Africa is home to three of the world’s largest deserts – the Sahara, Namib, and Kalahari, as well as many semi-desert areas. Increasingly, these locations host a wide range of footraces, making Africa the premier international desert running destination. This calendar highlights the desert footraces to be held in 2020 in various parts of Africa.... Continue Reading →
Africa is home to three of the world’s largest and most unique deserts – the Sahara, Namib, and Kalahari. Increasingly, these deserts host a wide range of footraces, making Africa the premier international desert running destination. The following list highlights some of the main single and multi-stage desert footraces which will be held during 2019... Continue Reading →
Don’t be fooled by the heading, this is not the new lyrics of the well-known Roxette song or a juicy love story from the recent Kalahari Augrabries Extreme Marathon (KAEM). Instead, when it is hot in the Kalahari Desert, things can go wrong, and if you run with a weak heart, there could be grave... Continue Reading →
Greetings from the Augrabies Falls in the Northern Cape. Tomorrow is the start of the 2018 Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon (KAEM). The 19th edition of the race - 250km over 6 stages / 7 days – will be held from 20-26 October 2018. The following links will keep you informed about my progress during the... Continue Reading →
“Together as a nation, we have the obligation to put sunshine into the hearts of our little ones. They are our precious possessions. They deserve what happiness life can offer.” Former president Nelson Mandela On the afternoon of 8 February 2018, my 10-year-old son was moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Wilgeheuwel Hospital... Continue Reading →
Many South Africans are using their participation in sporting activities from running marathons to climbing mountains to raise awareness and funds for social causes and to make a difference in society. Supported by the reach and popularity of social media as well as crowdfunding platforms, these initiatives have the increased potential to influence meaningful change.... Continue Reading →
This blog covers the period from 6-12 August 2018. Only two weeks to go before the start of my next desert race, the 250km Fire and Ice Ultra in Iceland. It is almost spring in Johannesburg, but it is still fairly chilly in the mornings and evenings – a friendly reminder of the weather which... Continue Reading →
This blog covers the period from 23-29 July 2018. Another week of my #NGOs4Africa has come and gone. Three weeks are done, and it is now only four weeks to go before the start of the 2018 Fire and Ice Ultra in Iceland. This final stretch before a big multi-stage desert race is always a... Continue Reading →
This blog covers the period from 16-22 July 2018. The second week of my #NGOs4Africa Campaign is done. I published a number of interesting NGO profiles and articles on my blog, attended the 16th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture, which was delivered by former US President Barack Obama, and completed some tough training sessions in between.... Continue Reading →
When asked what my motivation is for participating in extreme desert running events since 2010, my answer is two-fold. Yes, there is the personal challenge and satisfaction of completing these races. But the main reason for my participation is to raise money, support and awareness for NGOs and social causes at the forefront of addressing... Continue Reading →
