the unofficial Cape Epic thread

[ajnkzn]

56 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

Stage 7: so glad it’s over

 

firstly, I’m going to thank Lake Cycling SA, Williams Bike Shop, The Bike Uitsig and Lance the_skills_coach and dietician Kate Standley for all the help they gave me in preparation for the Cape Epic. None of them knew what they were prepping me for but that’s besides the point. These are great people, support them please. 

Back to the stage, As you are well aware, the Neck became a muddy slipfest , so badly that two course recon vehicles got stuck up there last night. Basis this it became inevitable that the course would be altered. Prayers were answered!!

we ended up with a 42km 900 m short route gravel bike race . I’m not complaining, I’m celebrating. The last 10km were once again a mud fest that had the bike wash backed up for hours. But the traffic out of Lourensford was backed up even longer so the wait for a clean bike was at least tolerable. Gave me time to write this up.

So this is my fourth ACE. Being an  Amaboepensie I can say what i like without any “what-do-you-know” statements.

It’s a great feeling to cross the line for your first epic. The second becomes a little routine and the third is a celebration because you join the Special Persons Club known as Amabubesi. The fourth is a journey into the what next with questions like, “ do I want to do more, why do I want to do more etc. you reach a moment where you realise something has changed and the obsession is shifting or changing.

change can be good and it can be bad. It depends on your point of view.

the cape epic has always been tough from day 1 in 2004. Kevin was always focussed on rider experience. Between 2016 to 2018 there was a shift. By 2025 that shift has resulted in loss of a good experience to full on survival. Now for some that may be a good thing, it’s a matter of perspective. Going back through training logs and old warthog posts I realise it has become the animal I wanted 20years ago; more and enjoyable single track with slightly shorter stages. Over the years as I’ve spectated from computer screen I craved to be able to ride it more and I got the opportunity this year when a friend living and working abroad invited me to ride it with him. From day 1 he didn’t enjoy the experience.

registration was cold and almost too efficient. That again is a matter of perspective. We felt it was stake your things and go experience but we had to walk a long way to collect bags. A long way back to the cars, along way for everything. Registration and the first 2 nights were going to be at Meerendal. Our tents were on a massive slope with the dining and medical tents at the top of the hill. So walking to the toilet or dinner was a laboured affair. The bike park was another 300m away at the finishline while TweedeKamp was nearly 1km away in the opposite direction!!! I walked over 10000steps per day everyday while at the Meerendal venue. Good for recovery? No!

Fairview was a thorny dust bowl, again with Tweede Kamp over half a km away. Possibly one of the worst venues ever right up there with the horse paddocks of Arrabella Wines in Robertson 2018. Gone are high school sports grounds, hello working farms. Next I’m sure it will be cattle barns…

Lourensford was decent. Unfortunately we had bad weather. But again the dining tent was a way off.

the food was average at best. Either too fatty or too dry and I didn’t see olive oil . Maybe it was just me. After Wednesday stage 3 we all needed light cool food , instead we got heavy fatty food. Not ideal meals for recovery.

the tents are an improvement but the water proofing sucks. I moved out of mine at Lourensford and camped at home because I could not keep the tent dry. It’s was always wet and the tent crew just laughed off requests and complaints.

i also didn’t know how the racing was shaping up. I will have to catch up this week. When you’re being beaten up everyday there’s no time to think outside of Me. You see this every amateur competitor. There is no #Gees. For that you need to find an s as alternate event. It’s moer en trap Elle dag. 
the toilets worked with only onetime I saw someone barely made it and shat on top of the lid and left the pressie. Too much carbs will wreck your gut. The urinals were a disappointment. Lovely design, no running water. Maybe middle class people don’t wash their hands after urinating? I don’t know but I do wash my hands. So I never shook anyone’s hand, fist bumps only.

This has all translated into a poor customer experience. I’m not alone. We had 6-7hrs per day to chat about it. I reckon the satisfaction ratings are way down or maybe they will just use feedback back, spin it and tell everybody to keep smiling. This is all juxtaposed by the sense of achievement of completing a gruelling event successfully. So hopefully the negatives are viewed constructively to build a better event.

The last focus area relates to us the riders. Technical and mechanical skills, ego. Everyone is using SRAM AXS. So much so that the head of SRAM marketing came out to ride a few of the stages. They take innovation and customer satisfaction seriously. AXS is awesome as long as the device connector pins don't bind or the connector pin springs don’t break. Good connection is key to electron flow. The solution is simple, use leaf spring pins on the battery not the device. The current design is fine when you’re in Europe where it was conceived and largely tested but not for the #untamed winelands dust and mud. So now if something goes wrong riders just stand and model in the middle of the trail. Even plugging tyres will have to become electronic to keep these ironpersons rolling. Garmin will have to create new apps that inform the rider how an obstacle looks on approach and departure because without they don’t seem to know how to ride. I rode up to F batch on some days, and technical riding skills are severely lacking. It was a massive problem on Wednesday in Rheebokskloof and Thursday through the XCO courses around Paarl. It was a major contributor to riders falling foul of the heat. I wasted an hour waiting in queues. An hour extra hydrations hour extra of being cooked. Add anxiety and brain and core muscle function becomes severely impacted. This in no way removes some poor organisational decisions , like letting the route use so much of RBK in the  heat but I do believe that by entering the event you have to equip yourself with nutritional and riding skill, not AXS. I include nutritional skill because  people watch too much nonsense on SM and have a number in their head that becomes a target without understanding the  metabolism that it needs to work with. 
 

Was it worth it? From a personal achievement perspective, yes. I used my science based and taught coaching methodologies, my dietician and my relationship with other coaches to develop my approach. A doctor needs a doctor, a coach needs a coach. My teammate, like many others used what worked for him in the past. That didn’t work. We’re all older and our bodies change. You move to another country your diet changes which influences your physiology which requires adjustment to your training to normalise / acclimatise yourself. I learned a lot about myself, I have to unpack my notes, digest and adjust my approach where necessary.

from a financial perspective I did this event on the cheap but others are spending up to R500,000-00 to just finish the Cape Epic. I certainly would not spend the bulk of that on an electronic kit equipped bike. It’s not necessary it’s an ego purchase and therein lies the rub. So much of the amateur mindset is focussed on ego for the ACE. Even carbs per hour is now Dick swinging contest. I had no bugs , no stomach bugs , no gastric distress despite eating in the Dining tent. Yet the common excuse for the runs is “stomach bug” while Mr bug is him reading the paper and mrs Bug is minding her own business knitting the kid bug jerseys so they can infect you in May when our next round of flu “bug” comes to visit.  
 

so the medals will be hung up and put on display, the t-shirt will be worn and the stickers applied to something where the sense of achievement can be a reminder to celebrate. Right now I feel tired. My sleep pattern is abnormal from getting up twice during the night due to fluid intake to ensure no dehydration and keep sodium Levels up. At some point I’ll brag about it before it slips into the treasure chest of life experience, but for now it’s work tomorrow with  a different set of demands.

cheers 

 

ps: I haven’t tried a mixed team yet…🤔

 

Thanks very much for taking the time each day. 
 

