WHAT IS KAEM?
The Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon, now in its 20th year, is held
annually in October in the beautiful and contrasting landscape of the
arid Kalahari Desert. Starting and finishing in Augrabies Falls National
Park, it covers 250km over six legs in seven days, with set distances for
each day ranging from 28km to 75km.
It is a self-sufficiency run and participants must carry all their supplies,
clothes and compulsory safety/survival equipment for the duration of
the event. Only overnight shelter in camps, and water, which is strictly
controlled and distributed during the race, is supplied. Every entrant and
their pack is inspected prior to the start to ensure that they are carrying
all their compulsory equipment and that their daily food’s calorie count
is sufficient to sustain them, as any outside assistance will result in them
being withdrawn from the race. A full medical team monitors the runners
daily, and attends to all their medical needs during the event.
The route details are only given to the participants on the day of
registration, so there is no unfair advantage in planning. The route is
marked throughout the course, and offers a contrast of landscapes,
many of them in remote areas not normally accessible to the public.
It follows fertile vineyards along the Orange River, a great many sandy
river beds, and traverses towering gorges, rocky outcrops and boulder-
strewn koppies where klipspringers play. Desert temperatures vary from
over 40°C during the day to below 10°C in the evenings.
Limited to 100 entries, the event brings together like-minded
individuals from all corners of the world, fostering camaraderie and
lifelong friendships. It goes way beyond merely covering 250km in
extreme conditions; it is a challenge to get past what normal people
would regard as crazy, and achieve personal goals.
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