Entries now open for the 2011 Chandelier Full Moon Midnight Run due to take place on Saturday 8th October 2011 at Chandelier Game Lodge close to Oudtshoorn ....are you game....

Participants that would like to join us on the very first Klein Karoo Full Moon Midnight Run can contact the run organiser, Henry Hill at the following contact details:

e-mail: hill.henry88@yahoo.com / Mobile: 082 906 7331 / Fax: 086 555 6284

Run Information (and other stuff of possibly little value)
Please read carefully....

Dear participant

You have chosen to run what is to become one of the ‘must run’ midnight trail runs that is presently on the trail running calendar. The information that follows will assist in not only planning your run but also what can be expected from the run. This is not a race. This is an experience that is made possible by the owner of the property. If you do race you will surely miss out on a very unique environment – yes – even the night sky can offer a great run. The owner of Chandelier game lodge has indicated that during October you will see game, especially during the early morning. [PS. During the several route recess I have seen giraffe (the long neck animal), zebra, sable, waterbuck, koedoe, springbok, rooibok, bontebok and others – so – there are definitely animals]

The Chandelier website has the following to say about the lodge [cut and paste from website]:

Chandelier Game Lodge & Ostrich Show Farm is located between the lush green Garden Route and the wide-open spaces of the Klein (Little) Karoo, with the Outeniqua- and Swartberg mountain ranges as backdrop. Chandelier is easily accessible, next to the N12 (Route 62), and is an ideal base from which to explore the “Garden of Eden” along the Garden Route as well as the rich diversity of the Klein Karoo and Route 62. The lodge is 7 km from Oudtshoorn and 48 km from George and the George Airport.

This is not a sponsored run! Your entry fee [and my contribution] pays for everything you will receive [goody bag, medical backup etc.] and includes the pasta meal and buffet breakfast as well as small conservation fee. We are not into the money making business and are organizing this for the love of the sport. I just need to say this.

How to actually get to the start

We, your trusted race organiser, prefer that you drive to the start venue.
The Chandelier lodge is located on GPS coordinates Latitude: 33° 45’ 36’’ and South Longitude: 21° 32’ 50’’ [my Garmin Oregon].
By road from Cape Town via Barrydale take the R62 towards Ladismith.
Turn right in the main road of Ladismith towards Calitsdorp and Oudtshoorn – you are still on the R62.
Once in Oudtshoorn with the municipal buildings immediately to your right, turn right towards George. Follow the road out of town for another 7km. The entrance to Chandelier will be on your right.

By road from Riversdale take the N2 towards George. Take a left turn from the freeway at the airport exit. Follow this road – across the stop street with the airport on your left. The road will take you to Blanco. Before the road makes a sharp turn to the right (you are already in the main road of Blanco) make sure to turn left towards the Outeniqua Pass. This will take you ‘out of town’ and towards the pass. where you will turn left towards Oudtshoorn.

By road from Plett / Knysna keep straight past the Sasol and Engen filling stations on the southern outskirts of George. Make sure to keep straight and the shopping mall will be on your left. This road will take you into George. Keep straight till you find a turnabout with a Caltex filling station on your right, go through the turnabout. This will take you to the George hospital and sports fields with another turnabout. Do a right turn here and the road will take you to Oudtshoorn and Chandelier.

By road from Uniondale / Langkloof area keep on the N9 past the hamlet of Herold (although you will not be able to see Herold from the N9). Take care – a few kilometers further the road (T-junction) towards Oudtshoorn (N12 / R62) appears suddenly. Turn right and the road will take you all the way to Chandelier.
In short – just get there!

Pre-entries or not?
Due to T-shirts and other race parafernalia that needs to be ordered BEFORE the run this will be a PRE ENTRIES run only. Entry forms must be e-mailed or faxed. Fax to 086 555 6284 or e-mail to hill.henry88@yahoo.com Remember to submit proof of payment. Your ID is your reference number!!
Banking details:-
Account holder: H J Hill Nebank George Cheque account: 1067 805 451 Branch code: 109 114

Closing date of entries
Closing date of entries – in other words – your completed entry must be received by the race organiser BY NO LATER THAN MONDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2011.

