Athletes participating in the running component of Calling Cape Town must summit three peaks. These include Lion’s Head, Devil’s Peak, and the iconic Table Mountain.
PHOTO: Supplied/ Chris Barnard
Stellenbosch residents prepare to take part in Calling Cape Town on 8 March, some as volunteers, athletes and supporters. The challenge involves running Cape Town’s three peaks, swimming the 8km Robben Island crossing and completing the 109km Cape Town Cycle Tour – all in the space of 24 hours and to raise funds for Calling Academy. Summiting the three peaks – Devil’s Peak, Table Mountain and Lion’s Head- covers a distance of 50km, with the total challenge tallying up a total of 167km.
Last year Calling Cape Town raised more than R2.5 million, an amount they hope to exceed this year. The triathlon can be done in teams of three, with each athlete completing a different component. Alternatively, athletes can complete the swim, cycle and run individually. Each athlete has a goal of raising R5000 through donations and sponsorships for Calling Academy, a school that aims to provide quality education for students from low income backgrounds.
Stellenbosch University fourth-year chemical engineering student, Ankia Burger, will be participating this year by running the peaks. Burger has loved running since she was 11 years old, but said her degree has definitely taught her perseverance. “I enjoy stepping into things that stretch me”, she says, while reflecting on her preparation for Calling Cape Town.
Burger’s training consists of climbing mountains with weights, usually with an elevation of 1000 metres or more. She intersperses her running training with stability and strength training at the Maties Gym, as well as Pilates. This will be the first time she takes part in the challenge as an athlete rather than a volunteer.
Burger said she had been using the Stellenbosch mountains for training, adding that the most important part of her preparation was “time on your legs”. She said her motivation came from the impact she can make in her own community through the funds raised.
Ankia Burger preparing for her first time as an athlete in Calling Cape Town. She combines her running training with time in the gym.
PHOTO: Supplied/Ankia Burger
The media team for the event consists of 33 members, working to document the three parts of the challenge. Chris Barnard, a Stellenbosch local, has played a key role in photographing and documenting the event since it began in 2021. He said Calling Cape Town has grown significantly over the past five years, adding that media coverage serves a “critical role” in raising awareness around education, even internationally. Barnard began working on a documentary about the event, which is currently in post-production. In the meantime, he has focused on producing shorter forms of media to cover the challenge.
In addition to doing their own training, athletes can also take part in training days organised by Calling Cape Town. Julian Goldman, a Stellenbosch local and volunteer for the event, has organised this year’s programme. Goldman said that the culture of the challenge is significantly different to that of a typical triathlon. During the build-up to, and on the day of Calling Cape Town , there is a great “sense of community”. Unlike traditional races, the event is not competitive, but rather “everyone is striving towards the same goal”. The goal ultimately is to raise the necessary minimum of R5000 for Calling Academy, as well as to complete the challenge in the 24-hour period.
For these Stellenbosch locals, Calling Cape Town offers a chance to challenge themselves physically in a tough race against the clock, while completing some of the region’s most iconic individual events. Their motivation, however, lies in raising funds for education through Calling Academy.
Students from Calling Academy support the athletes during the running leg of Calling Cape Town.
PHOTO: Supplied/Chris Barnard