Not easy when you’re trying to recover. 
 

As I also start the journey to getting faster as I pass 40, a post on the basics of your training and especially nutrition / hydration in the heat would be much appreciated. 
 

Epic, by the sounds of things, is something that you want to be as fast as possible for (to get ahead of the plonkers) and sadly, not a race you do for the #gees, so staying offsite is a preferable option. 
 

Perhaps they need to follow the lead of many other races and drop entry price slightly, offering accomm and food package deals as add ons…most of the people I knew stayed offsite and seemed very happy to do so. 
 

With all the trails around Table Mountain, Durbanville and Stellenbosch and the ever urbanization of the route, I reckon next year the route will allow a 20 min commute to the daily start from a Tygerberg AirBnB 🤣

Edited March 24, 2025 by ajnkzn

[Lynskey]

23 hours 12 minutes for the leaders. Was this the fastest epic ever? 

[MarcoDeS]

1 hour ago, DieselnDust said:

Stage 7: so glad it’s over

 

firstly, I’m going to thank Lake Cycling SA, Williams Bike Shop, The Bike Uitsig and Lance the_skills_coach and dietician Kate Standley for all the help they gave me in preparation for the Cape Epic. None of them knew what they were prepping me for but that’s besides the point. These are great people, support them please. 

Back to the stage, As you are well aware, the Neck became a muddy slipfest , so badly that two course recon vehicles got stuck up there last night. Basis this it became inevitable that the course would be altered. Prayers were answered!!

we ended up with a 42km 900 m short route gravel bike race . I’m not complaining, I’m celebrating. The last 10km were once again a mud fest that had the bike wash backed up for hours. But the traffic out of Lourensford was backed up even longer so the wait for a clean bike was at least tolerable. Gave me time to write this up.

So this is my fourth ACE. Being an  Amaboepensie I can say what i like without any “what-do-you-know” statements.

It’s a great feeling to cross the line for your first epic. The second becomes a little routine and the third is a celebration because you join the Special Persons Club known as Amabubesi. The fourth is a journey into the what next with questions like, “ do I want to do more, why do I want to do more etc. you reach a moment where you realise something has changed and the obsession is shifting or changing.

change can be good and it can be bad. It depends on your point of view.

the cape epic has always been tough from day 1 in 2004. Kevin was always focussed on rider experience. Between 2016 to 2018 there was a shift. By 2025 that shift has resulted in loss of a good experience to full on survival. Now for some that may be a good thing, it’s a matter of perspective. Going back through training logs and old warthog posts I realise it has become the animal I wanted 20years ago; more and enjoyable single track with slightly shorter stages. Over the years as I’ve spectated from computer screen I craved to be able to ride it more and I got the opportunity this year when a friend living and working abroad invited me to ride it with him. From day 1 he didn’t enjoy the experience.

registration was cold and almost too efficient. That again is a matter of perspective. We felt it was stake your things and go experience but we had to walk a long way to collect bags. A long way back to the cars, along way for everything. Registration and the first 2 nights were going to be at Meerendal. Our tents were on a massive slope with the dining and medical tents at the top of the hill. So walking to the toilet or dinner was a laboured affair. The bike park was another 300m away at the finishline while TweedeKamp was nearly 1km away in the opposite direction!!! I walked over 10000steps per day everyday while at the Meerendal venue. Good for recovery? No!

Fairview was a thorny dust bowl, again with Tweede Kamp over half a km away. Possibly one of the worst venues ever right up there with the horse paddocks of Arrabella Wines in Robertson 2018. Gone are high school sports grounds, hello working farms. Next I’m sure it will be cattle barns…

Lourensford was decent. Unfortunately we had bad weather. But again the dining tent was a way off.

the food was average at best. Either too fatty or too dry and I didn’t see olive oil . Maybe it was just me. After Wednesday stage 3 we all needed light cool food , instead we got heavy fatty food. Not ideal meals for recovery.

the tents are an improvement but the water proofing sucks. I moved out of mine at Lourensford and camped at home because I could not keep the tent dry. It’s was always wet and the tent crew just laughed off requests and complaints.

i also didn’t know how the racing was shaping up. I will have to catch up this week. When you’re being beaten up everyday there’s no time to think outside of Me. You see this every amateur competitor. There is no #Gees. For that you need to find an s as alternate event. It’s moer en trap Elle dag. 
the toilets worked with only onetime I saw someone barely made it and shat on top of the lid and left the pressie. Too much carbs will wreck your gut. The urinals were a disappointment. Lovely design, no running water. Maybe middle class people don’t wash their hands after urinating? I don’t know but I do wash my hands. So I never shook anyone’s hand, fist bumps only.

This has all translated into a poor customer experience. I’m not alone. We had 6-7hrs per day to chat about it. I reckon the satisfaction ratings are way down or maybe they will just use feedback back, spin it and tell everybody to keep smiling. This is all juxtaposed by the sense of achievement of completing a gruelling event successfully. So hopefully the negatives are viewed constructively to build a better event.

The last focus area relates to us the riders. Technical and mechanical skills, ego. Everyone is using SRAM AXS. So much so that the head of SRAM marketing came out to ride a few of the stages. They take innovation and customer satisfaction seriously. AXS is awesome as long as the device connector pins don't bind or the connector pin springs don’t break. Good connection is key to electron flow. The solution is simple, use leaf spring pins on the battery not the device. The current design is fine when you’re in Europe where it was conceived and largely tested but not for the #untamed winelands dust and mud. So now if something goes wrong riders just stand and model in the middle of the trail. Even plugging tyres will have to become electronic to keep these ironpersons rolling. Garmin will have to create new apps that inform the rider how an obstacle looks on approach and departure because without they don’t seem to know how to ride. I rode up to F batch on some days, and technical riding skills are severely lacking. It was a massive problem on Wednesday in Rheebokskloof and Thursday through the XCO courses around Paarl. It was a major contributor to riders falling foul of the heat. I wasted an hour waiting in queues. An hour extra hydrations hour extra of being cooked. Add anxiety and brain and core muscle function becomes severely impacted. This in no way removes some poor organisational decisions , like letting the route use so much of RBK in the  heat but I do believe that by entering the event you have to equip yourself with nutritional and riding skill, not AXS. I include nutritional skill because  people watch too much nonsense on SM and have a number in their head that becomes a target without understanding the  metabolism that it needs to work with. 
 

