7 DAY STAGED SELF-SUFFICIENT 250KM

KAEM 2022
6 - 16 October

The Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon (KAEM) is an iconic staged self-sufficient 250km desert foot race, well-known as the “Big Daddy” in trail and desert running circles across the world. Taking place in the Kalahari Desert with the route covering the Augrabies Falls National Park and private farmlands, participants get the opportunity to run in the footsteps of the ancient Bushmen, while enjoying sightings of wildlife. The varied terrain includes rocky outcrops, sandy riverbeds, boulder-strewn koppies and vast outstretched grasslands.

Each year this desert race attracts not only elite athletes, but also slow runners and adventure hikers. As much as this event is a challenge, both physically and mentally and demands proper preparation, it is THE DESERT FOOT RACE that gives back just as much in the form of soul-fulfilling adventure!

Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon - KAEM

“Big Daddy” – second oldest multistage desert race in the world.

Welcome to the Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon Podcast Channel where we talk about desert-, multistage- and extreme running in beautiful and breath-taking remote places on earth.

Here you’ll find lots of shared running experiences, tales of adventure and life living for the soul to thrive on. Join in and listen to our conversations and share with us your comments and experiences on our Facebook page.

“What to eat?” is one of the FAQs when it comes to extreme, ultra-marathons such as KAEM. In addition to the must-haves for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and recovery, here’s our list of the TOP 10 NICE-TO-HAVE items for your KAEM bag.

Please add your nice-to-haves and feel free to share 🙂
1. Nuts
2. Salty biscuits or snacks (e,g,: Niknaks)
3. Raisins & other much-loved dried fruits for something sweet – you need something sweet from time to time. Jelly babies and the likes melt in the heat, but dried fruit is quite good – share if you have other treats
4. Droëwors, biltong, (dried beef or game), or salami sticks
5. Cuppa soup (more than you think necessary – they don’t weigh much and are incredibly comforting and help to replenish salt)
6. Coffee sachets
7. Ginger biscuits
8. Minty chewing gums
9. Parmesan powder
10. Popsicles

*Please note: Do not pack or vacuum pack droëwors or biltong in plastic bags. These can be packed in brown paper bags to keep dry and airy. With excessive heat in the Kalahari Desert, you don’t want your droëwors and biltong to sweat and go off.

REMEMBER eating and replenishing energy is one BIG FACTOR for successful completion of an event in the desert – pack enough 🙂
For a comprehensive list of MUST-HAVE and NICE-TO-HAVE and also what to avoid items. Check out the article on our KAEM blog