly bruised by the tough day – she seems far from her personal breaking point.  

The now inseparable Marisa Marchini and the Caroline Richards looked particularly strong out on the road during the course of the day and may have surprised a few with their ability to gear up their pace. As usual they were chatting away in Italian much to the frustration of our film crew.  

Even Shirley Middlemost, who had described the pain in her feet as having reached her teeth the day before, seemed in good spirits each time she reached one of the check points. Indeed her teammate Yvonne Teixeira was seen doing a little hip-swaying dance as she glugged down one of the many litres of Aquelle water that the runners have eagerly embraced at each check point.  

Then there are the runners whose outlook on the race (and perhaps life too) never fail to boost the spirits of the crew. Laura Forster was a constant smile during this leg of the race as was Jo Mackenzie – and it’s the likes of characters like Ian Jones who, with his dry humour and intrepid nature, that almost reminds one of the gentleman explorers of the past.  

Flying the flag for Britain, Patrick Hobbs, has carried the Union Jack all the way whilst Roy Tolfts’s proudly South African Y-fronts ensure that there’s a dash of local patriotism on the course.  

So, once again as in life, this marathon brings us patriots and characters of all intensities – but it also gets us lost. Sometimes one loses sight of the road markers and darkness descends before we reach our goals. That’s what happened to the back group of runners on day five.  

Just two or kilometres from a check point, Geoff Hilton-Barber, his wife Carol and their race companion, Anne Centner strayed from the route and failed to turn up at the finish. Fortunately they had paid heed to instructions from race organizers Nadia and Estienne. Once realizing their predicament they hauled out their whistles and made a noisy call for assistance.  

Hearing the whistling in the distance and, by this time looking for the missing trio, the crew was fairly easily able to locate and retrieve the runners.  

At the end of day four, we’ve got a number of runners off the course and out of the race. They haven’t given up – they’ve just listened to their bodies and changed their perspective for the rest of this marathon. And as they say – that’s life.

It was a toughie out there in the desert today. The epic journey across the desert has taken its toll on many of the runners who are now very definitely looking forward to the last day on Friday.  And another racer has withdrawn from the pack.  

Shirley Middlemost, a cardiologist from Cape Town, came down with severe heat stroke during the course of the afternoon. Rising temperatures and concerns about her ability to continue saw her pull herself out of the extreme event.  

Another type of drama, however, was unfolding at the front of the pack where Bruce Arnett had put a significant distance between himself and Chris Hills. By Check Point Four, Chris had dropped right back and was running with Sarel Adams, Guy Jennings and Mimi Anderson. These four athletes left Check Point Four together to tackle the very difficult rocky terrain between them and the days’ finish.  

With time being of the essence for Chris as Bruce continued to annihilate the time separating him from the Australian – there was no leeway for error. Missing a marker, however, the foursome ended up going game viewing instead of taking a more direct route to the finish camp. This is the second time that Mimi has been lost during the race and certainly Chris could not afford the unintended meander at this stage.  

The result was at least an extra half hour to their time if not more – and for Suzette Linden it turned into a good opportunity to eat into the lead Mimi had on her. Not too fazed at the end of a very tough day, Mimi may have been a little frustrated to see Suzette already in camp when she arrived, but she still has a significant lead of over three hours on her and the other ladies.  

The rest of the lost boys were a little less than impressed at the predicament they now found themselves in. Chris is now one hour 26 minutes behind Bruce going into the last day. It’s unlikely that he will be able to make up this kind of deficit in the one day remaining of this extreme event. It was certainly a chipper Bruce sitting at the finish today. 

Bruce had something else to smile about as his girlfriend Laura Forster seemed to get stronger and stronger on this leg of the race. The tricky rocky terrain was no match for her as she literally skipped up the rocky hills and maintained a steady as well as sturdy pace right through into the camp. This puts her 18^th overall and in fourth place amongst the ladies behind the joint third of Marisa Marchini and Caroline Richards.  

After a strong performance at the beginning of the marathon on day one and day two – Fritz Koch now seems to be battling a bit to maintain his pace. From Ceres he may well be used to the heat, but he reveals that he has run out of water before and suffered from faintness as well during one of the legs. He is presently lying in fifth place – but it will be interesting to see whether the last, somewhat easier leg, will see Mimi able to move up into his position in the field. She seems to be maintaining her consistently strong performances and the easy road may well be in her favour to end this marathon with a fast finish.  

The miggies put in a persistent appearance again today after being less of a nuisance yesterday; and most of the runners were thankful for the buffs that could be seen pulled right up under their eyes during most of the day.

By the end of the day, the rain clouds were building on the horizon and with a fairly easy stretch mostly on roads tomorrow, this may be exactly what the Australian needs to put him back in the race. The time difference, however, between him and Bruce may well be too great at this late stage to do too much about.  

Tim Doyle, who dropped off the course during the week, is planning to dust off his running shoes and get back out there to finish the last leg.  

The crew – and particularly the partners of many of the runners – are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the athletes in the beautiful Khamkirri camp on the banks of the Orange River. It’s certainly going to be a welcome sight for the weary bodies.

