Knysna Big 5 Challenge 2014

So as mentioned in my post Is a Knysna Big 5 Challenge Lite on the cards for 2014?, 2014 sees the introduction of a Knysna Big 5 Challenge Lite.

Where: Knysna
When: 05 – 12 July 2014
Website: www.magneticsouth.net | www.oysterfestival.co.za
Facebook: KnysnaOysterFestival
Twitter: @oysterfestival | @Magnetic_South | @magneticsouth1

Whilst the changes are not quite what I expected or hoped for, they are definitely positive, and represent the popularity and growth of this great sporting challenge. Here are the options for the Big 5 Challenge and the Big 5 Lite:

	Big 5 Challenge	Big 5 Lite
1 Saturday, 05 July	Weekend Argus Rotary Knysna Cycle Tour – 80km MTB race (Male 02:57:00; Female 03:24:03)	Weekend Argus Rotary Knysna Cycle Tour – 50km MTB race
2 Sunday, 06 July	Weekend Argus Rotary Knysna Cycle Tour – 100km Road race (Male 02:31:12; Female 03:10:13) Knysna Lagoon Challenge 22 km paddle race (Male 01:56:09; Female 02:30:59) Knysna Dragons Lagoon Mile Swim	Weekend Argus Rotary Knysna Cycle Tour – 50km Road race Knysna Lagoon Challenge 10 km paddle race Knysna Dragons Lagoon Mile Swim
3 Tuesday, 08 July	Salomon Featherbed Trail Run presented by GU – Coelacanth – 14km (Male 00:54:35; Female 01:05:29)	Salomon Featherbed Trail Run presented by GU – Seahorse – 11km
4 Thursday, 10 July	Totalsports XTERRA presented by REHIDRAT – Full distance (Male 01:38:07; Female 02:03:51)	Totalsports XTERRA presented by REHIDRAT – Lite
5 Saturday, 12 July	Momentum Cape Times Knysna Forest Half Marathon (Male 01:03:11; Female 01:14:19) Momentum Cape Times Knysna Forest Full Marathon (Male 02:20:04; Female 02:39:10)	Momentum Cape Times Knysna Forest Half Marathon (Male 01:03:11; Female 01:14:19)

I still believe the options still favor the cyclists: you can pedal on the Saturday and Sunday, pedal on the Thursday — it is still my opinion that the XTERRA course favors MTBers heavily, everyone runs Tuesday, and then cruise through a little half marathon on the Saturday. I had hoped that to even things out a little they would have either offered the 50km MTB as an option (in line with the half marathon being an option alongside the full marathon), or man-up totally and make the full marathon compulsory and remove the half option.

Additionally, a 100km road cycle does not equal a 20km paddle and certainly not a 1 mile swim.

Obviously the Lite makes the Challenge accessible to many more athletes and this is very good.

For many keen multi-sporters one of the most important developments is the inclusion of another water event, and we hope that by next year a water leg will be compulsory. Only then will the Big 5 Challenge be able to claim to be the multi-sport event of the year.