SO HERE WE GO.......

The nerves are really starting to get the better of me now, I feel really unprepared for what lies ahead on Sunday, everyone I've spoken to over the last few days in the Durban area knows someone who's completed it or entered it or failed at it......the Comrades is everywhere!!

I feel mentally that I can complete this 87km uphill challenge but that alone won't get me over the finish line it'll take a massive physical effort to even get to the halfway point of the course......and then its just another marathon to go!

Tomorrow (Friday 13th funnily enough!) I have an 'International Entrants' tour of the course, we all meet at the Durban Exhibition Centre and are then bussed along the course just to highlight exactly where we will die or fail some 48hrs later...rub it in why don't you! Once we return to Durban I'll then register and collect all of the usual freebie giveaway's before I retire to a friends flat, left with my own thoughts whilst trying to keep this 'Afritrex' fire burning deep inside.

Thank you all so much for the huge number of emails and text messages wishing me good luck, they'll all play their part in getting me through those difficult moments enroute to completing my first ever Comrades Race (there positive thoughts already!).

Once I can walk, talk and type again I'll let you know exactly what happened and I'm taking my camera so you can all share in the agony at my expense!

Over and out,

Ben - Afritrex

Posted on 12 Jun 2008 by Ben Southall

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Welcome to Afritrex - A privately funded charity endurance challenge of marathons, mountains and more; documenting the encounters, obstacles and achievements of 12 months of hard fundraising and charity work across Africa.

Whilst circumnavigating the African Continent I will complete the following challenges:

To complete five marathons of at least 26 miles
To climb five of the highest mountains in Africa
To visit as many of the sites across Africa where the Victoria Cross has been won as possible (VC180 Challenge)

"The challenge to make every penny count"

Have a closer look at the site and find out more about how we'll be spending 2008.

Keep up to date !! - The action is happening as we speak...

Click here for the latest diary entry

Click here for the latest photos

Click here for the latest route

My name is Ben Southall and for the last decade I’ve travelled extensively throughout Southern Africa taking on projects and expeditions to test my abilities and discover exciting new areas of the African continent, whilst in the UK I take part in fitness and endurance events to raise money for charity and thought it was about time I combined the two fields to create my own fundraising expedition from with others could benefit.

So was born Afritrex: the logistical equivalent of one man trying to build spaghetti junction using Taiwanese instructions and a broken shovel.

The idea was simple: take one continent; attempt to circumnavigate it and whilst doing so try and stay fit enough to complete a number of endurance challenges to raise money for my chosen charities and whilst doing so post it all on the internet!

This is set to be the most challenging, exciting and exhausting year of my life, can I really do it?

"The answer is I don't know,

so why not find out!"

This is me Ben Southall and this is my mission throughout 2008. Stay in contact with my progress updates on how things are going through this site.

I’ll be keeping you informed of my progress through biweekly updates to the site, route information and with regular photo and video blogs.

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