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Bull of Africa's winning feature - short stages
posted Friday, August 22, 2008 by adventurelisa @ 3:55 AM - 0 comments

Bull of Africa is mostly wrapped up and teams are home and back at their office desks. Race reports from teams are posted on http://www.ar.co.za/, South Africa's adventure racing website (click on the Reports & Results section).

The one feature tht really stuck me about this event was the short stages. The previous Bull (2005) was criticised for its long slog legs. Later that year I went to Southern Traverse in New Zealand, which had exactly the same thing. Teams sometime didn't emerge from sections for over 30-hours.

I've tried to split the various legs according to race winner Team USNs times. I don't have specific list of TAs and times for the last sections are not available. But, this does give a fairly good indication of the leg durations.


  • Hike: 02h20
  • Cycle: 0h52
  • Paddle Rogaine: 2h47
  • Cycle: 1h15
  • Hike: 13h24
  • Cycle to dam: 4h08
  • Paddle: 3h18
  • Cycle: 6h05
  • Hike: 16h25
  • Cycle: 11h28
  • Hike: 7h13
  • The last section included a cycle (CP36 to CP46), short hike (CP46 and back to bikes), cycle to river (CP51), paddle down river (CP51 to CP52) and hike up the coast to finish (CP56): total time for this section was 19h03 (incl. 1 to 2hrs sleep). I don't have splits on these sections.

Their total race time was 4-days, 1-hour and 56-minutes.

Slower teams do take longer on each section, especially the overnight hikes. On courses where the front teams are spending 30-hours on a hike... this can be doubled for the back teams.

For me, the mix-match of the legs made for an interesting race; and it kept the disciplines interesting for the teams. I've been critical more than once about events that send teams on slog after slog after slog.

When I asked uge.Cyanosis' navigator and captain Nicholas Mulder about the course on Skype post-race he replied, "Very good route, good organisation and superb logistics". As South Africa's top orienteer, an experienced adventure racer and an adventure race organiser, Nicholas' words are indeed a compliment to Bull race director Hano Otto. Like me, Nicholas is critical of events and course planning.

That's it from me on Bull of Africa. Thank you all for following the race and cheering for your teams. I hope to see some of you at Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge in December (I'm racing, not writing! Yippeee!). Please come and say hello. And perhaps I can welcome you to South Africa in the near future. Our South African adventure racing event calendar are hosted on http://www.ar.co.za/; Swazi Xtreme is a 60-hour race in the Kingdom of Swaziland (within South Africa) and Bull is our expedition event. There are also a number of weekend events.

Lisa

BOA - Prize giving and emotional dedication
posted Monday, August 18, 2008 by adventurelisa @ 4:55 AM - 0 comments

By Fred Richardson

The prize giving dinner was an emotional roller coaster. It started with the arrival of the South African all-women team, Dew Point.

At around 18h30, with racers, supporters, race crew and media dressed in their party best and chatting before the prize ceremony got under way, Team Dew Point arrived. They had just completed the course - still on their bikes with their backpacks and headlamps on. This all-women team had stuck it out to finish as an intact team after being out on course for 7 days and 11 hours. This is a long time to keep going on just a couple of hours of sleep a night; it takes massive resolve.

The room erupted with cheers and applause as they wheeled their bikes towards Bull of Africa race director, Hano Otto, who was standing in the middle of the room. These four women embody the determination, mental fortitude and spirit of adventure racing. Lauren, Kelly, Daleen and Tamryn, you are an example to us all and proof that a determined spirit can move mountains.

After the crowd settled, Hano began the formalities of prize giving. All teams who finished were acknowledged and presented with finishers trophies. The next emotional bullet was fired when Hano announced that McCain Adventure Addicts had been moved from 2nd place to 12th as a result of not clipping a CP. When he called them up to recieve their trophies every racer in the room stood and gave them a standing ovation, sending a clear message of support to the McCain Adventure Addicts team members. The room acknowledged their outstanding race result and sympathised with team over the time penalty, which was calculated by doubling the time of the slowest team on the leg where McCain had failed to punch at a checkpoint.

The final emotional bullet came from Bull of Africa winners, Team USN. Team navigator John Collins could not attend prize giving as he had to fly home for business; but John had left a message, which he asked Martin Dreyer to read on his behalf. John and the team dedicated their race to their friend Phillip Swanepoel, a racer with whom both John and Martin had competed many times. Phillip died tragically in a helicopter accident little over a year ago. He was a well-known, much liked and respected adventure racer in South Africa; and his passing hit our close community hard. The tears streamed unashamedly down Martin's face as he struggled to get the words out. With effort, Martin read John's entire message.

The evening continued with a superb dinner and a party into the morning's early hours, which was mostly attended by those who had finished days earlier. The other many, many tired bodies dragged themselves to bed, to sleep off the week's exertions.

2nd placed McCain Adventure Addicts to receive time penalty
posted Saturday, August 16, 2008 by adventurelisa @ 1:44 AM - 0 comments

By Fred Richardson

McCain Adventure Addicts are to be given a time penalty, which will probably move them back to 5th or 6th place in the field.

McCain failed to clip their passports at a CP between TA10 and TA11. Team captain Graham Bird only become aware of the mishap when he checked his passport shortly before handing it in to race HQ. Race rules are explicit and clear - any team failing to clip a CP will receive a time penalty equal to twice that of the team who took the longest to complete that leg.

The tracking records have been checked and it is confirmed that the team were on the right route; but they just didn't punch at the checkpoint.

Race director Hano Otto is not immune to their disappointment. "I feel for them, but I have to apply the rules or we will just have chaos," he says.

