Big 5 Sports Challenge

The Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival attracts more than 60 000 visitors each year. Whether you’re a fitness fanatic, adventure seeker, discerning gourmand or are just looking for the perfect family breakaway, this year the 31st annual Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival will deliver with a diverse programme of over 100 events during the school holidays from 04-13 July 2014.

Festival Manager Nicci Rousseau-Schmidt says, “With over 100 events, we strive to present a diverse programme that offers something for everyone, whether you’re attending the festival as a family, as a foodie, or to participate in one of our many sports competitions.

“This year we’ve also planned a number of improvements to our most popular events – such as the Pick n Pay Flavours of Knysna gourmet evening, and the Big5 Sport Challenge, which for the first time will include a Big 5 Yellow Jersey Ceremony for each event, as well as a final awards ceremony where all finishers will be honoured. We’ve also added the Big 5 LITE, which opens up the playing field for athletes who want to compete in a multi-disciplinary competition across shorter distances.”

NEW Experience in the cards for Big 5 Sport Challenge Participants – and an all new Big 5 LITE

With the Big 5 Sport Challenge well on its way to becoming one of South Africa’s top multi-sport events, the organizers at Magnetic South say this year they are preparing for the biggest and best year yet.

Christine Collins, Magnetic South Director explains, “Following the 2013 challenge, we conducted a post-event survey and received some great feedback on how the competitors would like to see the Big Five Sport Challenge evolve. As a result we have a number of improvements in the cards for 2014 and we’re all really excited to see this event start to form its own identity, and deliver what competitors really want in a multi-sport event. For example, this year competitors will receive a high quality Big5 Sports Challenge branded buff, a finisher’s shirt, and a finisher’s a medal – which speaks volumes about the enormous difficulty of the challenge and the prestige that comes with crossing that final finish line.”

“And even bigger news for 2014 is of course the launch of the inaugural Big 5 LITE, which to opens up the playing field to more multi-sport athletes who want to compete at a (slightly) less grueling level. Competitors to the Big 5 LITE will also have access to the daily Big 5 Scoring System rankings which has been a mainstay of the competition. All of these additions meant an increase in the cost of registration, but we hope to continue to grow the event while delivering it at world-class standards.”

Ms. Collins continues, “In the evening of each race day Big 5 participants will also be invited to attend the Big 5 Yellow Jersey Ceremony, where for the first time Yellow Jerseys will be handed over to the leading athletes. After the last of the 5 events, on Saturday July 13, the Big 5 and Big 5 LITE events will culminate in another new addition, a not-to-be-missed award Ceremony where podium finishers, and all other finishers, will be honored and receive their hard earned Race Medals. With prize money totalling R35 000, the top three men and women will have even more to smile about.”

The Big5 Competition
Conrad Stoltz, Kevin Evans, Dan Hugu, Antoine van Heerden, Tim Ellerbeck, Christiaan Greyling, Roelande Visser, Hanlie Booyens, Esther Lategan – these are just some of the multi-sport champions, Iron Men and Women, who have made their mark on the Big 5 Sport Challenge since it started in 2010.

Pro-athlete Stuart Marais has taken the victor’s title two years in the row, and will be taking a break from his overseas competitions to defend his title in 2014.

As a multiple Comrades, Two Oceans, Pick n Pay Cape Argus Cycle Tour and Iron Man finisher, Paul Ingpen has attended the Festival for more than two decades and is one of the Big 5 Sport Challenges biggest supporters. When asked what it is that keeps him coming back for more, Ingpen says simply, “I love running & riding around in the forest and on the lagoon.”

Thamar Houliston, Women's Health online editor, had this to say about her 2011 experience competing in the Big 5, “By the last day I’d done more than 13 hours of hard exercise. My body was shattered, but standing at the start of the last event, I felt like a changed person. That week I re-learned that nothing is impossible if you have the will and determination to make it happen. I know this but yet I still let fear stand in my way most of the time. Getting back on a bike and on the trail made me feel alive again – more so than I’d felt in a very long time.”

Matt Trautman, 2013 Podium finisher, reflects on his experience. “I like that the Big 5 Sport Challenge allows me to race the single sport experts in the various different events. Training for a multi sport event requires a lot of time and commitment, endurance gains aren't seen overnight so a dedicated consistent approach to your training is required. Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.”

