Trans-Kalahari Adventure Run Update: The Run is Done!

Long distance endurance runners Jukka Viljanen, Kirsi Montonen, and Greg Maud have completed their 1000km (620 mile) run across the Kalahari Desert, reaching the finish line last Friday after three weeks on the trail. The adventurous trio had been making the run to raise funds and awareness for the Cheetah Conservation Botswana project.

When we last checked in with the team, they were about halfway done, and starting to encounter wildlife of the worst kind. At that point, they were running into puff adders, one of the more dangerous snakes in Africa, but hoping to see lions or other big cats. Their blog doesn't mention if they did ever see any of the big predators, but one night while sleeping, a young leopard came and surveyed their camp, which gives you an indication of how close they were to the animals while making the run.

The blog hasn't been updated since the announcement of Jukka, Kirsi, and Greg reaching their 1000km goal, although it does say that they were looking for a few days rest. Hopefully they now have a chance to really enjoy the landscapes and take in the culture of Botswana before they head home. I'm told it is an amazing place, and it is definitely on my short list to visit in the very near future.

Congrats to the entire team. What a great way to explore a new country and do something good for a worthy charity at the same time.

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Trans-Kalahari Adventure Run Update: 2/3 Done!

The Trans-Kalahari Adventure Run began back on August 14th, with Jukka Viljanen, Kirsi Montonen, and Greg Maud all hitting the trail to raise funds for Cheetah Conservation Botswana. The plan is to run 1000km (620 miles) across the Kalahari Desert, which they estimated would take about 20 days to complete. Now, two weeks into their adventure, it seems that they are on pace to finish as expected.

In the latest updates to their blog, the team says that they should complete the first two-thirds of their journey today. They also remark that the past few days have been spent in a very sandy section of the route, and with the winds picking up, it has made for a challenging slog. Most of the route has been along dirt jeep roads and a game trails thus far, so these conditions were expected, although that doesn't make them any easier to deal with.

They've also been encountering their fair share of wildlife as well, although thus far no big cats. In today's update the note that they have been seeing a lot of lion tracks on the route, but they have remained elusive to date. The team holds out hope that they'll spot a few along the way, but it remains to be seen if that is a good idea or not. If they're anything like my big house cat, they'll pounce on just about anything that is moving.

Despite the absence of lions thus far however, they've still had to keep their eyes peeled for other nasty critters. A few days back they ran into no less than eight puff adders in a 3km stretch of road, which kept them on their toes to say the least. The venomous snake is one of the most aggressive in Africa and it kills more people there than any other. Being in a remote area of Botswana, and getting bitten, would not be a good thing to say the least.

With their current pace, it appears that the team should be on track to wrap up their run sometime late next week. I would anticipate them finishing on Friday or Saturday, depending on conditions. It appears that they are enjoying their African excursion thus far and the challenge of crossing the Kalahari on foot.

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Trans-Kalahari Adventure Run Begins Tomorrow!

Way back in June I told you about the plans of three friends to run across the Kalahari Desert. They planned to cover 1000km (620 miles) through some of the most remote, and challenging, wilderness in all of Africa in hopes of raising funds and awareness for Cheetah Conservation Botswana. This endurance expedition has been dubbed the Trans-Kalahari Adventure Run, and it set to get underway tomorrow.

The three runners include Jukka Viljanen, Kirsi Montonen, and Greg Maud, who intend to run approximately 50km (31 miles) per day on back roads, jeep paths, and game trails. The route will take them through some very rugged areas where wild animals still wander free and rule the landscape. For that reason, they'll have a support staff and vehicles close at hand as they go.

The team should already be in Botswana, and they intend to post blog updates every day, keeping us up to date on their progress. If everything goes as planned, they'll complete the journey in roughly 20 days. To get a closer look at the intended route, click here.

I want to wish Jukka, Kirsi and Greg good luck on their adventure. Running more than a marathon every day for three weeks would be tough enough under ideal conditions. Doing it in the Kalahari will certainly test their stamina and will power.

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