ESSENTIAL EVENT INFORMATION 2024
Due to the scale and nature of Rat Race Events, changes to the event course, structure and timings sometimes need to be made right up until the date of the event. To ensure you have the latest information and are fully prepared for the challenge that lies ahead, please checkback on this EEI before travelling to the event.
This EEI was last updated on: 02/10/2024 (Front and rear bike light added to biking kit list)
WELCOME TO NAMIBIA.
WELCOME TO RACE TO THE WRECK 2024!
Dear Intrepid Race to the Wrecker...
We hope the excitement is building to what is going to be an utterly sensational and surreal adventure this November as we journey across the Namib desert in pursuit of the iconic shipwreck finish line!
Please find our Essential Event Information Document, containing what we hope is a comprehensive outlook towards your journey later on this year. If you have not done already, do ensure you are fully conversant with the website and then pour yourself a cup of tea or coffee (or something a little stronger!) and read on….
​
Abbi Naylor
Event Director, Race to the Wreck 2024
FILES AND DOWNLOADS:
KEY REMINDERS:
Make sure you’ve read this thoroughly well ahead of your departure date to ensure there are no last minute panics or surprises, if you have any questions after reading this please reach out to us on events@ratrace.com
SKIP TO SECTION
TIME ZONE
UTC + 2
PHONE CODE
+264
CURRENCY
The currency in Namibia is the Namibian Dollar. This is equal in value to the South African Rand.
TEMPERATURE
Average in Nov : 34°C
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
-
​Event Participation Form MUST be submitted NO later 3rd September 2024.
-
Medical declaration MUST be submitted NO later than 3rd September 2024.
-
The Q & A webinar will take place on at 17:30 UK time on Wednesday 2nd October 2024. The webinar will be recorded and sent out to all participants the following day so you can watch it back at your leisure if you are unable to make the date and time.
-
Snacks: You will need 5 day’s worth of scooby snacks PLUS one day of contingency – 6 days total. See below in the relevant section for what we provide and how we suggest you augment this with some simple snacks of your own.
-
Kit: You will need to pass final kit check before being able to complete our physical registration process at desert camp. If your kit is not right the Event team will reserve the right to prevent you starting the Event. Don’t worry – there are several touchpoints before departure to ensure this does not occur. See the relevant section below on kit, webinar, online video kit check sessions and more. If in any doubt on kit, please do get in touch with us at events@ratrace.com and we can help!
-
Insurance: You need insurance. If you are bringing your own bike, please ensure it is insured against loss, theft and/ or damage. You will need a medical repatriation and evacuation policy that has a minimum of $500 000 trip cover on it. You will submit this to us pre-event and we will ensure we have the correct number to call your insurer if we need to evacuate you or provide serious medical attention. We also highly recommend a policy that covers you for curtailment and non-attendance.
-
Live events decision-making: When we are in Namibia, in all cases while on the trip, the Event Director’s decision is final. They are at all times acting in the combined interest of the safety of the individual and of the group, as their paramount concern.
-
Vehicle Safety: This event takes place largely off- road – waaaaaaay off-road! However, we do have event vehicles manoeuvring in close proximity and there are very short sections of road or track for the bikes. Exercise caution at all time around vehicles.
-
Route: There are strict arrangements and routings agreed with landowners and authorities and there are key rules for the protection of certain vegetation in the desert. It is important that you follow our route carefully and take all appropriate instructions from the event team.
KEY INFO
PERSONAL DOCUMENTATION
Please use the following as a checklist on what you will require for this trip. We recommend all documents should be in a waterproof pouch or container.  
PASSPORT
(at least 6 months remaining and enough pages for all the required stamps - minimum 2).
RETURN AIR TICKET
You should ensure you have purchased a return air ticket.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
See insurance section or event FAQ.
PERSONAL MONEY
​
TRIP MEETING POINT AND END POINT
The dates of the trip are fixed as 3rd – 10th November 2024. These are the dates on which the itinerary commences and finishes.
ARRIVAL/PICK UP: For arrivals, we will arrange a group transfer to take the group from Windhoek to our start hub location, which is around 3 hours drive away from Windhoek. We have scanned flight times to identify the best time for the transfer. Typically there is a spread of inbound flights and some arrive in the morning; many do not. We must of course make our group transfer in good time to arrive at our accommodation in plenty of time for you to eat and refresh.
In line with previous years therefore, our proposal on the transfer is to offer 2 pick ups options on 3rd November:
​
-
At Windhoek airport at 1400 (for those arriving on 3rd)
-
In downtown Windhoek at 1600. This will allow you to stay overnight in Windhoek should you wish (This is recommended: It’s a great city and this will take significant pressure off you travelling in the same day). The downtown meeting point will be at a shopping mall (exact pin location will be shared closer to the event) so there is also a chance to stock up on Scooby snacks and other delights, including incredible Namibian Biltong
​
Once we are all together, we will ride together into the desert mountains (approx 3 hour journey) and spend our first sensational night under the stars!
For those of you who wish to leave anything that you don’t want to take into the desert (e.g. general clothing or onward travel items), we would note that you do have the option to leave us some non-essential gear at the outset of the journey. You will be re-united with this bag at the hotel in Walvis Bay. This will particularly suit those who may be planning to stay a while pre or post event in Namibia.
​
DEPARTURE/ DROP OFF: You will have seen on the website that this is a one-way journey, with the route effectively starting closer to Windhoek and finishing closer to the town of Walvis Bay on the coast. As such, our standard service is to transfer everyone from Windhoek to the start hub; then at the end of the event we provide an inclusive transfer to the airport at Walvis Bay.