It wasn’t until all the competitors still left in the race were over the final finish line that the hard truth settled in. This adventure is almost over – all that remains are the formalities of the prize-giving and the chance to dissect the event from all angles over a couple of cold ones.  

There’s a sense of community that develops amongst people who pit themselves against each other and the elements. There’s a connection that’s hard to just walk away from as if this event was merely another race completed on the calendar. And so while the body breathes a sigh of relief at the finish line – the mind still grapples to hold onto the experience for as long as possible.  

For the crew, the day began with a mad rush to beat the runners to the finish line. That meant that there was a general scurry of activity in camp to erect banners and create a fitting end to the event for each athlete. 

Another staggered start meant that some of the slowest and toughest runners crossed into the finish first. These are the athletes who, whether due to age or genetics, are not here to beat everyone else – they are here to beat their own gremlins to the finish line.  

Yvonne Teixeira, who came here to run the race with Shirley Middlemost, had to face up to tackling the last day alone after Shirley withdrew from the race. Suddenly what had started out as a joint goal turned into something she completed on her own. Known for her trademark wiggle at the check points – she was keen to wiggle those hips for the last time on the finish line. Finishing in a total time of 57 hours and 52 minutes – she can now add the Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon to her list of accomplishments.  

Then there was Ian Jones who attempted to tackle the Kalahari sans socks. He was eager to take on the half hour time penalty during the course of the race when offered the doctor’s socks. As a 66-year old almost English gentlemen who boasts a Malmesbury upbringing, he says that he is viewed as slightly crazy by the rest of his family since taking up challenges such as this one. His overall time (including a half hour time penalty) was 54 hours and 42 minutes.  

Mary Adams was here with her husband, Sarel who on many of the days was running at the front of the field. For her it certainly was not about beating anyone to the finish line. She has supported Sarel before in his previous efforts on the race and was persuaded by that experience as well as Geoff Hilton-Barber that participating made much more sense. She finished in an overall time of 51 hours and 25 minutes.  

Marcel Brenn from Switzerland is a self-confessed endurance junkie. He tackles one endurance event a year and admits to being a “very slow runner”. Now he can add the Augrabies Extreme Marathon to his very impressive list of epic events. He completed the Kalahari experience in 50 hours and three minutes.  

Taking strain on some parts of the course, 46-year-old Jane Mackinnon never gave up. Oftentimes seen pushing through in solitude – she should be an inspiration to anyone of similar age no matter what their current fitness level. With some marathon experience, she’s admits to a sporadic running career and took the opportunity to run, hike and camp in this event. Her overall time was 47 hours, 42 minutes.  

There was no mistaking Patrick Hobbs (55 years-old) on the course. Patriotic to the end – he took the Union Jack from start to finish and smiled most of the way. Also running mostly alone, he’s tackled many endurance races and learned about this African experience when he met Nadia and Estienne at the Marathon of Britain. His overall time was 45 hours and 34 minutes.  

Describing the Kalahari as a “bit of the country that I have not run in before,” Ian Ross – a 49-year old computer boffin has been running very slowly for 17 years. Claiming that his choice of stockings would save his feet from the blisters that plagued most of the runners, he stuck to a steady pace that saw him coming home in an overall time of 45 hours and 12 minutes.  

Not far ahead of Ian was Frans Lotter who has managed to accumulate permanent numbers for events such as Comrades, Two Oceans as well as the Mpumalanga 100 miler. Perhaps we’ll see him back here next year as he works towards obtaining a permanent number for this race. His time was 44 hours and 43 minutes.  

It’s almost difficult to believe that it was the same Laura Forster that finished the race to the one that started. Somewhere during the event she found her groove and started to deliver some steady running when many of the stronger runners were beginning to wind down. Perhaps, as the girlfriend of Bruce Arnett, she got some useful hints from the expert along the way. She had an impressive finish with an overall time of 43 hours and 37 minutes.  

There were no shortage of comments from Roy Tolfts along the entire route of the Augrabies Extreme Marathon. With his wife and daughter as an integral part of the crew – he seemed to remain in good spirits most of the way. But perhaps that’s because he knew what to expect having done this event previously in 2004. His overall time was 43 hours 25 minutes.  

Keen to grab this experience, 31-year old Jo Mackenzie proved a tough debutant to this race. Pairing up here and there with various runners – and running a good deal on her own, she has certainly accomplished her goal of proving to herself that she can complete something this tough. Looking fresh at almost all times of the day she finished in a total time of 41 hours and 13 minutes.  

Admitting to being a little intimidated by the event before arriving in the Kalahari – Tim van Coller more than conquered the Augrabies Extreme Marathon. With a background in multi-sport as a triathlete and working in the bush; the event seems almost to have been tailor-made for him. He broke the 40 hour mark and finished in a very convincing 39 hours and 53 minutes.  

It was no surprise to see Marisa Marchini of Italy and Caroline Richards of the UK cross the line together putting them in a joint third position amongst the ladies. They struck up a very successful partnership right from the outside and have probably done wonders for diplomatic relations between the two countries. Having discovered a similar pace - there were probably very few kilometres out there that they were not chatting on. Their time was 37 hours 43 minutes.  