Was it worth it? From a personal achievement perspective, yes. I used my science based and taught coaching methodologies, my dietician and my relationship with other coaches to develop my approach. A doctor needs a doctor, a coach needs a coach. My teammate, like many others used what worked for him in the past. That didn’t work. We’re all older and our bodies change. You move to another country your diet changes which influences your physiology which requires adjustment to your training to normalise / acclimatise yourself. I learned a lot about myself, I have to unpack my notes, digest and adjust my approach where necessary.

from a financial perspective I did this event on the cheap but others are spending up to R500,000-00 to just finish the Cape Epic. I certainly would not spend the bulk of that on an electronic kit equipped bike. It’s not necessary it’s an ego purchase and therein lies the rub. So much of the amateur mindset is focussed on ego for the ACE. Even carbs per hour is now Dick swinging contest. I had no bugs , no stomach bugs , no gastric distress despite eating in the Dining tent. Yet the common excuse for the runs is “stomach bug” while Mr bug is him reading the paper and mrs Bug is minding her own business knitting the kid bug jerseys so they can infect you in May when our next round of flu “bug” comes to visit.  
 

so the medals will be hung up and put on display, the t-shirt will be worn and the stickers applied to something where the sense of achievement can be a reminder to celebrate. Right now I feel tired. My sleep pattern is abnormal from getting up twice during the night due to fluid intake to ensure no dehydration and keep sodium Levels up. At some point I’ll brag about it before it slips into the treasure chest of life experience, but for now it’s work tomorrow with  a different set of demands.

cheers 

 

ps: I haven’t tried a mixed team yet…🤔

 

Well done, you’re a legend. 

[117]

1 hour ago, NotSoBigBen said:

So those friend I know really well a doctor I know at the clinic etc. stories were just that?

https://www.iol.co.za/sport/cycling/cape-epic-organisers-rubbish-rumours-of-rider-deaths-after-week-of-extreme-heat-7f900218-b836-4e31-a92e-b04dbd8215b2

IOL is a bit of a sensationalist rag. I read their diretribe with a 50kg bag of salt. 

Im not saying they are 100% incorrect, but they do take a lot out of context for sales 

[Sandro]

2 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

Stage 7: so glad it’s over

 

firstly, I’m going to thank Lake Cycling SA, Williams Bike Shop, The Bike Uitsig and Lance the_skills_coach and dietician Kate Standley for all the help they gave me in preparation for the Cape Epic. None of them knew what they were prepping me for but that’s besides the point. These are great people, support them please. Also Special mention to Robbie's Bicycle Concept who loan me a brand new RS SiDLuxe Ultimate after the damper shaft in Float DPS let go for the 2nd time in 2years on stage 6. Without this help I would not have been able to complete the event.

Back to the stage, As you are well aware, the Neck became a muddy slipfest , so badly that two course recon vehicles got stuck up there last night. Basis this it became inevitable that the course would be altered. Prayers were answered!!

we ended up with a 42km 900 m short route gravel bike race . I’m not complaining, I’m celebrating. The last 10km were once again a mud fest that had the bike wash backed up for hours. But the traffic out of Lourensford was backed up even longer so the wait for a clean bike was at least tolerable. Gave me time to write this up.

So this is my fourth ACE. Being an  Amaboepensie I can say what i like without any “what-do-you-know” statements.

It’s a great feeling to cross the line for your first epic. The second becomes a little routine and the third is a celebration because you join the Special Persons Club known as Amabubesi. The fourth is a journey into the what next with questions like, “ do I want to do more, why do I want to do more etc. you reach a moment where you realise something has changed and the obsession is shifting or changing.

change can be good and it can be bad. It depends on your point of view.

the cape epic has always been tough from day 1 in 2004. Kevin was always focussed on rider experience. Between 2016 to 2018 there was a shift. By 2025 that shift has resulted in loss of a good experience to full on survival. Now for some that may be a good thing, it’s a matter of perspective. Going back through training logs and old warthog posts I realise it has become the animal I wanted 20years ago; more and enjoyable single track with slightly shorter stages. Over the years as I’ve spectated from computer screen I craved to be able to ride it more and I got the opportunity this year when a friend living and working abroad invited me to ride it with him. From day 1 he didn’t enjoy the experience.

registration was cold and almost too efficient. That again is a matter of perspective. We felt it was stake your things and go experience but we had to walk a long way to collect bags. A long way back to the cars, along way for everything. Registration and the first 2 nights were going to be at Meerendal. Our tents were on a massive slope with the dining and medical tents at the top of the hill. So walking to the toilet or dinner was a laboured affair. The bike park was another 300m away at the finishline while TweedeKamp was nearly 1km away in the opposite direction!!! I walked over 10000steps per day everyday while at the Meerendal venue. Good for recovery? No!

Fairview was a thorny dust bowl, again with Tweede Kamp over half a km away. Possibly one of the worst venues ever right up there with the horse paddocks of Arrabella Wines in Robertson 2018. Gone are high school sports grounds, hello working farms. Next I’m sure it will be cattle barns…

Lourensford was decent. Unfortunately we had bad weather. But again the dining tent was a way off.

the food was average at best. Either too fatty or too dry and I didn’t see olive oil . Maybe it was just me. After Wednesday stage 3 we all needed light cool food , instead we got heavy fatty food. Not ideal meals for recovery.

the tents are an improvement but the water proofing sucks. I moved out of mine at Lourensford and camped at home because I could not keep the tent dry. It’s was always wet and the tent crew just laughed off requests and complaints.

i also didn’t know how the racing was shaping up. I will have to catch up this week. When you’re being beaten up everyday there’s no time to think outside of Me. You see this every amateur competitor. There is no #Gees. For that you need to find an s as alternate event. It’s moer en trap Elle dag. 
the toilets worked with only onetime I saw someone barely made it and shat on top of the lid and left the pressie. Too much carbs will wreck your gut. The urinals were a disappointment. Lovely design, no running water. Maybe middle class people don’t wash their hands after urinating? I don’t know but I do wash my hands. So I never shook anyone’s hand, fist bumps only.

