SPONSORS, LOGISTICS, ENTRIES & SCHEDULES
Only one full moon to go before D-Day for the Recce Raiders!
While the weather gods have wreaked havoc over large parts of the country, we trust that the Recce Raid routes are still in a reasonably good condition, even though April proved to break all-time rainfall records in areas such as KZN. We will keep everybody updated on the state of route affairs during the next 2-3 weeks.
Sponsors The cumulative distance of all the 2022 Recce Raid events is a staggering 1088 km. In addition, the cumulative vertical elevation exceeds 15 000 meters across all routes. A monumental logistic and planning effort is required to ensure all these routes are supported, safe and accessible throughout the 56-hour event time period. This is only possible with the help of our lodge partners that we introduced in Newsletter 2, and our sponsors that we are introducing below. Our main sponsors for Recce Raid 2022 are the following entities:
Event Partners
We have the following event partners that also benefit from the Recce Raid:
Recce Inc. | SA Special Forces Association (SASFA)
Our partner since the inception of the ‘Recce Mission’ plays a critical role in the Recce Raid’s planning, sponsorship recruitment and operations during the event. Recce Inc. is also an event beneficiary with a percentage of each paid entry being paid over to the SASFA support fund. This fund is used to support ex-Special Forces members and their families that were injured or killed during operations, or who otherwise require financial or other assistance.
Epilepsy SA We make an annual donation to Epilepsy SA at their Mpumalanga branch in Dullstroom for using their facilities and staff. Many of their residents always assists eagerly with the set-up, break-down and cleaning up operations of our event. For them, the Recce Raid has become an annual highlight on their calendar!
Search & Rescue
SARZA is a highly-trained crew of volunteer 4×4 owners in South Africa with regional teams based in 5 of the 9 provinces. The Unit works closely with local, regional and national Emergency Management Services, Disaster Management, the South African Air Force, Civil Aviation (Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre), South African Police Service, K9 Search and Rescue Association, the Mountain Club of South Africa Search and Rescue, National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) and other official and civilian volunteer organisations. SARZA has been part of the Recce Raid events since 2018, fulfilling a critical Command & Control function.
Entry Closing Dates & On South Africa competition In 4-weeks’ time it is D-Day for the Recce Raid events. Given all the uncertainties and challenges we are dealing with, we endeavour to keep entries open as long as possible. Also, we try to schedule all events to enable participants to optimize travel time and accommodation costs for the Recce Raid weekend.
One of our main sponsors On South Africa is currently running a competition where 2 entries worth R4500 are up for grabs. This competition closes on 22 April. To participate in this competition (even if you have already entered and paid) kindly follow the link via our Facebook page, or go to Tifosi Sports Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TifosiSports/.
The closing dates for online entries are indicated below. Kindly ensure your entry is in and paid-up by the closing date. eRace Packs with route files will be shared with participants shortly thereafter to aid you with necessary preparations. We would therefore not be able to accommodate late entries due to supply chain and logistical constraints that late entries entail.
The time cut-off for the above closing dates are 24h00 (midnight), except for the sub-marathon events which is 1-hour before the start of each event.
While our timekeeping partner BoutTime will accommodate late entries on Saturday 14 May 2022 during registration, there will be an additional cost of R50 per race-day entry.
Online Race Briefings
We will conduct online race briefings via Zoom for the point-to-point MTB Raid 200 | 400 and Trail Raid 100 | 160 events. The eRace Packs for these events will be shared with participants on 1st May 2022 (the day after entries have closed). This will include detailed route information, as well as the gpx files to be loaded onto navigation devices.
The online briefings are scheduled as follows:
We will share the Zoom invites 24 hours before the scheduled time with participants.
If participants cannot make these timeslots, they will still be able to access them. The briefings with Q&A section would be recorded and a link to the recording will be stored in the cloud and accessible to participants for each event. We do, however, highly recommend attending the live session, to ensure you have all your questions answered. The key to success for these long events is preparation.
We will also prepare briefing recordings for the MTB Raid 40|80 and Trail Raid 35|55 events. These will also be shared with all participants that have entered by 5 May 2022.
Race Logistics Participants must familiarise themselves with the logistical arrangements below as part of their planning.
Point-to-point events
REGISTRATION:
Registration for the MTB 200 | MTB 400 | Trail 160 events will all take place at Kaapsehoop Horse Trails near the Berlin Forest Station outside Kaapsehoop 2-3 hours before the event starts. Registration for the Trail 100 event will all take place at Tranquilitas outside Waterval Boven.
