Early birds, get the workout

KNYSNA NEWS - For athletes wishing to fulfil their yearning for an extreme adventure, the early bird entries for the 2021 Knysna Extreme Triathlon (KET) are open for another three weeks before standard entries kick in.

The fourth edition of what is dubbed "Africa's toughest triathlon" by organisers is set to take place on 16 October, roughly a month earlier than the usual late November slot.

With still seven months to go, organisers are affording prospective participants the full advantage of the discounted early bird entry packages available until 31 March.

The standard entry packages will kick in on 1 April and will be open until 19 September, unless the maximum number of entries is reached before then.

The 2021 race will follow on from a record-setting 2020 competition that saw both the men's and women's time records shattered in the full-length KET. In the women's section Magda Niewoudt was phenomenal, finishing second overall with a time of 12:04:58 - a new women's record.

The time also improved on the 2019 men's and overall winning time of 12:52:15 set by Manfred Wiehahn, who has thoroughly dominated the competition in the first three years. Wiehahn has won every edition of the KET thus far, each year improving on his previous time, with his 2020 time 11:52:41.

The group of athletes that completed the 2020 full KET.

As usual the full KET will be held concurrently with the shorter version of the race, the KET 0.5. Both editions of the race begin with a swim in the Knysna Lagoon and are followed by a cycle along the N2 towards Wilderness.

The KET 0.5 athletes turn around at the Wilderness Hotel and cycle back to the SANParks jetty on Thesen's Island to transition into their running leg to the Diepwalle Forest Station.

Participants in the full KET will follow the Seven Passes route before joining with the N12 and then N9, and conclude their cycling journey in Avontuur, from where they do the running leg, also finishing at Diepwalle.

All in all, the KET 0.5 comprises of 2,5km of swimming, 100km of cycling and 30km of running with nearly 1 700m of elevation. In the gruelling full KET, athletes complete 5km of swimming, 174km of cycling, and 50km of running, tackling nearly 3 800m of elevation along the way.

Participants in the KET 0.5 also face a tough challenge, despite the shorter race. Photos: Blake Linder