So, in general terms, you will pitch up to Windhoek airport (or downtown) and we will deposit you back at Walvis Bay airport. The transfer departure time will be calculated according to
the group’s outbound flight details which we will collect via our Event Participant Form. There are good flight options to facilitate the ‘into Windhoek and out of Walvis Bay’ model, which is why we have adopted it. However, there are some other options:
Option 1 (the ‘standard’ option)
-
Fly into Windhoek. Transfer to the start as part of our itinerary. No charge.
-
Fly out of Walvis Bay. Transfer to Walvis Bay airport as part of our itinerary. No charge.
Option 2
-
Fly into Windhoek. Transfer to start as part of our itinerary. No charge.
-
Finish event, transfer back to Windhoek from finish hotel in Swakopmund This is an early transfer on 10th November allowing you to make an afternoon flight. Approx. 4 -7 hours by road. Charge of $150 for this service. Tickets can be purchased HERE.
​​
​
WEBINAR
We will carry out an info-packed Q and A-style webinar at 17:30 UK time on Wednesday 2nd October 2024. This is a great opportunity to ask questions of the event team to aid your preparation. The session will be recorded and those who cannot make it can watch it in their spare time.​
​
TRAVEL MEDICINE GUIDANCE
We have provided a handy guide to travel medicine and some environment - specific specific medical guidance, HERE. For vaccinations, you should in all cases seek guidance from your local travel clinic, however if you do need further guidance in this respect, you can speak to our medical providers via the contacts given in this document. See more in the medical section, below.
​
TRAINING AND PREPARATION FOR THE BIKING
Race to the Wreck is clearly a substantial undertaking. Whether you are biking and running/ trekking or run/ trekking the whole thing, it is 4.5 days of heavy-duty back-to-back long days, in the heat of the desert. On foot, you should aim for a pace of 3mph/5kph average and if you achieve that, you will have time at the end of the day for a well-earned beer as the sun goes down in the desert. For all of you, training should now be focusing on consecutive days of hiking; aim for 8 hours of hiking for 3 days in a row. Do not avoid hills, hill strength will be the key to success, as those dunes are, well, they are big sandy hills! If you don’t have access to multiple hills, do some hill repetitions on to strengthen the legs. We understand it is by no means easy for everyone to fit in the training, everyone is different, everyone also has different day-to-day pressures, commitments and methods open up to them.
​
Train with the kit you are planning to wear. You will then be able to check if it is comfortable and fits correctly. Chuck the bag on you are going to be running or hiking with, fill it with some tasty snacks and water, this will help your body to get use to the extra weight on your back. The fitter and more prepared you are for a challenge, the more you can enjoy each and every moment.
​
For those on the bike, you will not be able to replicate riding on sand unless you go and ride on sand. Of course, you will probably not have a fatbike to do so, but some mountain biking on loose surfaces is well worth it. You have a mixture of track, singletrack and some loose dune-y trails also, so it is key that you do get on a mountain bike and really try and experience some varying terrains. Your 2 days on the bike are characterised by what we would call a ‘really good biking day’ on day 1 and a ‘total beast of a day’ on day 2. A long day or two in the saddle for yourselves in training is a must, to ensure you can endure several hours of peddling in what is going to be a real test for you, notably on day 2.
​
STYLE OF TRAVEL
There will be around 30 participants in the event. In general, we will provide lead and sweep staff (and other support vehicles and/ or hikers throughout the course) and we will establish pit stops along the route, very roughly equidistant between one another and usually a minimum of 3 of these stops per day.
You go at your own pace, hike or bike with others, go on your own, whatever you fancy. We will not stop you trekking or riding unless you look unlikely to finish in daylight. As such, there is no formal cut-off time other than darkness. Daily stages could be influenced by weather or other factors – it is very much down to the judgement of the event team on this basis.
However, unless we think you’re going to run out of daylight to finish the stage, we will not aim to cut you off (injury or other factors
notwithstanding). That is our pledge to you. For your part, just keep moving forward.
Registration for the event is split into a ‘pre- event’ Registration phase, where we will ask for particular information to be submitted online (See the top and bottom of this document for what and when). This will be followed up by a physical registration process after we have arrived and settled into Namibgrens, to take place on 4th Nov.
We will provide you with a safety procedure to follow in case of Emergency while on each phase of the event. This may differ per stage and the safety and Emergency protocols will be made clear to you prior to the commencement of each phase when you are in Namibia.
​
ABOUT THE AREA
The Namib desert stretches for hundreds of miles along the coast of Namibia, reaching the swirling South Atlantic abruptly at the forbiddingly-named Skeleton Coast. We will be following the ancient Kuiseb River (which only flows about once every 5 years due to the lack of water in these parts) from its source near the Namibian capital Windhoek, to the edge of the famous Sand Dune Sea of the Namib Naukluft National Park, containing the highest sand dunes on Earth. The Naukluft is the jewel of the Namib Desert and special permission must be obtained to access it, which is only possible with rugged 4×4 vehicles. The highest sand dunes on Earth can be found here and we will be going over those dunes to reach our objective at the coast, the wreck of the Eduard Bohlen. This multi-sport crossing is a true World-first in many respects and the permissions granted for this event are truly unique. All up, a very special journey awaits into the heart of a very special piece of Africa.