The team are obviously bitterly disappointed but they too understand the rules. We now wait for race HQ to collate all the time sheets so that the penalty can be calculated.

Day 7: Thirteen teams in. Many more to follow.
posted Thursday, August 14, 2008 by adventurelisa @ 11:12 PM - 0 comments

I have just noticed that the date above this post says it is Thursday... it isn't. It is Friday.

22h40: As of 16h00 on Thursday the count of unranked and withdrawn teams - of the 42 that started - was as follows: 12 unranked teams (one or more of their team members have dropped out and the rest of them are proceeding â?? either as a group of three, or with another unranked team that they have merged with) and 6 withdrawn teams. 6 teams were short coursed on Thursday night.

The official cut-off for Bull of Africa is 09h00 Saturday morning. I think some teams are not going to make it; including a number who were short-coursed. Any team still wanting to complete all their remaining CP's will be allowed to BUT they will have an unofficial finish.

Feed The Machine reached the finish shortly after Arena (I don't know what time). They are an unranked team following Sully's withdrawal a few days ago due to a sore knee.

Cosa Nostra (Brazil) and PennyPinchers (SA) are likely candidates for the official 12th and 13th places. They're now only a few hours from the finish.

18h39: Back marker teams using a ferry to cross the river.



11h31: The Russian all-women team Arena have reached the finish. They take 11th place and are the first of the all-women teams. Fred says they came walking through to the finish, chattering away, with flowers in their hair. They're obviously enjoying the beautiful day at the coast. So twelve teams in total have completed the course, including the unranked Trek/Uraguay team.



09:57: Extreme Outdoors have just finished in official 10th. They had to run the last 4km because Arena were right behind them. Apparently CP53 was not going to sting them. They tiger lined straight through the bush to the top. The TV cameraman couldn't follow them for fear of being shredded by the vegetation.

09h46: Trek/Uraguay (unranked team) have just completed the BOA. Team captain Ruben Mandure's first question to Hano Otto was "Is possible to have a shower?" They are in high spirits. A highlight of the race for the team was the interaction with local people en-route. They were treated with country hospitilaity even in the remotest places.

08h09: The all ladies Russian team Arena and local team Extreme Outdoors are in a punishing sprint for the finish line. Both teams left CP51 within sight of each other. Who will feel the sting of CP53? We expect them at the finish between 09h30 and 10h00.

08h05: After almost 600km of racing Keen Tor'quers were forced to run up the last hill to the finish line at Balugha Inn to finish in 8th place. Epitact had tried valiantly to regain the place they'd lost in the early hours of the morning. Epitact are 9th.

03h48: PeptoPro finished at 3:40am. Tired but happy.

02h24: Peptopro have just passed CP53.

Keen Tor'quers managed to catch and pass Epitact at the Inkwenkwezi Boma. The question is whether the Ausie team can hold the slim advantage they have gained.

Day 6: Short-coursing begins
posted by adventurelisa @ 1:49 PM - 0 comments

22h50 - news in from Fred

Teams who have been short coursed at CP30 include:

Dew Point
Falke Sports Ware
Halo
Katberg
Nubi
Thule

They will now cycle from CP30 to CP36 on the shortest possible route. Once at CP36 they resume the course to the finish.

All other teams have been told that the next cut-off is at CP36 (Seagulls) at 08h00 Friday morning. Teams missing that cut-off will be short coursed and they will miss out the CP's 37, 38 and 39.

No other teams have finished since McCain Adveture Fanatics this afternoon. PeptoPro are expected in 2-3 hours.

Day 6: CP53 is the sting in the tail
posted by adventurelisa @ 6:38 AM - 0 comments

South African adventure racers know to expect a sting in the tail when they do a "Hano race". Bull seems to have been fairly straight forward - until CP53, the last CP before the finish.

According to Fred, the CP is located on top of a dune. It has been placed at a trig beacon (Trigonometry Beacon; used for surveying and map making). In South Africa our trig beacons have a painted white concrete base and a black metal top (see photo of a trig beacon North of Johannesburg). They usually, but not always, mark heighest points in an area. They are often very visible (they're quite big), especially on top of a mountain; I make a game out of spotting them.

But this sand dune beacon is missing its black head, which has rusted off.
The dune itself is vegetated; thick dune scrub that obliterates visiblity and probably reduces the racers to crawling like little animals through it.

5th placed team Lafuma-Sport2000 said that locating this CP was a nightmare. In fact, the team got separated in the dense vegetation, losing one of their members for a while. They also lost time and could have lost their placing to McCain Adventure Fanatics.

You're likely to see a lot of action happening in this area on the tracking, especially when the big middle bunch of teams comes through. Places could change a lot; but a group could also benefit from having more people to locate the trig faster.

Day 6: Lafuma-Sport2000 are home
posted by adventurelisa @ 2:52 AM - 0 comments

By Fred Richardson

Update: Blackheart / Bunker Capital finished this morning (Thursday) at about 06h10. They took 4th place

11h32: Lafuma-Sport 2000 finished shortly after 11 o'clock today but they kept the spectators anxious. The last hike from CP52 should take no more than 1 hour but it has one final tricky CP to get before getting to the finish line. It was this checkpoint that almost cost Lafuma a place. They spent a long time looking for the CP as McCain Adventure Fanatics closed the gap. Fortunately for them they found the CP and crossed the line ahead of McCain Adventure Fanatics. Now we wait to see how far behind McCain are. Lafuma complete the Top 5

12h03: McCain Adventure Fanatics reached the finish at noon.

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