A bit of bromance for body heat
The Knysna Half Marathon is one of the most popular half marathons in South Africa, with entries being sold out within a matter of days. If this is your first Knysna Half, it’s worth taking into consideration some of the race’s quirks.
Beware The Cold
Knysna is cold. And the forest is colder. You’ll be waiting at the start for a fair amount of time, so it’s come prepared! A tradition at the Knysna Forest Marathon is to wear old clothes and discard them en route to the less fortunate. You’ll be glad for the warmth!
There are a few food and coffee stalls at the start, so it’s worth bringing some cash along. And don’t forget to tuck in some of your own loo paper: the portaloos are well frequented.
See the weekend’s weather forecast here.
… And The Clothes
Once the run starts, runners will start parting with their warm kit on the side of the road. Some runners wear black plastic bags and simply drop them where-ever they desire (please, don’t!). Watch out for these tripping hazards – as well as the clothing collectors. A roastie is a nasty way to start a half marathon.
Start Slow… No, Really.
You’ve heard it before, we know. But Knysna Half Marathon starts with a 3km climb and if you race out the gates, you’ll most definitely regret it later. You’ll also be pretty chilly when you start: use the hill to warm up properly and ease into the race.
Enjoy 3km – 11km.
The undulating jeep track through the Knsyna Forest is enjoyable: find your rhythm, take in the glorious scenary and keep your eyes peeled for the illusive Knysna elephant (or at the very least, watch out for dung). Don’t give it gas… yet. You’ve got a mean descent to deal with shortly.
“The Hill”
The descent from Simola into Knysna is a quad bashing bastard. The view is superb and gives you a tantalizing glimpse of the finish line – but don’t be fooled! There’s still a fair distance to cover. The 3km descent is akin to a mine shaft and your legs will be begging for remorse at the bottom. And it’s still not close to over.
The Final 6km*.
It’s flat, flat, flat. If you went out too hard, too fast or flew down “The Hill’, your mind will start playing tricks on you. Every year, runners swear that distance markers have gone missing. They haven’t. Every kilometre will feel like 4 and you’ll swear that you’re running the wrong route. You’re not. Find a happy place in your mind and take in the glory of the lagoon. Do anything to try and forget the distance.
*Note: At the time of writing this article, it was unknown that the route has gone back to the 2010 route. This means that the flat section after “The Hill” is not quite as long as previous years. Still, brace yourself coming down the hill: your legs will still hurt!
The Finish
You’ve arrived, soak up the glory! Grab a boerie roll, a beer and laze around the field watching the marathoners come in. Get in a good stretch, find an oyster (or 2) and get ready for the rest of the day: the party is a good ‘un.
Do you have any tips to add? Comment below!
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This is so well said. The race is exactly like that.
The start is cold cold cold. So bring a blanket!!! More than one blanket! It is worth it, as you will be giving them to people who really really need them, so bring 3 or 4 even!
I brought 12 blankets this year to the Comrades start, distributed the ones I didn’t use to other runners and I never even felt the cold!
I wasn’t a front runner, so I didn’t get to see elephants. But we ran right past fresh steaming elephant dung – that was a highlight.
The downhill from Simola into Knysna is worse than you can imagine. It would probably easier sliding down on a bum board than running down it. So take it EASY!!!
But the view is simply stunning. So if you can, bring a camera.
And that last 6km is exactly as the article says…..where are the kilometre markers????
Forget about time and just enjoy it.
The view and the feel of running through the forest is so magnificent, it is worth spending extra time doing it, rather than rushing to the finish line.
Have fun!
well written! quite glad we’ll be running the 2010 route again
Thanks for the advice! We have been searching the web for tips. Has anyone run the 2010 route that’s being used this year? Would love some tips….
Thx!
hi janine,
you’ll spend more time in the forrest and from what i remember, that route had a few more hills but is actually faster than the other one. at least it felt like that. i might be wrong, but after “the hill” it’s only another 3km (?) to the finish line – instead of 6.
My tip for the winner this year: Bradlyn Stuurman. The women’s race: Anne van der Tuuk. Wish you all a lot of success.
This is my first 21k and did not realise when I entered that the run was through the forest. (I don’t live in SA) The above info was very useful thank you!.
Would you suggest trail shoes rather than running shoes? I’ve just bought myself new running shoes but am wondering now about how suitable they will be.