​WEATHER
It can be very hot during the day and actually quite cold at night. The desert is a land of extremes of all descriptions, weather included. It is not overbearingly hot however and the heat is very dry, making it far more manageable than humid climates with lower temperatures. One phenomenon which is unique to the coastal Namib is the fog that rolls in off the sea every morning. Aside from supporting all life-forms in this desert area, it has a cooling effect. One thing the weather is here is predictable: The fog burns off every day by mid-morning and the day heats up, before cooling down after dark.
​WILDLIFE
The cold Benguela current brings a fog that shrouds the dunes of the Namib, supporting a surprising array of lifeforms. You will come across Welwitschia plants, nourished by the fog to live for over 2000 years; These truly are some of the oldest living things on Earth. Then there are the animals – oryx, jackal, seal, springbok have all adapted to this environment and especially at the coast, there is an abundance of these critters.
​
TRANSPORT & ACCOMMODATION
ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES
Arrival: You will arrive into Windhoek under your own arrangements and we will meet up at either Windhoek airport at 1400 or downtown Windhoek at 1600 on 3rd November 2024. We will publish phone numbers nearer the time to support you in this arrivals phase if anything goes awry for you or your gear in transit!
​
Departure: Return to Walvis Bay Airport– 10th Nov 2024. The transfer departure time will be calculated according to the group’s outbound flight details which we will collect via our Event Participant Form. There is also an option to transfer back to Windhoek from finish hotel in Swakopmund This is an early transfer on 10th November allowing you to make an afternoon flight. Approx. 4 -7 hours by road. Charge of $150 for this service. Tickets can be purchased HERE.
​
ACCOMMODATION
WINDHOEK
There is no dedicated accommodation in Windhoek and you may choose to fly in in advance of 3rd Nov or on the morning of 3rd Nov, whereupon our itinerary commences.
If you are overnighting in Windhoek on the evening of 2nd Nov, some of the event crew have stayed at the popular Roof of Africa Hotel in previous year, which is a good spot if you are looking for a firm recommendation. Windhoek is awash with good options however.
CAMPLIFE
Most of our accommodation will be under canvas, but that does not mean you are roughing it. Our camps will be comfortable and you will be ‘roomed’ with another person in 2-person tents. You will be provided with a mat and will use your own lightweight sleeping bag. There will be plenty of space to sort kit and enjoy the camping experience.
At camp, we will have tented toilet facilities, (seat and bag), plus some basic hot shower facilities. That’s right, you will be able to get a shower at camp. We will augment this with
our ‘Wrecked’ honesty bar plus our communal
dining area, which will be under a canopy or under the stars, with the warmth of the campfire blazing beside us.
Previous participants will likely cite the camping experience as arguably one of the highlights of the trip.
WALVIS BAY HOTEL
FOOD AND BEV
All meals will be provided whilst you are on our itinerary. Typically, this is breakfast, pit stop support whilst on the course and then dinner every night at camp. When we are at Namibgrens we will also serve lunch on Registration day.
For the biking and hiking days you will be supported by Rat Race pit stops (3 per day, we will try to space them evenly, however the length of days and access points vary), featuring water, small grab and go snacks and other treats. At pit stop 2 there will typically be some more savoury items and ‘lunch’ items such as wraps and bread where you are able to make a scooby snack.
You should look to augment these pit stops with your own snack supplies and you should very definitely provide your own hydration,
electrolyte and sports nutrition supplies. This will
be important throughout your adventure.
At the end of the trip in Walvis Bay, we will provide dinner and some celebration drinks
ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND ‘EXTRAS’
Where we provide meals as part of the general event service, we will not include alcoholic or soft drinks as standard, and these must be provided by yourselves. See more on local payments, below.
At camp, we will run an honesty bar system and there will be beers, wine, good gin and other drinks for sale. There will also be soft drinks. Owing to the vehicle support on this trip, we can also offer chilled drinks and even ice!
At the Pelican Bay hotel in Walvis Bay there will be a bar where you can buy alcoholic and soft drinks. If you put anything onto your ‘tab/room’ please pay for it before you leave the hotel.
We will provide you with some beers at certain locations, to celebrate a job well- done. That is a Rat Race tradition! These will be at the discretion of the organisers, however. In general, you should expect to pay for alcoholic and soft drinks.
ABLUTIONS AND HYGIENE
We cannot guarantee a shower facility each night, but we will try. Camp showers are basic but they are warm. In general, you should keep to a high level of personal hygiene by using wet wipes, washing with minimal water and always keeping hands clean. Check wounds, rashes and blisters regularly for infection.
Pit stops will not contain toilets, so if you need to go out on the course, be prepared.
The firm advice is always to ensure you are ‘self-contained’ with toilet roll and with anti- bacterial handwash gel for the desert. Do NOT leave toilet paper out on the trail, please bring nappy bags to contain used toilet roll and dispose of where at a pit stop or at camp.
Camp toilets will be in single toilet tents and will consist of seats with bags slung underneath and. Or cassette-style toilets. These will be explained to you on arrival to avoid any ‘user errors!’
THE ROUTE
The route is a stunner. Whether you have chosen to complete the whole journey on foot or whether you’re riding and running/ trekking, this is a journey you will never, ever forget.
In general, we commence on firmer surfaces and we all will end up on soft, soft sand. A lot of it. As we all come together on day 3, the terrain gets sandier still, until you see the Wreck looming out of the distance in the shadow of the Southern Atlantic Ocean of the Skeleton Coast.
Of course, the route is known and we have operated the event before but that is not to say that something may not change. So, while Plan A is Plan A, it is not inconceivable that we may deploy Plan B, C or D if we deem it necessary for your safety.