This has all translated into a poor customer experience. I’m not alone. We had 6-7hrs per day to chat about it. I reckon the satisfaction ratings are way down or maybe they will just use feedback back, spin it and tell everybody to keep smiling. This is all juxtaposed by the sense of achievement of completing a gruelling event successfully. So hopefully the negatives are viewed constructively to build a better event.

The last focus area relates to us the riders. Technical and mechanical skills, ego. Everyone is using SRAM AXS. So much so that the head of SRAM marketing came out to ride a few of the stages. They take innovation and customer satisfaction seriously. AXS is awesome as long as the device connector pins don't bind or the connector pin springs don’t break. Good connection is key to electron flow. The solution is simple, use leaf spring pins on the battery not the device. The current design is fine when you’re in Europe where it was conceived and largely tested but not for the #untamed winelands dust and mud. So now if something goes wrong riders just stand and model in the middle of the trail. Even plugging tyres will have to become electronic to keep these ironpersons rolling. Garmin will have to create new apps that inform the rider how an obstacle looks on approach and departure because without they don’t seem to know how to ride. I rode up to F batch on some days, and technical riding skills are severely lacking. It was a massive problem on Wednesday in Rheebokskloof and Thursday through the XCO courses around Paarl. It was a major contributor to riders falling foul of the heat. I wasted an hour waiting in queues. An hour extra hydrations hour extra of being cooked. Add anxiety and brain and core muscle function becomes severely impacted. This in no way removes some poor organisational decisions , like letting the route use so much of RBK in the  heat but I do believe that by entering the event you have to equip yourself with nutritional and riding skill, not AXS. I include nutritional skill because  people watch too much nonsense on SM and have a number in their head that becomes a target without understanding the  metabolism that it needs to work with. 
 

Was it worth it? From a personal achievement perspective, yes. I used my science based and taught coaching methodologies, my dietician and my relationship with other coaches to develop my approach. A doctor needs a doctor, a coach needs a coach. My teammate, like many others used what worked for him in the past. That didn’t work. We’re all older and our bodies change. You move to another country your diet changes which influences your physiology which requires adjustment to your training to normalise / acclimatise yourself. I learned a lot about myself, I have to unpack my notes, digest and adjust my approach where necessary.

from a financial perspective I did this event on the cheap but others are spending up to R500,000-00 to just finish the Cape Epic. I certainly would not spend the bulk of that on an electronic kit equipped bike. It’s not necessary it’s an ego purchase and therein lies the rub. So much of the amateur mindset is focussed on ego for the ACE. Even carbs per hour is now Dick swinging contest. I had no bugs , no stomach bugs , no gastric distress despite eating in the Dining tent. Yet the common excuse for the runs is “stomach bug” while Mr bug is him reading the paper and mrs Bug is minding her own business knitting the kid bug jerseys so they can infect you in May when our next round of flu “bug” comes to visit.  
 

so the medals will be hung up and put on display, the t-shirt will be worn and the stickers applied to something where the sense of achievement can be a reminder to celebrate. Right now I feel tired. My sleep pattern is abnormal from getting up twice during the night due to fluid intake to ensure no dehydration and keep sodium Levels up. At some point I’ll brag about it before it slips into the treasure chest of life experience, but for now it’s work tomorrow with  a different set of demands.

cheers 

 

ps: I haven’t tried a mixed team yet…🤔

 

Thanks so much for the updates, whihch were thoroughly enjoyed and well done! Its nice to read about it from a neutral participant point of view. Some hair raising stuff and I really don't know how they justify that entrance fee, especialy from an accommodation and basic utlity point of view.

[DieselnDust]

Give a few days to get my head back into normal mode and I’ll gladly write up some basics around my approach to training and eating for an event such as cape epic. I don’t want to add to the amount bad facts so I will keep it at conceptual level. There is definitely a fallacy around a certain CHOgr/hr and training for that without considering what metabolic pathways are relevant at the time or what your overall performance level is, your weight etc. hence specifics should be discussed with a physician qualified to advise each person accordingly. YT is great but it is also dangerous 

[Shebeen]

On 3/23/2025 at 8:00 AM, babse said:

Eish... Hopefully this doesn't kill the overall GC fight

Figured stage 7 could be a cracker to go support,

So loaded up my 10yr old bikebefok matt beers superfan with cowbells and fancy camera at 6:30am to go find the race snakes at Spectator point B - Dornier.

we found this. The elites were expected in 45mins time, but there was clearly quite a lot to setup.

 

since we had seen two signboards for spectator point A (waterford) which was only 2km away, we hotfooted there. Eerily there was no helicopter in the sky.

followed some cars, and ended up in the waterford staff parking lot with waterford staff reporting for their 8:30 work day, and a few other confused fans.

no one knew nothing, but we might find the waterpoint higher up on their farm, and then a blue overalled labourer came past on his quadbike, to show us the way. He got us to where stage 5 must have come through.

Then we found the instagram post, no one had a course change/delay on their bingo cards so was quite a surprise to all.. Obviously a lot of moving parts, I don't know when the actual decision were being made - but there was clearly a big delay between then and putting it on socials. Non paying spectators are very far down on the priority scale, but not sure what we could have done differently (watch Youtube stream?!).

Figured the scrum at Lourensford might not be worth the squeeze, so headed to wiesenhof action park waterslides - just 8 of us had the whole place to ourselves instead. Turned the (Cape) Epic fail into a great morning nonetheless.

 

 

 

 

[DieselnDust]

2 hours ago, ajnkzn said:

Thanks very much for taking the time each day. 
 

Not easy when you’re trying to recover. 
 

As I also start the journey to getting faster as I pass 40, a post on the basics of your training and especially nutrition / hydration in the heat would be much appreciated. 
 

Epic, by the sounds of things, is something that you want to be as fast as possible for (to get ahead of the plonkers) and sadly, not a race you do for the #gees, so staying offsite is a preferable option. 
 

Perhaps they need to follow the lead of many other races and drop entry price slightly, offering accomm and food package deals as add ons…most of the people I knew stayed offsite and seemed very happy to do so. 
 