Registration
ALL registration will take place on Saturday the 8th from 12h00 till 23h00. At registration you will be handed your unique run number, T-shirt, goody bag [with nice stuff] and meal vouchers.

Refund or not to refund
Unfortunately there will be no refunds, not even to close friends or those pretending to be close friends [like family]. However – you are more than welcome to organise a substitute. It is your responsibility to inform the organiser of this change in identity. Depending on when you organise your substitute may names on the run number not be appropriate any longer, unless you pretend to be ‘the other person’. No problem!
Please note that it not necessarily the additional admin work that makes refunds unpleasant but stuff has already been ordered and payed for. Sorry.

Run number
Your unique run number – which includes your name – must be worn on the front of whatever you are wearing. It might be painful should you decide not to wear a running top since the number must be pinned to your clothing. We think this (not the pain), but the personalised number will add some personality in case you loose yourselves along the way. Please do not remove your number should you be eaten by a caracal – we need to identify you, the runner and possibly re-use the number again.

Accommodation
Chandelier has put together some great accommodation packages. Please make use of this unique offer.

Meals
We, the organisers and Chandelier Management thought it might be great to have a pasta meal before the run and again an even greater buffet farm breakfast the morning after the run. You will in all probability be needing both! We have therefore included your pre paid ‘meal tickets’ as part of the entry fee. Remember to let us know [for catering purposes] how many additional pasta meals and breakfast meals must be prepared for family which will be joining you. This will have to be paid [by you] at the venue when you arrive.

Meal times as follows: Pasta – from 19h00 till 21h00
Buffet breakfast [on the 9th]: - 08h00 till 10h00

YOU MUST BOOK YOUR OWN ACCOMMODATION [either at the lodge or where ever u are staying] – herewith all the lodge details:

For attention: Carla Daniller [lodge manager]
Sel: 072 742 4405
Tel: 044 272 6794
Fax” 086 614 0854
e-mail: chandelier@absamail.co.za
website: www.chandelier.co.za
Postal address: P O Box 1794, Oudtshoorn, 6620

Please remember to mention that you are there for the run in order to qualify for the super discount!

Pre run briefing [a post run briefing would obviously be of little value]
The run briefing will be done in the restaurant area at 23h45 SHARP. Attendance is compulsory since we will explain the ‘where’s and what’s’ of what you will endure for the next couple of hours [hopefully not days].

Start
The start (AND FINISH) of what we believe will be an unique experience WILL BE AT THE Chandelier lodge. All distances start at the same time, namely 24h00. Please note that not all runners in all distances will finish at the same time! – kind of obvious I guess.

Event Photography
A CD with event photographs will be made available to you after the run (approximately two weeks).

Medical support
YES – medical facilities and off road bike support along the way (on an off road bike) will be available to you – the valued dedicated trail runner. Note: - You will not be assisted if you are caught napping under a gwarriebos or Spekboom somewhere along the trail or seen on the back of a Bontebok.
If we need to know about any medical condition you must let us know. This does not include something like frequent cramping due to lack of training!

Official distances (as close as can be)
The distances to be covered are as follows:
Short: 15.2km
Medium: 25.8km
Long: 43.3km

Route description – also see the brilliant map with info prepared by the race organiser [me]
Provision has been made for runners that wish to choose between either a ±15 km or ±25 km or ±45 km distances. Do not be fooled by the distance that appears to be ‘on the short side’. The terrain is very undulating and rocky due to heavy rains. I have marked the route with red arrows attached on a short dropper [orange reflective arrow head] – FOLLOW ARROW DIRECTION OTHERWISE YOU WILL GET LOST – SERIOUSLY. (Either the reflection of the moon or your headlamp will highlight the orange arrow tip – follow this)

In short the route(s) description then:
All participants stay together [figuratively speaking] for the first 4.12km’s and climbing to 363msl
The medium / long route turn left HERE (watch the arrow) and will sometime during the night get back to this point again once you have done the additional loop(s). Remember that there are no water points on the 15km section.

The 15km route keep straight and once you have done a few left, right, left again and so on turns you will hopefully get back to the thatch roof entrance where you will turn left for the last 775m back to the lodge / start / finish and support team.
As said, do the 25km and 45km participants (I hate the word runners because they always race) turn sharp left at the split (4.12km’s into the run)! Do not keep straight if the intention is to do a longer distance. Once you have done the compulsory left this will take you down a steepish section for 700m where you will turn right this time. This short steepish section will be done again later during the night (in reverse) to take you back on the route of the 15km participants.