ROUTEFINDING & GPS DEVICES
As Doc Brown says to Marty McFly in back to the Future, ‘where we are going, there are no roads.’ That is not entirely accurate for the full route as we do follow some very intuitive tracks in some sections, however when we hit the dunes, it’s you, the sand and a GPX file to follow.
We will not waymark the route. Except, perhaps for a small section here and there when our guide vehicle at the front thinks it is appropriate to do so or where the route has to be diverted for example. For the cyclists, there may also be a short waymarked section of singletrack subject to final route preparations in one particular section on day 1.
In general, this event is operated with GPS as the main method of route guidance. You need to bring a GPS device and our firm
suggestion is a GPS-watch’ with which you will be familiar by the time you get to the event. It is imperative that you are well versed in the usage of your own device and that you are confident in its battery life and reliability.
If you wish to rent a Coros GPS watch from us, that is also possible. At a cost of $50. This will have the GPX files already downloaded and you will get tuition of how to use the watch on registration day. If you wish to rent a watch GPS watch from us, you can do so via the Event Participation Form and you will be sent an invoice shortly after.
​​
YOUR OWN GPS DEVICE & ROUTE GPX FILES
As stated above, you will get to know your devices intimately on this event. We will also make available route GPX files for you to upload onto your own devices as you see fit. These files will be provided much closer to the commencement of the event, once we are satisfied we have the final version to share.
​
Experience has shown that we will never share the file until it is the final, final, final version. Or else we end up with version control issues that are hard to resolve.
Just to be crystal-clear, you will be using a GPX file to follow the route throughout and you really do need to know how to use your chosen device. If you want any tips or recommendations on watches, GPS devices or other matters related to this, please do email events@ratrace.com and we will be happy to help with guidance and advice.​
​
PIT STOPS
Our provision will be made available to you three times on the route daily at our pit stops. Each pit stop will feature a vehicle, staff, access to first aid support, comms and of course, some food and drink. Expect the odd cameo local snack appearance including the mighty Namibian biltong, plenty of sweets and salty snacks and loads of fresh fruit.
​
General note on food – trail snacks and electrolytes
Please pack your own hearty supply of snacks and electrolytes that you enjoy on the trail.
These can be stored in your day packs and topped up each night when you are reunited with your overnight bags.
You absolutely MUST bring plenty of electrolytes. They will become your new best friend. Trust us on this one, you cannot complete this event safely and comfortably without significant electrolyte intake.
​
​
EVENT REGISTRATION & ADMINISTRATION
EVENT REGISTRATION AND PRE-EVENT ADMIN
Formal Registration for the event is completed in 3 phases:
​
1.) Online enrolment, payment – COMPLETE
​
2.) Submission of online Event Participation Form and Medical Declaration (by 3rd September).
​
3.) Physical registration at Namibgrens (first camp spot) on 4th Nov 24. You will complete a final physical kit check with our event team, do a short final paperwork exercise including checking your insurance company contact details, present some ID and do a medical interview with our medical team. You will also receive your event bib and bike numbers, GPS devices for those who need them, trackers and other items. There will of course be some briefings. If you have rented a GPS watch, we will hand these out at this time also.
EVENT REGISTRATION PACK
In Blonduos, there will be one event pack issued per person. Your Event Pack will contain:
​
Race Bib
You should try and wear this on the outside of all clothing so that it is always visible. It is also essential for the photographer to see who you are, if you are going with the photo service (See more on that below). A good place to wear it is on the back of your event pack, if you are carrying one.
Baggage Labels
For your overnight and race bag.​
​
GPS Watch Device
For those who hire them
​
Event T-shirt & Rat Rag
Essential wear! Your preferred size will be provided if you communicate this to us in our form, linked in this document. If we do not receive size info from you, you will receive size Large as default.
​
NAMIBGRENS KIT CHECK
We will be undertaking our webinar Q&A at 17:30 UK time on Wednesday 2nd October 2024 in advance of travelling to Namibia. However, we will reserve the right to inspect some or all of your kit upon arrival at Namibgrens at Registration.
As a minimum we will be checking:
-
Footwear and sand gaiter system Trekking pole
-
A working headtorch
-
A first aid kit containing the minimum mandatory items (see relevant section)
-
Footcare kit
There is no instant access to sports shops once we leave Windhoek and the ability to ‘fill in any gaps’ on kit is therefore heavily reduced; however we can assist in the event of major kit catastrophe.
The full mandatory kit list can be viewed in following section. If in any doubt, please check well in advance on kit. We have devised the mandatory kit list for your protection and safety, and we will not be able to make any exceptions on required items.
​​​​
MANDATORY KIT LIST
MANDATORY KIT LIST
Click HERE to view the kit list and much more information and guidance on kit in general.
​
Some of the kit listed is to help you have a safe experience and have the best chance of finishing. Some of this kit is to ensure that if you are unable to continue without our assistance then we can be confident of you having the level of equipment required to keep you as comfortable as possible whilst you wait for that assistance. Some of it is simply to keep you from perishing. It is a serious list and we know everyone knows this, but we ask that you please do work with us on this. Please do not skimp on kit.
​
AVOIDING KIT CATASTROPHE
To avoid the chances of total catastrophe, we would recommend that you do travel with some event clothing in your hand luggage:
Your desert footwear, something to wear top and bottom, bladder or flasks and your daypack would be minimum recommended. Indeed, you can travel wearing this gear.
Experience tells us that if your bags go missing in transit, if you arrive wearing or physically carrying some of what you need then the likelihood of getting you on the start-line increases dramatically. Vs those whose entire event kit is in their hold baggage, making its way around a carousel in the wrong airport far, far away.