With all the trails around Table Mountain, Durbanville and Stellenbosch and the ever urbanization of the route, I reckon next year the route will allow a 20 min commute to the daily start from a Tygerberg AirBnB 🤣

I actually contemplated this and I think you’re right that the urbanisation is definitely going to remain a part of it. Easier access to hospitals and more of them allows for quicker and more complete medical care. Also there are more trails available. Paarl trails were a hit with those capable of riding them. They didn’t home up well to 1000 riders moering through within 3hrs from front to back but that’s another story

[Stephan]

My First Epic: Raw, Unfiltered Thoughts

I did not plan or train specifically for the Epic. My goal was to finish my second Attakwas (first one last year), and I trained just enough to achieve that. My Attakwas training only really started at Eselfontein in October, but as a weekend warrior, most weeks consisted of just three rides. In December, I did a week-long bikepacking trip from Hermanus to Riversdale, which gave me a solid base and some heat training. Two days after Attakwas, an opportunity arose to do the Epic. I had six weeks to prepare as best as I could. Over those six weeks, I averaged four to five rides a week, logging 10–12 hours on the bike with as much elevation as possible.

Registration Day

I was crazy excited. The experience itself was a bit underwhelming though. It felt like any other race registration. Apart from the awesome Uswe rider bag and the (seemingly expensive but actually cheap) Ciovita puffy, the goodie bag was disappointing and could be significantly improved at little cost to the organizers.

Prologue

Started at 08:40. An incredible experience—I loved every minute. I couldn’t believe I was actually there. Slept at home.

Stage 1

We started three batches from the back, which was the best we would do all week. I knew parts of the course well and enjoyed the day, despite the suffering. It was a typical, brutally tough Epic Stage 1, and it became immediately clear that the level of this race was unlike anything I had experienced before.

The course is hard. Eighty percent of the amateur athletes are exceptionally strong. For those of us at the back, it’s just about finishing. I slept in the race village and enjoyed the experience, but if you’re looking for gees, this is not the event for you. The vibe from most people is that they are here to race, not to mingle. This is made worse by the high number of international riders - Saffas are in the extreme minority in the race village – so there is also a bit of a cultural and language barrier to meet and mingle with others.

Stage 2: TT

I was really looking forward to this stage since it was supposed to be an easier day—but wow, was I wrong. The weather forecast had shown extreme heat for over a week, so we knew it would be brutal. But because of the TT format, amateur riders started in the middle of the day while the pros rode in cooler morning conditions (even the pros later said they felt like they were in an oven toward the end). By the time we started at 10:40, it was already blistering, and it only got worse. I felt okay since I’ve done lots of riding in heat (35deg+), but my partner struggled. He hung on and showed incredible grit to push through. At the recovery tent, we lay on our backs for 30 minutes before starting to feel remotely normal. A guy next to us looked ghostly pale and said he was going to get a drip from the medics. Later in the chill zone, I remembered his comment and suggested to my partner that we also visit the medical tent. The staff were incredibly professional (very impressive and reassuring). My partner’s blood results came back: his creatinine levels were 2.8 times the normal range. The doctor said he had to go to the hospital and that if he rode the next day, his kidneys would fail. In our pre-race prep we had a detailed scenario planning discussion to agree on what we would do in whatever scenario we could come up with. This was one of them so we had a quick chat and decided I would continue alone. I couldn’t shake my anger at the organizers for forcing amateurs to start in the peak heat of the day - a poor decision by them. This was also the first moment I started feeling like they didn’t care about us at the back. Everything—the route planning, water point distances, stupidly steep climbs—was designed for the pros. Our job was just to toughen up. That left a bad taste, and it only got worse as the week went on.

Stage 3: The Hot Paarl Day

A lot has already been written about this day. I started in the second-last batch. The first climb, 1 km in, was just ridiculous—no one could ride it. The singletrack into Paarl Mountain was jammed—again, unrideable in sections. Time was ticking, and the heat was rising. I made the cutoff at WP1 with 8 minutes to spare, then reached the top of the KOM climb with just 2 minutes to spare. By this point, it was already over 40°C. I decided I’d keep riding until I was cut. At WP2, I arrived right on the cutoff time, but they had extended it by 15 minutes, so I decided to keep going and actually started to feel much better and stronger, but by WP3, just before heading back over Paarl Mountain, the heat started taking its toll. Survival mode kicked in—not just "finish the stage" survival mode, but "don’t get heat stroke" survival mode. I pushed my bike up every climb, stopping in shaded patches to cool down and lower my heart rate. The white race helicopter was now scanning the route overhead and I had the sense they were checking for riders in distress. As I passed people who had pressed the SOS button on their trackers or who found every shady patch to get out of the sun, I realised we were trapped on this mountain. The only way out was backtracking for several kilometres of single track, or to keep pushing on up the last switchback single track climb and hope there is help at the top. Next minute I heard a moerse roar and looked up to see red medevac helicopter dropping medics onto the ground. Slight panic setting in. Find shade. Stop. Sit. Rest. Get up. Push bike until HR spikes. Stop. Repeat. All the way up the climb. Race staff were now starting to walk down the trail with coke bottles and water. I passed the two guys who were behind worked on. It didn’t look good. I felt sick, angry and scared. Right at the top and interim water point had been set up. Drenched myself in water. Drank two bottles. Get to the USN point. Reached the USN hydration point—absolute carnage. Riders and bikes strewn everywhere. They had run out of USN but still had water. Then, someone said the stage had been cancelled. I spoke to a marshal who said "You can continue to Krismis Camp—but only if you’re sure you won’t become another medical emergency." I assume they had run out of resources and that would have been a major contributing factor to cancelling the day. I rode on to the final WP and could see many many trucks and cars making their way up the mountain. At Krismis Camp, I found a quiet spot to process what I had seen and been through. I made the decision to quit. I called my wife and she came to pick me up, and we drove back to the race village (which I agree with Diesel was not ideal given the dust and thorns). Got cleaned up, visited my partner in the hospital, and checked into a guesthouse we had booked.

