Steve Partridge

Boa Vista

The Boa Vista Ultra-marathon is an extreme race which covers the entire island of Boa Vista, one of the 10 islands which make up the archipelago of Cape Verde, located just six hours by plane from Europe. An island where dunes of fine white sand slope down and disappear into the emerald green waters of the sea, in an infinite and mysterious cascade which has something ancient about it.

The island of Boa Vista, Cape Verde, Western Africa, is about 500 kilometres from the coast of Senegal. It has been described as one of the last few paradises left on earth, the meeting-place of two giants “The Desert and the Sea”, and it is here that the Boa Vista Ultra-marathon is held.

Getting there

Sleeping at the airport

Well getting there is fun. We took a flight to Munich to meet up with Anke and Markus. We then took a flight to Lisbon and went into the city to see the sights while we waited for our flight. We then flew on to Sol, a four hour flight, arriving about midnight. Here we lay on the floor of the airport and waited for the dawn. It was Kathy’s first sleep on an airport floor. We then boarded the flight for the island which lasts about 20 minutes and we arrive at a very different island; more remote and natural.

Aerial view of Boa Vista

Boa Vista beach

Catching fish

The Race

Markus at the start

The ultra-marathon is a non-stop race, on foot, in which both individuals and teams may compete. Competitors are self-sufficient for their food and for finding the direction (for the most part, the route is marked out), and are free to choose their rate of progress, over a distance of 150 km, to be covered in a maximum time of 60 hours (with a gate at the 75th km to be passed within 30 hours).

Anke at registration

Each competitor is obliged to bring with them a rucksack containing food, a sleeping bag, and the compulsory material required under the regulations. The organisers provides a road-book and a map showing the route, and will set up control points and checkpoints, at intervals of 15 km at most, where competitors will receive water and can rest. The race is followed by a medical team, which is in constant touch with the organisers by radio.

Markus with his kit

The race for the most part is a run around the island. The run from the start in the main town of Sal Rei, to checkpoint 1 is overland. About halfway you come to the coast which is marked by a wreck of a tanker.

The wreck

The hulk breaking up

This huge hulk is beached close to shore and the sea is gradually pulverising it to rust. At Checkpoint 1 you move inland going south-east to checkpoint 2. Here you cross the desert which is pure white and very beautiful on a clear day. At Checkpoint 2 by and old disused factory you turn on to the beach and the sand turns yellow and you run around the shore line for the rest of the day.

The pure white desert of Boa Vista

Markus, Francesca and me in the desert

Dead turtles are very common

Lonely palm tree in the desert

Chimney at checkpoint 2

Sand turning yellow

Leaving Checkpoint 2

Crabs

In the evening the turtles and crabs pass your feet as they make their way to the shore. Its deserted here very very few people have been here. No locals live here and there are few roads to get to the shore. Its a privilege just to be there. At this point there were three of us together; Markus, Francesca and myself. At checkpoint no 6 Francesca dropped out and the two of us decided to move on. Checkpoint 7 is a lighthouse set up on the top of a high promontory which looks out across the Atlantic towards Africa whilst giving fantastic views across the east coast of the island.

Turtles

This southern part of the island is very remote

Landscape between checkpoints 4 and 6

Evening on the shore

The three of us

Girls taking water up to the lighthouse at checkpoint 7

View from the lighthouse at checkpoint 7

Steve at checkpoint 7

Boa Vista Sunset

The race changed at checkpoint 9; from here there is a 50km cobbled road to the finish. At night this is plain unforgiving and this section is a hard slog to the finish. I suffered hallucinations during the night and the two of us had to keep checking each other as we worked our way across the landscape at night. . This still remains one of the most gruelling sections of any race I have had to complete.

This man (the guitarist) ate all my food at CP9

50K of this cobbled road is hard

Slogging it out to the finish Markus shares his blisters with us

Markus and I at the finish with Piergiorgio

Us completing the race

The Boa Vista Ultra-marathon really does offer you the chance to taste adventure, sensations on the limit of human experience, and an awareness of new cultures in a natural environment of priceless value. It’s a rare opportunity to go to an island where there are few visitors and to see the island in its natural state. But this won’t remain so for long developers are sure to come in the future.