SAND GAITERS
All of the kit is essential, however, sand gaiters in particular are an integral part of the mandatory kit and you will understand why when you get to the desert! There are choices out there and in recent years, the kit has improved dramatically with sand gaiters. Most of these items use Velcro to fasten to your shoes and in order to achieve this, a Velcro strip is attached to the shoe itself. This can be done yourself. Equally, some retailers will do this for you. For those of you in the UK, there is a stand-out service operated by a chap in London who also does this. All of the info on this, plus links and contacts can be found in our kit list page on the website HERE.
​
​
BAGS
There are 2 bags you need for this event:
1.) DAY PACK FOR THE HIKE/RUN AND BIKE STAGES
You will use this bag to carry food, water and other supplies during the trekking and biking stages. Please make sure it is big enough to carry all of the mandatory kit. You can choose to carry water in a bladder or water bottles/ scrunch flasks. On the bike, there will be a water bottle holder but this will not be enough water. You should plan to use a bladder for all biking stages. You will be self-contained with the gear in this bag while you are out on the trail each day.
2.) MAIN OVERNIGHT BAG
This should be a soft duffel or hold-all (please, no hard cases) and be capable of carrying all the kit you need that is not in your day pack. This includes your sleeping bag and liner. It must be one bag (not a series of bags).
Size is not too important – up to 120 litre is OK as we do realise all this kit is bulky. In general, we ask that you attempt to get this bag to around the 23kg mark (this is the upper limit for most ‘standard’ airline checked luggage anyway).
This bag will be left with our event team each day and you will have access to it each evening when you get to camp.
​
​
ITINERARY
​DAY ONE / MEETING AND TRAVEL DAY
3rd November 2024
​
Meet at Windhoek International airport (1400) or at Spar Marua Mall, downtown Windhoek (1600).
We will load up luggage and travel approx. 3 hours to our overnight location and Registration hub at Namibgrens Farm. We will get you settled into you tents before we have a relaxed dinner together under the stars.
Meals: Dinner will be provided.
Accommodation: Twin occupancy tents.
​
​
DAY TWO / REG, GEAR PREP AND BRIEFING
4th November 2024
We will have breakfast and then get stuck into a morning’s worth of registration activities. We will eat lunch and there will be time in the afternoon to stretch your legs on foot or on the bike and explore this rugged landscape.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided.
Accommodation: Twin occupancy tents.
​
DAY THREE / RACE TO THE WRECK BEGINS!
5th November 2024
Those heading out on the bikes get a lie-in (comparatively!) to those heading out on foot, as the former will set out from camp at Namibgrens. The foot group will be bussed out to your start line early doors, enjoying a Namibian sunrise on your way to hit the trail at the gateway of the Namib Naukluft National Park.
The route will take those on foot across an immense gravel plain and into their first taste of the dunes before setting camp on the high desert plateau, at a location. popular with Hyenas and other wildlife that is known to frequent this area.
The riders will experience a smorgasbord of terrain, including track, single-track and some loose sand, before pulling up at camp on the edge of the Namib Naukluft National Park.
Meals: Breakfast, pit stops, and dinner provided.
Accommodation: Twin occupancy tents. Note that the foot camp and bike camp will be in separate locations tonight.
DISTANCE: 31 miles/50km on foot. 56 miles/90km on the bikes.
​
DAY FOUR / INTO THE KUISEB
6th November 2024
​
A solid 50km on foot takes those running or trekking along the rim of the mighty Kuiseb River, before descending into the river itself to complete the final 20km into camp in this wonderful and extraordinary riverbed system. The riders have a very early start to complete what is an absolute monster of a day, covering 110km. They will ‘catch-up’ the runners to also enter the riverbed. We will all meet up together at camp that night, to contemplate the vast dunes that stretch into the horizon ahead.
Meals: Breakfast, pit stops, and dinner provided.
Accommodation: Twin occupancy tents.
DISTANCE: 31 miles/ 50km on foot. 110 miles (69 miles) on the bikes.
​​
​
DAY FIVE / INTO THE DUNES!
7th November 2024
​
This is where the terrain takes a dramatic change. We have already seen a lot of sand, but this is next-level. We will all head out on foot for a brilliant 40km of sand, gravel plains, dunes, dunes and more dunes.
Meals: Breakfast, pit stops, and dinner provided.
Accommodation: Twin occupancy tent.
DISTANCE: 25miles / 40km
​
DAY SIX / BIG DUNE DAY!
8th November 2024
​
This is the big one. Indeed, we have come to know it as ‘big dune day.’ Which pretty much does what it says on the tin. At this stage, you have come a long way, but this day is the crux. You will traverse the highest dunes on Earth, to bring you within striking distance of journey’s end at the forboding skeleton coast.
Meals: Breakfast, pit stops, and dinner provided.
Accommodation: Twin occupancy tent.
DISTANCE: 27miles / 43km
​
​DAY SEVEN / TO THE WRECK
9th November 2024
​
We have 20km left to cover, first across dunes of decreasing size and then onto the coastal plan, which gives way from salt to salt flats as we near the looking wreck of the Eduard Bohlen, finally revealing itself on the shimmering horizon ahead. As we approach, you will be joined by jackals, sea birds and other wildlife and at the coast itself, huge colonies of seals. Human traces also appear as we start to witness some of the old mining detritus of a century ago.