Stage 4

I woke up and told myself I was done. Put on civvies. Sat on the bed. Thought about my decision. Civvies off, kit on. Decided I make a final call at the race village. Got there and wandered around. Again, decided I was done. I walked to start line to see some batches set off and then, I saw Sipho, the Exxaro Epic mascot. He did his usual dance and rider-blessing ritual, and I thought, I want to experience that once (having seen it so many times on TV). I went to fetch my bike and decided I would enter my chute first, meet Sipho and bail at WP1. I did get to the front and Sipho did bless me with his green stick thing and I said to myself “f$&ck it, ride until you can’t pedal anymore”. Turned out to be an amazing stage. I was riding by myself so started chatting to riders around me and then you start to realise that everyone is suffering, and many others have lost their partners but we just carry on. Loved the gravel roads on top of Paarl mountain and the weather was cool. My wife and friends came out to meet me at the last WP and finish line, which was fantastic. I decided I was done with the race village because there is no vibe and I don’t know anyone and nobody wants to talk to you, so I went back home (CPT southern suburbs) and would drive in every day. That night at home I watched the official highlights of the previous day’s stage. Not one mention of the amateur struggles. They didn’t even mention that the stage was cancelled. I felt angrier and more betrayed. Then I read the official press release and lost all respect for the organisers. They don’t care about the amateurs; we just make up the numbers.

Stage 5: The Queen stage

I knew most of the route except for the neck climb and decided to ride from WP to WP. My body felt totally flat, and I barely made it to WP1 which was way too far into the stage. Drank many cups of Coke and refuelled with other goodies and food. On to next WP. Started feeling better. Same story at next WP. Now for Botmaskop and then through Stellies and then one big last climb. Got to final WP feeling OK. Then the neck climb started. What a mess. The woman pro coverage said it all. They could not ride it. It was too steep and too muddy. Why even plan a route with such a climb? Lost even more respect for race organisers. Got to the top and bombed it down familiar LF trails. I was happy to finish but gatvol.

Stage 6: LF mudfest

Look I love LF and was looking forward to this stage, and to be fair to JK and the team who set this route, in dry conditions you will not find a better route to ride. It had it all. But rain was predicted more than a week out and we have all done W2W and LF Classic and even previous Epics in the wet at LF and it’s a dog show of mud and clay. But no, the “pro show” must go on and let the amateurs just get on with it, it’s the Epic after all. Despite the horrible circumstances I actually felt good all day, but we lost so much time walking unrideable muddy sections that most of us were chasing cut off from WP1. Many appealed to the commentators and UCI representatives to extend the cut off. Through WP2 still same cut off. 15min to spare. More mud, more walking, cleaning drivetrain in streams, etc. More people falling in the slippery conditions and breaking their legs and ankles (3 people). Again, I felt angry.  At final WP, the announcement came that cut off was extended, so now we could be more careful and ride slower. Then 5km from the end came the worst mud and clay of the day. Trails were getting absolutely destroyed. People were carrying their bikes through bush to get off the mountain. I honestly don’t understand the reasoning behind not having alternative backup routes in place. Finished the day and went home. One more day.

 Stage 7: One more day

I didn’t sleep well. I was very worried about the neck descent in the wet and mud on Dornier and Ernie tracks. I had memories of Fedhealth dog show there a few years ago in the rain. Got to race village early. Friends started sending messages that the route had changed. I was so relieved. Now the plan was to stay upright and pray that my bike will not break. I had a spare rear derailleur in my back pocket just in case. Mostly gravel stage with a few hard climbs. I loved it. I could contain my emotions until 3km from the finish when a marshal shouted, “well done you have conquered the Epic” and man, tears started streaming down I could barely see where I was going. Friends, family and my partner met me at the finish and there were more tears.

Final Thoughts

So many things got me to the end, but the highlights are:

• Finishing it for my partner
• Friends, family, and colleagues' support
• Sipho the Cape Epic mascot
• Madiba’s words: "It always seems impossible until it’s done."
• My fellow amateur riders at the back of the field

 Lessons Learned

• Anyone can do the Cape Epic, but you need luck to be on your side and you need to be mentally strong. If your mind is right and you have done the physical preparation then it is possible.
• You don’t need the best bike to do the Epic. I have a bottom of the range five-year-old aluminium Spez Epic. Just ride whatever you have.
• The organisers don’t care about you. They care about money. Just accept it. It is what it is.
• The media coverage is all about the pros. The live stream is all about the pros. The event is organised for the pros. But this race is not about them, it’s about the daily grind and struggles at the back of the amateur pack. It’s about riders already suffering on prologue day and making it to the end. I saw this first hand and witnessed incredible human spirit, both from fellow riders but every volunteer at the water points, marshals showing you the route and cheering you on, security guards in the race village wishing you good luck. I can go on and on. This is what the Epic is actually about.

 And it’s why I will do it again.

Edited March 25, 2025 by Stephan
Spelling and grammar

[DieselnDust]

33 minutes ago, Stephan said:

My first Epic. Raw unfiltered thoughts. 

I did not plan or train to do Epic. I wanted to finish my second Attakwas (1st one last year) and did enough training to achieve it. My training for Attakwas only really started at Eselfontein in October, but I am mostly a weekend warrior so most weeks consisted of 3 rides a week. In December I did a week long bike packing trip from Hermanus to Riversdale, which gave me a good base and heat training. Two days after Attakwas an opportunity came up to do the Epic. I had six weeks to get as ready as I could. For six weeks I averaged 4 to 5 rides a week and between 10 and 12 hours on the bike, with as much elevation as I could get in. 

 

Registration day came and I was crazy excited. The experience was a little underwhelming (felt like every other race registration) and other than the awesome Uswe rider bag and (what looks expensive but is actually cheap) Ciovita puffy the “goodie bag” was disappointing and can definitely be improved significantly at very little cost to the organisers.

 

Prologue 

Started 8h40. Awesome experience. Loved every minute of it. I could not believe I was there. Slept at home. 

 

Stage 1

Started 3 batches from last which was the best we would do for the week. Knew parts of the course well. Really enjoyed the day, despite the suffering. Typical super hard Epic stage 1 and it was already clear to me that the level of the Epic was unlike anything I have experienced. The course is hard. 80% of the amateur athletes very good and strong. For us at the back it’s just about finishing. Slept in race village and really enjoyed the experience, but if you are looking for gees then you are at the wrong event. The vibe you get from most people is that they are here to race not mingle (I think this is made a little worse because there are sooooo many foreigners doing the event so Saffas are in the extreme minority in the race village). 

