The Steam Train Challenge Cross-country Duathlon

Race against the clock to get from Wellington to Ceres

On Saturday, 7 October 2017 the Steam Train Challenge speeds into our lives once more and will be as thrilling as always. The event will see adventurous athletes tackle a relay, or solo course, that covers 90kms of perilously tricky terrain. We know we have said it before, but this one really isn't for the faint of heart.

The race can be completed by solo athletes, or in a team of six. The team must be made up of three runners and three mountain bikers who will take on six separate legs each. As a solo athlete, you will take on all six legs by yourself while  an accompanying team carries your bike between mountain bike sessions. The first leg is a 7.2km run from Wellington to Malan Station. The second leg is a 22.2km mountain bike route that goes from Malan Station to Hermon Station. Participants will then go from Hermon Station to Gouda Station, still on their bikes, for a 19.3km stint. Leg four goes from Gouda Station to Tulbagh Road Station, which is a route of 7.7km. The last mountain bike stage is a 23.7km stint and it runs from Tulbagh Road Station to Waverley Hills Farm. The final leg is a 10.9km run from Waverley Hills Farm to Ceres Golf & Eco Estate. The competition starts at 8am on Saturday, 7 October 2017 at the entrance to Wellington Wines.

Look out for some local celebrities at The Steam Train Challenge. Breyton Paulse, a Springbok rugby legend who took to the field for 54 sensational appearances, will be attempting the demanding challenge. He will captain a six-man team that will tackle this epic event; there is no word yet on whether he will run or cycle, but either way he will surely bring some serious competitiveness to the team! Also billed to appear is Conrad Stoltz, a seven times cross-country world triathlon champion, will tackle this challenge solo. That’s 90km of heart-pounding off-road terrain to tackle alone; it’s no easy task.

The event also has a charitable aspect; all proceeds from the event will go to The Breyton Paulse Foundation. The Breyton Paulse Foundation aims to nurture children to reach their true potential on the sports field. Their foundation funds bursaries and offers financial support to allow kids to attend quality schools, they run mentorship programmes, they run primary health care education programmes, lend sports equipment to underprivileged schools and host sports clinics.

ENTRIES TO THE 2017 STEAM TRAIN CHALLENGE STARTING IN WELLINGTON

The price of competing in a six-man team is R350/p, with a R2100 per team total. Each competitor will receive a medal and a goodie bag. For a solo athlete, the price of taking part in the Steam Train Challenge is R1000/p. You can enter the race at Entryninja.com, and you can pick up your race number at Cape Union Mart at Canal Walk on Thursday, 5 October 2017 from 1pm to 8pm. You can also pick up your number from Bovlei Cellar in Wellington on Friday, 6 October 2017 from 1pm to 7pm.

Happy running!

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