As we reach the Wreck, we will share some special moments and toast a job absolutely well done. After that, the excitement is not over as we load up our event vehicles and drive north in convoy, up the skeleton coast and back to civilisation at Walvis Bay. That night, we celebrate in style at the Bay View Resort Hotel. The first rounds are most definitely on us.
Meals: Breakfast, pit stops, and dinner provided.
Accommodation: Twin and shared rooms in hotel accommodation.
DISTANCE: 12.5miles / 20km
​
DAY EIGHT / HOMEWARD BOUND
10th November 2024
​
Those who are on the ‘standard’ transfer will be taken to Walvis Bay airport and those who need to go back to Windhoek will be taken on that transfer, invariably the latter will be a very early departure. Alternatively, stay around in the area and enjoy some more of Namibia and the coastal area around Swakopmund and Walvis Bay – this is a sensational country with much to explore.
Meals: Breakfast provided (no early breakfast for those transferring back to Windhoek but there will a chance to stop en-route and purchase food and bev).
Accommodation: N/A.
MEDICAL OPERATION & PARTICIPANT SAFETY
MEDICAL OPERATIONS
Our team is there for you in case you have an incident with which you require assistance. The team will shadow the progress of the Challenge each day in vehicles; before establishing a med centre each afternoon at the location to which we are heading for our accommodation. Whilst the medics are there for ‘what ifs,’ they are also a great source of preventative advice; so please do use them to ask questions and check best practice, particularly in suspected foot injury or issues such as blisters.
​
MEDICAL PRE- SCREENING
At this stage we are inviting you to have a medical screening process, which can be completed via the link below. Please complete this as soon as possible – and certainly please, no later than 3rd September. If you do have any condition that you feel we should know about, however small you feel it may be, please do share this with our Medics. Experience has shown that early pre-screening can assist both us and you greatly in enabling the care you need pre and during the trip. If you do not share information on conditions which are likely to affect your participation or decide to share them very late in the process, we are all under pressure and we will always reserve the right to cancel your participation if we feel there is a medical issue that may affect yours, or others’ safety. So please, do share anything and everything you feel our team should know about, at the earliest opportunity.
IMPORTANT NOTE ON SUBMISSION OF DOCUMENTS AND MEDICAL INFORMATION:
​
We are very fortunate to have an excellent Medical Director providing oversight, planning and screening on all of our international trips, who in turn engages seriously professional and qualified staff to join you on the trip. Rat Race also conforms and has been audited to the rigorous BS8848 standard of expedition management. This means our approach to all things safety and medical is extremely thorough and it is designed throughout with your best interest at heart.
Your medical screening details will be sent direct to our medical team and under medical confidentiality rules, this will only be shared with our medics and no-one else. If they decide this is info that is in the best interests of everyone for us as organisers to be privy to, they will seek and gain your consent before doing so. It is therefore important you complete the link to the medical survey only which can be found HERE; do not send Rat Race medical information direct. If you have any queries at all on the medical side of things in relation to this event, you can email our Medical Director, Dr Patrick Musto confidentially on office@trailmed.com and he and his team will assist.
TRAVEL MEDICINE ADVICE
As well as being a practising NHS Emergency Care Doctor and Expedition Medicine Specialist, Dr Musto is also a qualified travel medicine practitioner. Please view the Travel Medicine Advice PDF HERE.
INSURANCE FOR YOU AND YOUR EQUIPMENT
We have asked that you have in place Travel Insurance cover and specified Evacuation cover to last for a minimum period of the event duration for the days you are with us on the published itinerary. Evacuation and medical expenses cover should total no less than $500 000. A copy of this cover/covers (if separate policies) is required to be received by us by 3rd September. section. We recommend that participants have insurance to cover damage, loss, theft, injury and non-attendance. Rat Race cannot accept any responsibility for the loss of, theft, or damage to any Participant property or the circumstances of Participant non-attendance.
​
If you are bringing your own bike, we ask that you have a policy in place to cover it for damage, loss or theft. It is up to you what level you cover it for (and of course several overarching policies will provide coverage for loss or damage of sports equipment) but we would advise that you place cover for the replacement value of the bike, if you can do so.
​
You should submit copies of your insurance via the Event Details Form. Alongside this, we ask that medical screening is completed, plus an online waiver. Please see the actions list at the bottom of this document for details.
​
Some suggested providers are as follows:
For UK and Channel Island residents Rat Race’s own insurer brokers have a brand-new product:
​
https://www.mannbroadbent.co.uk/sports-travel-insurance/.
Note: This is Rat Race’s UK-based insurance broker, specialising in the leisure insurance market. This is a specialist sports travel cover product; however Rat Race is neither an insurance broker or underwriter. We can recommend Mann Broadbent wholeheartedly as good people to deal with, but please remember that this is not a ‘Rat Race product’ and we have no say whatsoever on claims decisions made by the insurers, in the event that you raise such a claim via one of these policies.
Other Providers:
www.battleface.com
Note: We have no relationship with any of these providers, but previous customers have found them reasonable to deal with regarding some of our similar Bucket List challenges.
Note: For all insurance, please remember that cover is offered based on several factors, (the nature of the event disciplines being one of them), but your own insurance profile, age, health and other details form a big part of this. As such, we are always happy to provide details to insurers in support of cover requests from customers, but we cannot influence their decisions as to whether to offer cover to individuals.
​
COURSE CUT OFFS & WITHDRAWALS
This event is not about cut-offs. But, having a ‘cut-off’ and a ‘sweeping’ structure is an important part of our Event Management Plan and Risk Assessment processes. Cut off times are independent of any other factors that occur earlier in the course such as start time, injury, going the wrong way, time taken at pit stops, head winds; and whether it is your fault or not. We understand that missing cut offs can be tough to take but please remember this is not the crew member’s fault that breaks the news to you, should it happen to you. Please also remember that if this does happen to you, the Event team’s decision is final.