The registrations are scheduled as follows:
START:
The ultra-endurance and extreme events are all point-to-point which start in the Kaapsehoop area on Thursday and Friday 12 & 13 May 2022, and finish in Dullstroom. Participants should thus make their own transport and logistical arrangements insofar as vehicles are concerned.
The start times for these events are listed below:
GPS TRACKERS:
Participants in these events will all carry GPS trackers with live location updates. While this enables supporters with visibility on the progress of participants, these primarily serve a safety and logistical purpose for the race organizers.
Participants should note that they will have to pay a refundable deposit at registration for these devices. This will be refunded at the Finish, or if a participant is a DNF upon return of the device in Dullstroom or at the following cut-off points: Ndubazi Forest Station | Kaapsehoop Horse Trails | King Fisher Lodge | Verlorenkloof Lodge.
CONTAINERS & SAFETY GEAR:
Participants in these events will receive containers/bins of 20 l volume to pack necessary safety gear, clothes and hydration/nutrition supplements.
We expect the rainy season to be over by D-Day, but recent adverse and continuously changing weather conditions might result in temperatures on the route varying by more than 200 C within a 24-hour period. The historic day-time temperatures can vary between 150 C and 220 C, while the night-time temperatures can plummet below 00 C. Add to that the wind chill factor at the 2000-meter ASL Raid sections, and it can become freezing.
All participants in these events must have cold weather gear, which includes a minimum of 2 space blankets that must be carried throughout your respective event. We will provide a checklist of recommended safety gear for each event during the online Briefing and in the Briefing Race Pack.
Crates would be available at the following Support Stations:
NOTE: MTB Raid 400 riders can also check a bag in at Registration which will be available at the halfway stop at Kaapsehoop Horse Trails. Showers are available and riders can refresh here (if needed). These bags will be transported to the Finish at Dullstroom on Friday.
SHORT EVENTS STARTING IN DULLSTROOM: TIMING TAGS & GPS TRACKERS Participants in these events will use normal MTB number plates or Trail Running credit card tags (or BoutTime’s wristband tag if they own one). Participants in these events will not carry GPS trackers. If any participants are interested in being tracked and obtaining live location updates, they should enquire with us. The fee associated with this will be R300 while the same deposit will apply as per the point-to-point events.
Dullstroom events
REGISTRATION:
Registration for these events will take place on Saturday from 06h00 at the Epilepsy SA sportsground. Note that registrations will not be done on Friday as the crew will still be in the Kaapsehoop area engaged with the Point-to-point events.
START:
The short and marathon events start and finish at Epilepsy SA in Dullstroom on Saturday 14 May 2022. These events include the following:
Shirts & Caps
The Recce Raid technical shirt and collectors cap can be ordered online once you have entered. The prices for these items are R350 per shirt and R250 for the collector’s cap.
To receive your Recce Raid technical shirt and collectors cap on the race weekend, orders need to be submitted and paid by Tuesday 19 April 2022.
We will allow participants and supporters to order these garment items after the above cut-off date, however, these orders will only be processed after the event, and will not be available over the race weekend. These orders will be produced as a 2nd production run, and the stock will be available for collection at Wolwespruit in Pretoria at a set date, or couriered at the participants’ cost early in June.
Massage Facility We will be setting up a massage facility at Kingfisher Lodge on Friday 13th May and at the Epilepsy Centre on Saturday 14th May for your recovery and upliftment. We would appreciate your feedback by indicating your interest to make use of this facility via return email. For any information on the massage, please contact Natalie. Contact: 082 603 2052 Email: nataliewinslow77@gmail.com
NB: GPX Viewer
All participants on all events are requested to download a GPX viewer on their smart phone, and load the routes (once they have been provided) to their app. This has been the saving grace for many participants in the past and will help you if your GPS runs out of battery or malfunctions. Most of these apps can work without cellular signal and should still catch GPS signal and update your position on the map in no signal areas. Test your app and ensure it is functional before race day. This may be your best tool when the navigation on the routes becomes tricky.
The Recce Raid journey will be memorable and special, something that will stay with you forever! Encourage your friends and family to come join you on this epic journey. We are certain there is an event for everyone at the 2022 Recce Raid.
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