The jeep track (which is the old historical George – Oudtshoorn gravel road) will take you to 465msl. Please do not look for artifacts during the night. They have all been removed when the jeep track came into use – sorry. At this point you turn left (you have covered 7km’s) and you will go zig zag down down for the next almost 4km’s to the water point / check point. Please remember to shout your number to the staff but keep voices somewhat down since dassie etc are sleeping during the middle of the night. Also remember not to wake those that are suppose to man the point. Grab a banana and move on since the buffet breakfast is waiting.

At the water / check point the 25km guys and girls needs to keep straight where you will do a river crossing – again - shortly. This will take you to a left turn further down the jeep track. Follow this for about 2.5km’s and it will bring you back to the split and the bottom of the steepish section (mentioned earlier). Turn right here back to the top (where the 15km and 25/45km participants did the split thing). Turn left and follow arrows back to the start / finish. Smiling and some sleepy faces will be waiting to welcome you back and even possibly hug you.

At the water point / check point (distance 11km’s) you – the brave participant doing the 45km route – will turn right and will start a long slow climb for 5.5kms. Somewhere here at the top you will do a left and steepish down section followed by a flatish section which will take you to a rail crossing AND river crossing. Please do cross both in order to finish the full moon midnight run (eventually). Follow the jeep track which will take you back to the historical George / Oudtshoorn gravel road (smooth running surface) and along a game fence. DO NOT CLIMB OVER THE FENCE – THIS WILL LEAD TO IMMEDIATE DISQUALIFICATION. Follow fence for just over 6kms where you will turn sharp right again. This jeep track will take you back to the river and water point / check point that you left behind earlier. Should staff still be sleeping since your first visit you may now wake them. Use trekking pole and violence if necessary.
At this point you will follow the same directions as the 25km participants and will join back on the very last section done by the 15km folk.

WELL DONE – YOU HAVE FINISHED THE 2011 CHANDELIER FULL MOON MIDNIGHT RUN
REMEMBER THE BUFFET BREAKFAST

‘Along the way’ support
For your convenience we have made a water point / check point [not that you will be needing this since you are in top physical condition] available. It will be positioned at approximately 11 km if doing the medium / long distance. This will be available twice for the long distance since you will be passing this point again. Fluids and other stuff will be available! No brass bands could be organised. The left turn at distance 4.12km into the run will only be a check point [left turn for medium / long distance participants]. Short distance keep straight and thus no water point if you are doing the 15km – remember this. There will also be off road bikes (not the cycling type) on the route during the night. We promise that they will be as quite as possible
Remember it is your responsibility to make sure that your run number is recorded at the check / water point(s). We need to make 500% sure that you all arrive back safely at the start / finish

Lucky draws
Lucky draws to be done at 09h00 on the morning of the 9th [that is after the run]. This will include a free entry for the 2012 run. Make sure that you arrive back in time for this.

Whether the weather
Theoretically speaking the weather should be fantastic. According to the 2011 calendar October is the beginning of spring and temperatures should be fairly mild. However - Bring warm clothing and arm / legs warmers for the start. The night temperature might be nippy.

What to bring - suggested
As an experienced trail runner you should know by now what to bring and what works for you – however – below a list of what I think you should bring for the duration of the run:
Good trail running shoes – you will need the shoe support. The majority of the trail is very rocky. There will be a few shallow (ha-ha) river crossings and your shoes / feet will get wet.
Comfortable running clothing
‘Camelback’ with sufficient capacity.
Head lamp (koplig)! It might be cloudy and then a koplig is a definite must.
Space blanket – just in case and always a good bit of very light equipment to carry with.
Whistle
Running / trekking pole not necessary. It could however be used should you get into a fight with a jackal or porcupine during the night. You may also not use this to intimidate the staff at the water point in order to bum a free lift to the next point or finish.

Enjoy the Full Moon Midnight Run 2011
on behalf of Maverickmadness Trail Running (the organizers)
&
Owner (and staff) of Chandelier Game Lodge (Oudtshoorn)

http://FullMoonMidnightRun.yolasite.com