KNYSNA NEWS - In less than a month, the Knysna Extreme is set to take place from Knysna to the Diepwalle Forest Station on 24 November.

Touted as "Africa's toughest triathlon" and the only extreme triathlon in the country, organiser Sean Sandiford says the event is "already generating lots of hype both locally and internationally with some foreign athletes coming to take part”. He adds that it is the gruelling, yet scenic route that takes triathletes back to the basics of the sport.

The route is a 4km swim in the estuary, then a 170km cycle from Knysna, through George and finishing at Avontuur, with a 50km run along Prince Alfred's Pass finishing at Diepwalle Forest Station.

Athletes will battle tidal currents in the Knysna Estuary, then cycle along the N2 coastal road, passing through Sedgefield, Wilderness and George before tackling the Outeniqua Pass. Temperatures will rise once athletes descend into the Klein Karoo, as scenery changes dramatically from lush green coastal vegetation to semi-desert. The run leg along Prince Alfred's Pass pushes athletes to their limits before the finish in Diepwalle. Totalling nearly 2 500m of ascent, athletes will be pushed to their physical and mental limits.

'Please support the athletes'
“So it is a proper challenge but very exciting as well,” says Sandiford. “Come out and support the athletes on their journey. Pop down to Thesen Island on race day and cheer them on at the start at 05:00. We also plead with the community to get to the finish at Diepwalle Forest Station (20km from Knysna) and congratulate the athletes when they cross the line. Cutoff is at midnight, so it will be a very long day for the guys and they need all the support they can get,” he says.

“We also ask the community, particularly motorists, to watch out for the athletes when they cycle from Knysna to George, over Outeniqua and back to Avontuur. Motorists need to be aware they are there and give them space and also encourage them.”

Sandiford says he moved to Knysna years ago, when he was about 15, and finished school here before going to university in Port Elizabeth.

"My parents still live there and I pop down to Knysna quite a lot to visit and just love the place. I still consider it my home and love the place and want people to visit the place and experience it. I have always been sporty and think Knysna is the perfect location for so many sporting events. And we always talk about ideas and have 'imagine if' or 'this would be great' discussions, but nothing happens."

Sandiford says Knysna is the best location for a triathlon but that the idea didn't really click until he did the Austria Extreme Triathlon two years back.

"The Austria Extreme Triathlon is the second toughest in the world and the concept is very different from the standard triathlon races you have locally (Ironman, etc). These extreme triathlons are self-supported, with no road closures, no food or water stops and little support from the event itself. They are also very tough, so this concept brings athletes back to the triathlon basics where it's them against the elements. And Knysna is perfectly suited for this type of event," he says. 

"The Knysna Extreme is the start of a great triathlon story for the town."

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