 

Stage 2 TT

Was very much looking forward to this stage since it was meant to be an easier day, but boy was I wrong. Weather forecast showed cooking temperatures for this day from a week out, so we knew it was going to be hot. But because it was a TT format we started individually which caused a huge time delay. Us amateur riders all started in the middle of the day and temps just kept climbing, while the pros started in the morning and had cooler temps yet many of them said post race they felt like they were in an oven towards the end. Well we were in an oven since before our start time of the 10h40 and it didn’t get better. I felt OK as I have done lots of riding in very hot conditions, but my partner struggled. He was hanging on for dear life and showed incredible guts to pull through. At recovery tent we were lying down for half an hour on our backs before we started feeling normal’ish. Some guy next to us looked like a ghost and said he was going to get a drip from the medical team. Off to find a tent and shower. Went to chill zone, which was packed with amateurs trying to escape the heat and recover from the day. Nobody was talking. I think everyone was surprised by how hard a relatively easy day should have been, and very worried about the next day. I remembered the “drip” comment from earlier and said to my partner let’s go to the medical tent. Very professional staff and setup. I was very impressed. My partners blood results came back. Creatine levels were 2.8 times normal range. Dr said he has to go to hospital and if he decides to ride the next day his kidneys would fail. In our pre race prep we had a detailed scenario planning discussion to agree on what we would do in whatever scenario we could come up with. This was one of them so we had a quick chat and decided I would continue alone. I could not help feeling angry at the organisers for sending amateurs off in the heat of the day. Poor decision by them. This was also the first time I started feeling that the organisers don’t give a crap about amateur riders at the back. All the route planning, WP distances, stupidly steep climbing etc is meant for the pros. Our job is to toughen up. It left a bad taste and the taste didn’t get any better as the week went on. 

 

Stage 3 the hot Paarl day

A lot has been written about this day already. I started second batch from last. The first climb 1km in was just silly. Nobody could ride it. The single track into Paarl mountain was jammed. Nobody could ride some sections. Time was ticking and it was getting hotter. I made cutoff at WP1 by 8mins and top of KOM climb by 2mins. At this point it was already 40deg plus and I decided I would ride until I got cut. Arrived at WP2 at the scheduled cut off time but they had extended it by 15min. Decided to keep going. Started feeling much better and stronger and enjoyed the next bit until WP3 just before returning to Paarl mountain to start making my way back over the mountain. By this point the heat started taking its toll. Survival mode kicked in. Not “get through the stage survival mode” as in “don’t get heat stroke” survival mode. Pushed bike up every uphill and stopped in shade patches to cool down and get HR down. The white race helicopter was now overhead and I got the sense they were checking for people down. I walked/rode past people who had pressed the SOS button on their tracker and realised we were all trapped on this mountain. Only way out was backtracking for several kilometres of single track, or push on up last switchback single track climb and hope there is help at the top. Next minute I heard a moerse roar and looked up to see red medevac helicopter dropping medics onto the ground. Slight panic setting in. Find a shade patch. Stop. Sit. Rest. Get up. Push bike until HR spikes. Stop. Repeat. All the way up the climb. Race staff were starting to walk down the trail with coke bottles and water. I passed the two guys who were behind worked on. It didn’t look good. I felt sick, angry and scared. Right at the top and interim water point had been set up. Water over my head. Drank two bottles right after. Get to USN hydration point. Carnage. People and bikes lying everywhere. They had run out of USN but still had water. Someone said the stage was cancelled. I chatted to the marshal who said I may continue to the WP at Krismis Camp “as long as you are sure you are not going to become another medical emergency”. I assume they had run out of resources and that would have been a major contributor to cancelling the day. Rode on to final WP and could see many many trucks and cars making their way up the mountain. Got to Krismis Camp and found a quiet spot to process what I had seen and been through and made the decision to quit. My wife picked me up and we drove back to Fairview Race Village (which I agree with Diesel was not ideal given the dust and thorns). Got cleaned up and went to hospital to see my partner and then to a guesthouse we had booked. 

 

Stage 4 

Got up and said to myself I am done. Put on civvies. Sat on bed and wondered about my decision. Civvies off and cycling kit on. Decided I would make a final call at the race village. Got there and wandered around and decided I am done. Walk to start line to see some batches set off. Sipho the Exxaro Epic Mascot came past and did his usual dance and rider blessing ritual and I thought to myself “I also want to experience Siphos blessing once”.  Went to fetch my bike and decided I would enter my chute first, meet Sipho and bail at WP1. I did get to the front and Sipho did bless me with his green stick thing and I said to myself “f$&ck it, ride until you can’t pedal anymore”. Turned out to be an amazing stage. I was riding by myself so started chatting to riders around me and then you start to realise that everyone is suffering and many others have lost their partners but we just carry on. Loved the gravel roads on top of Paarl mountain and the weather was cool. My wife and friends came out to meet me at the last WP and finish line, which was fantastic. Decided I was done with the race village because there is no vibe and I don’t know anyone and nobody wants to talk to you, so I went back home (southern suburbs) and would drive in every day. Watched the official highlights of the previous days stage. Not one mention of the amateur struggles. They didn’t even mention that the stage was cancelled. I felt more angry and betrayed. Then I read the official press release and lost all respect for the organisers. They don’t care about the amateurs, we just make up the numbers. 

 

Stage 5 

The Queen stage. I knew most of the route except for the neck climb and decided to ride from WP to WP. My body felt totally flat and I barely made it to WP1 which was way too far into the stage. Drank many cups of Coke and refuelled with other goodies and food. On to next WP. Started feeling better. Same story at next WP. Now for Botmaskop and then through Stellies and then one big last climb. Got to final WP feeling OK. Then the neck climb started. What a mess. The woman pro coverage said it all. They could not ride it. It was too steep and too muddy. Why even plan a route with such a climb? Lost even more respect for race organisers. Got to the top and bombed it down familiar LF trails. I was happy to finish but gatvol. 

 

Stage 6 

Look I love LF and was looking forward to this stage, and to be fair to JK and the team who set this route, in dry conditions you will not find a better route to ride. It had it all. But rain was predicted more than a week out and we have all done W2W and LF Classic and even previous Epics in the wet at LF and its a dog show of mud and clay. But no, the “pro show” must go on and let the amateurs just get on with it, it’s the Epic after all. Despite the horrible circumstances I actually felt good all day, but we lost so much time walking unridable muddy sections that most of us were chasing cut off from WP1. Many appealed to the commentators and UCI representatives to extend the cut off. Through WP2 still same cut off. 15min to spare. More mud, more walking, cleaning drivetrain in streams, etc. More people falling in the slippery conditions and breaking their legs and ankles (3 people). Again I felt angry.  At final WP the announcement came that cut off was extended, so now we could be more careful and ride slower. Then 5km from the end came the worst mud and clay of the day. Trails were getting absolutely destroyed. People were carrying their bikes through bush to get off the mountain. I honestly don’t understand the reasoning behind not having alternative backup routes in place. Finished the day and went home. One more day. 