If you are cut off, there will be no option to re-start from where you were cut off the next day. (The event only ever moves forwards).
You may however re-start the next day from the official re-start location; subject to the discretion of the event team.
​
There are a number of reasons why you may be cut-off or withdrawn from the event. These could be medical, pace, kit, personal or other factors.
It is OK to retire and to be taken forward to the overnight spot. We’d rather you re-started the next day vs suffer meaninglessly and spoil it for yourself. We call this being ‘boosted.’
As far as the time available goes to avoid a cut-off, there is no ‘set’ cut off time each day. (ie. time limit or published time). Instead, we require all participants to be at the finish location before nightfall. If this is looking unlikely you will be ‘swept’ forward. That is the cut-off.
Above all else, please remember, this event is not about cut-offs. It is about getting the most out of this magical environment. We will not cut you off and sweep you forward unless we really have to. And if we do, it is for your own safety.
'BEDDING DOWN INTO THE COURSE'
It is probable that when you set off on the Challenge on day 1, the first hours of the first day may be a bit hit n’ miss. Pace, temperature regulation, kit selection, footwear or bag niggles. All to be expected. Embrace that ‘bedding down into it’ phase and listen to your body and to your kit. Expect some unexpected phenomena (not UFOs,
just unusual kit or boot issues that you may not have quite been expecting). Use this time to just get used to the environment, the gear and the temperature. Go with it and relax. By pit stop 1 or 2, you’ll have worked out enough to be comfortable…
​​​​
POOR WEATHER CONTINGENCY
Namibia in November is known for being hot. Very hot. It is also one of the driest places on Earth. Of course that is the principal challenge here – management in the heat and on sandy terrain. However, unseasonable conditions – and even rain and hail can and have been experienced.
The event will proceed in many conditions, but if it is deemed unsafe to continue due to weather conditions, the event will be halted at the current camp location. If required,
we will await more favourable conditions to re-commence. This may result in some stages being cut short in order to achieve daily mileages within the time available. In all cases, the decision of the Event team is final in these matters. We will monitor weather throughout, and rest assured that any decision we do make in this regard is only ever made with the safety of event participants at its core.
You should also know that the evacuation time at certain parts of the course could be considerable. It is important that we state unequivocally that we cannot remove all risk from such an undertaking, nor would we state such. You are entering an area where the remoteness of the undertaking and the slowness of possible evacuation could result in death.
Mitigation of such scenarios is our number one priority. Your ability to reduce the risk posed by trauma is key: Taking your time, particularly on steep dune descents and tackling rough ground in a carefully controlled manner is all part of this mitigation against injury. Your use of trekking poles for example will also help considerably. Indeed, this is pretty much essential in sand. You must
take your time, undertake each event phase very much with a clear understanding of the environment you are in and come to the table with a team mentality on this one. That way, we will stay safe, and we will mitigate and reduce the risks outlined above.
​
SUN & HEAT
Please carefully review our Sun & Heat safety guidance issued by our medical partner Trail Med.
​
EVACUATION PLANNING
You have already been made aware that this is a serious undertaking in remote terrain. We have vehicles in support throughout the event and for most locations we can reach you with a vehicle. But not all. And not immediately of course. If we need to evacuate you from the desert for something serious, vehicle evacuation will be our primary method.
Whilst air evacuation is possible for the most serious of matters, it is not always a-given that a helicopter or fixed wing aircraft can
fly (night, weather, wind, lack of landing spot, availability or operational considerations).
You need to be fully aware therefore that any evacuation from the event area is an extremely serious undertaking. In the event that such an undertaking is deemed to be required, it may be that YOU become part of the safety system. We will reserve the right at all times to call upon participants of the Event, alongside crew, to assist in any evacuation activity whatsoever required in order to remedy the situation as quickly and decisively as possible. This may involve diverting off the route, assisting with casualty-bearing and load-carrying, or other duties. That is all in the nature of this expeditionary undertaking.
​​
EMERGENCY PROTOCOL
In the event of a true emergency or serious incident you will be notified of protocols at the orientation at Namibgrens. If you are with an injured party whilst on the route, stay with the casualty and await assistance. In the event of a non-emergency incident but for which action is requested from the organisers, then you should place a call (we will give you numbers) or if no phone reception, you should send a message forward to the next Pit Stop with another participant if possible and/or await an event crew member approaching via vehicle from behind. This might be medical, logistical or kit/ equipment breakdown as examples. We politely ask that you stop and help someone that is in difficulty – you will be the first person to find them – remember to take note of time, place (number of km, or minutes/ hours from last Pit Stop) and participant number/ name at the incident site. Remember we are all in it together and we are in effect one big team.
MUSIC PLAYERS
While these are allowed, please control their volume according to your environment. Use your judgment at all times when listening to music or audiobooks. Please also be aware that if you cannot hear general voice levels you might miss instructions or warnings from crew, other participants or approaching vehicles. We suggest that you run the leads behind you so that persons or vehicles approaching from behind might be able to see that you are wired for sound.
