the THIRD coffee

You may have heard of it, but how much do you really know? Here’s my race day review of the Knysna Forest Half-Marathon, along with a few tips to keep in mind! 

The Knysna Forest Half-Marathon is one that I would recommend be on your list of bucket-list runs. It not only provides an opportunity to run a pretty quick 21km (since you’re essentially just running down a mountain), but you’re also met with some great scenery and an incredible post-race vibe at the finish line. 

It’s an early start to your morning with the first taxi leaving at around 04:30 to drop runners off on top of the mountain. The last taxi leaves around 06:00, with a start time for the 21km at around 08:00. Yup – not one for the impatient lot.

The taxi-ride up the mountain is definitely a memorable experience! But it is not without its hiccups.

Some things to keep in mind: 

• Around 6500+ half-marathoners (not even counting marathoners) are in/around Knysna and all need to make their way to the start. You can imagine what the traffic looks like. Plan to arrive well ahead of the last taxi departure (and if you are staying outside of Knysna and driving in, stay on the N2 and DO NOT try to follow the smaller roads, it’s a shit-show). 
• The toilet-situation is not great. Try not to leave it for the start and get it out of the way before you start your day. 
• It’s early and it’s cold – I would recommend buying a blanket for donation to keep warm until the start of the race. It’s a special touch to the race and allows you to give back to the community – you can just chuck it minutes before the start, as everyone does. 

Anyway, here’s the tea, sis. 

The race starts on an uphill and then rolls through the forest for most of the route (uphills, downhills, straights, sand, mud, gravel – you name it). The views are incredible, but it is more trail-running terrain so be careful not to stumble while taking in the views – that would be quite embarrassing and would hurt a lot.  

The main iconic “climb” of the race starts around the 12km mark and can feel quite intense given the gravel-ness and rockiness of the terrain. Be sure to plan strategically and, if so inclined, gulp down a gel at the water point before this climb for some energy. 

From here, you’re on top of the mountain (quite literally, cause from here you just run down). This is where it gets really tricky. Know your strategy from this point on! 

With only 7ish km’s to go, you’ll be challenged with a few intense downhills as you run through Simola Golf Estate. The name still sends chills down my knees.

DO NO UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPACT OF THE DOWNHILL! 

Yes, it’s an opportunity to increase your pace quite tremendously, but it also has the potential to derail your entire race. It’s steeper than you think, and it only gets worse. 

As soon as you exit Simola with around 4ish km’s to go, you’re essentially running the flat straight home. You’ll think to yourself: “This is the perfect supporter-stretch.”
You’ll be wrong. It’s an awful never-ending stretch to the finish line with little to no support. 

You’re on your own kid. You’ll have to dig deep to have a proper finish. 

All-in-all it’s a great run, but it’s important to know what you’re signing up for. Study the route to know where the technical areas are, and plan how you want to run them. It’s an easy route to smash a PB, but if you’re not careful it’s also an easy route to smash your body (not in a good way). 

Enjoy the post-run beer and vibes, and the very hectic traffic to get out of Knysna. 

Until next year, 
Your Average A

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