 

Stage 7

The last stage. I didn’t sleep well. I was very worried about the neck descent in the wet and mud on Dornier and Ernie tracks. I had memories of Fedhealth dog show there a few years ago in the rain. Got to race village early. Friends started sending messages that the route had changed. I was so relieved. Now the plan was to stay upright and pray that my bike will not break. I had a spare rear derailleur in my back pocket just in case. Mostly gravel stage with a few hard climbs. I loved it. I could contain my emotions until 3km from the finish when a marshal shouted “well done you have conquered the Epic” and man, tears started streaming down I could barely see where I was going. Friends, family and my partner met me at the finish and there were more tears. Many things got me to the end, but the highlights are:

 

To riding partner. Finishing it for him.

Friends, family and colleagues support.

Sipho the Cape Epic mascot. 

Madiba’s words “It seems impossible until it's done”. 

My fellow amateur riders at the back of the field. 

 

Lessons learned: 

 

Anyone can do the Cape Epic, but you need luck to be on your side and you need to be mentally strong. If your mind is right and you have done the physical preparation then it is possible. 

 

You don’t need the best bike to do the Epic. I have a bottom of the range five year old aluminium Spez Epic. Just ride whatever you have. 

 

The organisers don’t care about you. They care about money. Just accept it. It is what it is. 

 

The media coverage is all about the pros. The live stream is all about the pros. The event is organised for the pros. But this race is not about them, it’s about the daily grind and struggles at the back of the amateur pack. It’s about riders already suffering on prologue day and making it to the end. I saw this first hand and witnessed incredible human spirit, both from fellow riders but every volunteer at the water points, marshals showing you the route and cheering you on, security guards in the race village wishing you good luck. I can go on and on. This is what the Epic is actually about. And it’s why I will do it again. 

 

Love your write up 🙏🏼👍🏼

and well done for pushing through. You’re right on all points. I also felt an outcast at the event. I sat with Bulls ebike media crew every night as I know a few of them, but at the back end of the week I slept at home as I was gstvol of the crap vibe in the race village

[Pandatron]

33 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

Love your write up 🙏🏼👍🏼

and well done for pushing through. You’re right on all points. I also felt an outcast at the event. I sat with Bulls ebike media crew every night as I know a few of them, but at the back end of the week I slept at home as I was gstvol of the crap vibe in the race village

I wonder what the return rate of South African Riders is currently sitting at, having spoken to a few former consistent epic riders/racers, they haven't got a mind to return.

[SamTaylor]

Also very glad to have had the opportunity to ride, especially as it seemed like a non starter 2 weeks before the start, when my partner had to withdraw with injury. But then another guy in our group also lost his partner, and we could end up riding together. 
 

Looking back, I think if the weather played along, it would have been fantastic riding all along. But they should have known how hot it could get in Paarl, and stage 3 was always going to be a bad idea. That almost broke us. 

I also wasn’t a fan of stage 2 TT. That just seemed to be a convenient solution to what would otherwise have been a boring and perhaps too “short” for epic transfer from Meerendal to Paarl.

stages 4-6 was exactly what I was expecting and looking forward to. More of what we had signed up for.

The weather shortened stage 7 felt a bit of a disappointment at first, but turned out to be a good route considering the conditions. The lack of spectator points for a grand finale was a bit of a let down though. They also left the announcement way too late. We were in D, but had guys in our group riding in A, and they were already warned up and on route to the chutes when the announcement came through. I also think the 10:30 start was called 100% to ensure helicopter coverage for the UCI race, and nothing else. The route was as wet as it was going to be at 07:30 already. Waiting around in the race village without any real comforts until 10:40 was pretty crap. 
 

as to the “gees”, that was severely lacking. This was my first time out as a rider, but I think my 7th or 8th Epic I have been involved in as support staff/crew for teams etc. The lack of gees was a serious let down, and there was very little to make the race village a nice place to be in between stages. I think the layout of the race villages played a big role here (and in the fairview scenario, the choice of venue as well. It was all just ***. one of the other guys in our group summed it up well saying this was by far the most low budget epic he had ever done (and it was his 7th as a rider). I can’t ever recall the race villages being such cold, dreary places to be, and I’m very glad we opted to sleep out the first few nights, and could stay at home for the lourensford bit. 
 

There weren’t even refreshments in the rider lounge/chill zone unless you paid for it - not even electrolytes. It was only water from one centrally placed (and therefore far from everything) water station. Anything else you wanted had to be paid for. 
 

The “lunch” if you can call it that given out at the finish was essentially glorified airplane food, and if you wanted to buy something else to eat in the race village your choices were very limited.

Dinner wasn’t too bad, but it’s a long way from what we were expecting. Hard to think this is the same team that puts on wine2whales, where the food, and the gees, is always awesome. 
 

the spirit of riders out on course, that stays awesome, and is probably the only reason I will give it another go next year, but only after having a good look at the proposed route. If it isn’t going a little further affield, like to Ceres or the Overberg again, then I’m out. 

[ArrieM]

Awesome insight thanks @DieselnDust @Stephan I get massive FOMO every year and desperately want to tick it off the list but listening to your experiences its a tough sell. I value the gees of an event high. Can you guys share some insight into total cost to do CE?

[Stephan]

18 minutes ago, ArrieM said:

Awesome insight thanks @DieselnDust @Stephan I get massive FOMO every year and desperately want to tick it off the list but listening to your experiences its a tough sell. I value the gees of an event high. Can you guys share some insight into total cost to do CE?

I live in CPT so no travel costs like flights etc. I paid:

R5k for kit. 
R1k’ish for race fuel and nutrition.
R6.5k for bike service and parts during the race. 

R950 Epic laundry service.

R10k for full bike service pre race and replacement of all worn parts. 
R1.5k guest house accommodation. 
R5k various things like new sunglasses, hydration packs etc. 
Thats it. I didn’t have any massages or anything fancy during the race and don’t know how much this would even cost.

Keep in mind I didn’t plan to do Epic, but if I did I would do Attakwas, Imbuko Big Five and Tankwa Trek as prep races, so add another (I think) R20k to maybe R25k in entry fees, fuel and accommodation for these events.
 

The biggest actual “cost “ I think is time to train in the week and weekends. 

 

[ajnkzn]

For clarity, is an entry approx R 140-R150k for a team, or per person?

[DieselnDust]

5 minutes ago, ajnkzn said:

For clarity, is an entry approx R 140-R150k for a team, or per person?

team