​
​
OTHER ADMIN MATTERS
EVENT ETHOS:
‘RACING’ AND OUR FINISH TIMES SERVICE
Completing not competing. Rat Race’s ethos has always been about inspiring folk to undertake challenges in awesome outdoor locations. Race to the Wreck is just that, taken to an epic level. This is not a formal race environment and there are no winners and losers. We do not award prizes for the fastest folk. There will be no splits. Indeed, there will be no timings. Rat Race totally appreciate the incredible commitment of those taking on the challenges we lay down and each participant is as important as the next regardless of how fast you can cover the distance. This is akin far more to an expeditionary undertaking than anything else.
​
In delivering this unique challenge we prioritise factors such as safety, camaraderie and environmental concerns. Respecting the wishes of local stakeholders with our route management and litter policies is vital in being able to bring folk together for this unique experience. Safety above all else is paramount, as you will fully appreciate. To reasonably balance all these factors, we emphasise that the event is not a formal race environment, rather it is a challenge in the great outdoors where great folk come together with a common purpose.
​
LOCAL PAYMENTS
Many locations in Namibia take credit and debit cards. But not all places do so. Having some local currency is a good idea however, or South African Rand. Once we leave Windhoek, there will be very little that needs paid for and indeed, pretty much zero opportunity to buy anything! The exception will be drinks from our bar service at camps in the desert, for which we will run a credit system and you may settle your tab at the end of the event – we will send you an online payment link for this together with any merchandise you may wish to buy.
When we are staying in the hotel in Walvis Bay, you may charge incidentals to your room if the hotel has that facility. All room accounts should be settled prior to leaving the accommodation in each location. If hotel room bills remain unsettled Rat Race will reserve the right to charge your nominated card, plus a $20 admin charge per unpaid bill.
​
TRANSFER DEADLINE
At the time of booking, on our website and within our welcome email on we made clear that your purchase is non-refundable. But up until 12 weeks prior to departure, you may use our transfer system if you wish to withdraw from the event. Within 12 weeks prior to departure, we regret that we cannot provide any transfers and this window is closed. We respectfully remind all participants that unforeseen circumstances preventing attendance is what travel insurance is designed for and is the reason for this as a strong recommendation on such undertakings.
For the avoidance of doubt, the final day for transfers for the Sunday 11th August 2024. If you wish to transfer, you can do directly via our online transfer page HERE. This is a HARD deadline as we must go firm on all aspects of our planning at his stage; so please do not be offended if we refuse any request after this time.
​
​EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY
The event is very lucky to have secured the services of James Appleton as official event photographer. He has worked on several of Rat Race’s Bucket List events before – including this one - meaning not only is he an excellent photographer but he also really ‘gets’ these types of events.
For this Challenge, we are doing photography a little different than run-of-the-mill standard event photography, but an entirely standard approach for us and it’s tried and tested – to 100s of customers’ satisfaction. Instead of James shooting and you then you selecting a number of photos post-event from a fairly unwieldy and piecemeal selection (leading to a lot of wastage in the shots and hours spent spreading the editing thinly across ‘anything and everything)’ we want the service to be as personal as possible. We think that something this epic deserves that.
James will therefore be offering a one-price, advance purchase arrangement. He will shoot you in action and provide an amazingly varied series of shots of you out there doing your stuff; plus, a selection of general event photos, provided as a digital album. He will also include individual portrait shots of yourself, working with him directly to create some special shots.
The price for this service is £150. If you would like to use this service, please confirm in the Event Participation Form linked in this document and you will be sent an invoice. The service is available for participants and crew. The crux here is that he will ONLY shoot those who sign up to the service in advance, ensuring he is concentrating on those who have taken the plunge. This ensures that he can 100%
focus on the job in hand for those who wish to purchase; and avoids the wastage of hundreds of shots on the edit-room floor. For clarity, James is doing this at his own risk and all proceeds of photo sales go to him. We believe this is an excellent service, at a very keen price, from a class photographer. It is of course not in any way compulsory.
COMMS COVERAGE & DATA
You will not have phone reception throughout a lot of this course due to the remote nature of the event. ​The event will not be providing satellite data or phone services as standard unless for EMERGENCY USE via satellite phone.
​
CONTACT DETAILS AND ACTIONS CHECK LIST
To facilitate the very best support for you whilst embarked on the event, we have prepared some contact information below that should assist you and loved ones both before departure and then throughout your Event experience in Namibia. Please find a series of phone numbers and email addresses and instructions on which is to be used; and for what. Finally, we have included an action check-list so you may tick off the pre-event jobs arising from this Essential Event Information document.
1.) For ALL pre-event email correspondence prior to departure:
events@ratrace.com - admin / kit / challenge based queries
office@trailmed.co.uk - Medical-based advice or discussion on medical conditions in confidence
​
2. For specific arrivals and pre-trip issues to Windhoek in the immediate days pre-arrival: Phone numbers will be issued nearer the time, and we will also set up a WhatsApp group to communicate important pre-departure information.
​
3.) Emergency correspondence from people who need to get in touch with you (i.e. from those who need to contact you) IN EMERGENCY ONLY while you are embarked on the event: events@ratrace.com
​
The originator should quote ‘Emergency correspondence for (your name)’ in the email title and they must provide a phone number for return comms. This will be patched through to our crew’s mobile phones, (or satellite messaging platform if we are out of reception) from our office and a satellite phone will be made available for you to return the comms to the originator. We would aim to provide a suitable response period of within 24 hrs for this service to the originator. Please, please, please do tell your family and supporters not to contact us about Tracker Emergencies!
FINAL CHECK LIST
Submitted no later than the 3rd September
Submitted no later than the 3rd September.
17:30 UK time on Wednesday 2nd October 2024
That’s it. Pheeeww! See you in Namibia…
​
Abbi Naylor
Event Director