An epic feat of human endurance

Sleep deprived and exhausted, but unwilling to give in, 21 intrepid Adventure Obstacle Training (AOT) athletes completed an expanded Goggins Challenge last weekend.

The typical Goggins Challenge, where one runs four miles (6.4km) every four hours for 48 hours, would be crazy enough for most, but the AOT team added eight obstacles per loop too.

This added up to around 77km of running over the two days, coupled with almost 100 obstacle completions – comparable to a month of typical obstacle course training.

Of the 21, three call the North Coast home – Ballito’s Nicole von Metzinger and Andy Helm, and Westbrook’s Tom Basson.

The group ran two loops of a tricky 3.2km trail per four-hour period, after which they took on a wide range of obstacles at AOT’s La Lucia base.

“Doing the same run so many times, rather than the mileage, is what made it tough. Depending on the time of day, the heat played a big role as well and my least enjoyable loops were the 11am ones. I don’t run well in the heat,” said Von Metzinger.

At each completion, the athletes would shower, change and eat before trying to get some rest at nearby tents but that proved difficult with the disruptive sleep schedules.

“The sleep deprivation really gets to you after a while. I think my best sleep was probably only two hours after a 3am run,” she said.

But it’s precisely those difficult moments that the group sought out to test their own limits before trying to qualify for the Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) world championships later this year.

“The tough moments are what make the challenge great. When you push through and give that little bit extra, you get a great feeling of accomplishment and find out what your mind and body are capable of.”

Aside from the 21 full finishers, seven took on half the distance, while four kids did a 2x4x48 version.

AOT athletes now look towards the first OCR qualifier at the end of March, with some other fundraising events planned along the way.

To support the athletes who qualify for the world championships in Belgium in September, you can reach out to AOT’s Trish Eksteen at 083 566 5578.

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