With a totally distinctive running style, Reiner Stucky was seen to take strain on some of the legs. But it’s this running style that has carried him through a number of extreme events including the Comrades Marathon as well as a good many 100 milers. Supported by his wife, Wendy, who joined the crew on the event – he finished in a total time of 37 hours 28 minutes.  

What can one say about Suzette Linden? She surprised everyone except herself as she plunged head first into this extreme event. At only 28; her love for running brought her to the Kalahari and saw her walk away with a second position amongst a strong field of ladies. Husband Dennis, who was part of the crew this year, looks set to follow in his wife’s footsteps next year, but there’s no way she’s going to watch from the side – she says she’ll be back. She finished in a very strong 35 hours and 49 minutes.  

There has to be one character in a mix like this that really stands out. In this event it was definitely Dick Stubbs, the yellow submarine. Armed with a fierce sense of humour and a running commentary on every aspect of the race and the Kalahari; one is not sure whether it was his legs or his mouth that did more work during the race. But something kept him going and he finished in 35 hours 22 minutes.  

42-year old Charles Schuman just had to come and compete in the Augrabies Extreme Marathon. Supported by his wife, Leida, he was often seen running amongst a group, but like most also had to tackle the desert alone on occasions. Rather quieter than the man he beat to the finish line, Charles crossed the line in a total time of 35 hours and 18 minutes.  

The 48-year old Ian Williamson had an impressive race. With aspirations to do the Ironman; he’ll probably find it a complete breeze after completing the Augrabies Extreme Marathon in a total time 33 hours and 57 minutes. Girlfriend, Trish, was an important part of the support crew who supplied massages to the sore bodies at the end of each day.  

Another of the real characters on the course, Mark Mitchell’s feet may have taken strain with some very nasty blisters – but he gritted his teeth and always had a smile for his wife, Sonja, at each check point that she manned during the event. They were finally reunited after a grueling 33 hours 48 minutes of separation in the desert.  

The irrepressible Mimi Anderson, a personal trainer from the UK, literally obliterated any competition amongst the ladies and certainly held her own in the overall field. Finishing in an overall sixth position, she never lost her sense of humour despite wandering off the marked course at least twice during the duration of the event. She was often seen running with some of the leading men and never let them feel as if she was holding them back. She finished in an inspiring 31 hours 46 minutes.  

The quiet and determined runner from Ceres, Fritz Koch, pushed through some uncomfortable hours in the desert and did extremely well to finish in an overall fifth position. A very strong start to the race on the first day saw him forced to relinquish some of his lead during subsequent stages. Also with aspirations to get an Ironman under his belt, Fritz finished in 31 hours 15 minutes.  

Finishing the last day in a trio with Fritz Koch and Sarel Adams, Guy Jennings proved a tough competitor out there. Only missing the 30 hour barrier by 15 minutes – his overall time was 30 hours and 15 minutes. He tackled this grueling event for his brother who is in a wheelchair after a car accident.  

One of only three to break the 30 hour mark – Sarel Adams remained strong throughout the race – never seeming to take too much real strain. Pacing himself with Bruce Arnett on some days and running with Guy Jennings and Mimi Anderson on others – Sarel finished the race in a very impressive 29 hours and 45 minutes.  

Chris Hills – the 21-year old from Australia – dispelled the myth that youngsters aren’t meant to participate in endurance events of this magnitude. With some very strong days out in the desert ahead of the pack, Chris showed that age was not a factor for him. Giving Bruce Arnett some stiff competition during the race that saw some serious debate amongst the crew as to who would eventually walk away the winner – the Australian ended up in second position and finished in an incredible time of 28 hours and 48 minutes (including an hour’s time penalty).  

Bruce’s strength as a trail runner and his mental presence to endure despite having to chase the winner at some stages during the race, saw him claim the title as the winner of the Augrabies Extreme Marathon. The race was essentially won on Thursday as Bruce ended the day with a one hour 25 minute lead on Chris – a time that would be next to impossible to make up on Friday’s shortish leg. And so the two rivals ran the last leg together and crossed the line to be welcomed by all the other runners and crew in the finish area. Bruce’s overall time was 27 hours and 23 minutes (also including a one hours’ time penalty). 

With all present and accounted for, Khamkirri Camp on the banks of the Orange River kicked into party mode. In fact the night sky put on its own celebratory fireworks as the desert erupted into an electric display of lightning and the roll of thunder served as the drumbeat of the night. And, despite the fact that it never rains in the desert … the heavens opened and delivered a final refreshing burst of water to welcome the runners’ home.  

So, as experiences are shared in the camp; battle scars ogled and last laughs are shared – the running shoes are shelved; bags packed and goodbyes prepared. There’s a cursory glance at the calendar for 2007 and a few promises made.

It’s amongst the crew, however, that a more robust intention emerges. Not to take on the challenge of the run --- but rather to return to this motley team that neatly clicks together in a bizarre manner of outbursts, hysteria and sheer determination to bring a group of runners successfully across this unforgiving desert terrain.