Carla van Huyssteen, another 2013 podium finisher, says “I like the variability of the Big 5 Sport Challenge – having to take on multiple disciplines is always a challenge. The whole week is very festive and the Big5 competitors have a sort of camaraderie in the suffering of racing on really sore legs,” she laughs, “I look forward to coming back for more in 2014.”

The Line-up: Choosing 5 Events

Big 5 Challenge
EVENT 1 - Saturday, Momentum Weekend Argus Rotary Knysna Cycle Tour – 80km MTB race (Male 02:57:00; Female 03:24:03)

EVENT 2 - Sunday, Choose ONE event from either:
Momentum Weekend Argus Rotary Knysna Cycle Tour – 100km Road race (Male 02:31:12; Female 03:10:13) Knysna Lagoon Challenge 22 km paddle race (Male 01:56:09; Female 02:30:59)Knysna Dragons Lagoon mile Swim (Male 00:22:18 ; Female 00:24:13)

EVENT 3 - Tuesday, Salomon Featherbed Trail Run presented by GU – Coelacanth – 14km (Male 00:54:35; Female 01:05:29)

EVENT 4 - Thursday, Totalsports XTERRA presented by REHIDRAT – Full distance (Male 01:38:07; Female 02:03:51)

EVENT 5 - Saturday, Choose ONE from either:Momentum Cape Times Knysna Forest Half Marathon
(Male 01:03:11; Female 01:14:19) or Full Marathon (Male 02:20:04; Female 02:39:10)

Big 5 LITE
EVENT 1 Saturday, Momentum Weekend Argus Rotary Knysna Cycle Tour – 50km MTB race (Male 01:21:48; Female 01:31:40)

EVENT 2 - Sunday, Choose ONE event from either:
Choose ONE event from either:Momentum Weekend Argus Rotary Knysna Cycle Tour – 50km Road race (Male 01:21:48; Female 01:31:40)
Knysna Lagoon Challenge 10 km paddle raceKnysna Dragons Lagoon mile Swim (Male 00:22:18 ; Female 00:24:13)

EVENT 3 - Tuesday, Salomon Featherbed Trail Run presented by GU – Seahorse – 11km (Male 00:47:11; Female 00:56;01)

EVENT 4 - Thursday, Totalsports XTERRA presented by REHIDRAT – Lite (Male 01:02:43; Female 01:18:40)

EVENT 5 - Saturday, Momentum Cape Times Knysna Forest Half Marathon (Male 01:03:11; Female 01:14:19)

Entrants to these competitions will be automatically registered across their selection of five events, which is a great time saver because individual event registration will not be necessary.

For those wishing to compete in individual events – like the TOTALSPORTS XTERRA presented by REHIDRAT® SPORT , the Momentum Weekend Argus Rotary Knysna Cycle Tour, the Momentum Cape Times Knysna Forest Marathon and Half Marathon , and the Salomon Featherbed Trail Run presented by GU – registration is also open.

Big 5 Scoring System
To enter the Big5 Challenge or Big 5 LITE you need to enter 5 of the following 7 Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival events. Past winning times are listed in brackets next to the event name which can help you with your choice of events. In order to rank all Big 5 and all Big 5 LITE athletes against each other- independent of the choice of event – the scores will be calculated as follows:

Each Big Five event is scored on a points system where a maximum of 1000 points are allocated for each event of the Big Five. Points are calculated for each of the Big Five Events by taking the overall event winner’s time (male & female respectively) for that particular course and dividing that by the individual Big Five competitor’s time and then multiplying that by 1000 to give a point value.

For example: the winner of the Momentum Weekend Argus Knysna Rotary Cycle Tour race does a time of 03:02:15 and the Big Five Competitor finishes the race in 03:42:11. The Points calculation for that competitor for that event is 03:02:15/03:43:15 (0.820269) x 1000 = 820

Points scored will be used to determine the athletes overall positions in the Big5, not their overall time. The first athlete is awarded one point, the second one two points etc until the last athlete crosses the line. At the end of the week the athlete with the least points will be the winner.

By this system the scoring of a Big Five participant’s performance in each race is relative to the best competitor in the field for that race making it possible to compare the results in different event. Participants in the Big Five are able to make strategic decisions based on their competencies in the different sports relative to the best athletes in the field.

Registration Essentials – The Low Down
The cost to register for the Big 5 Sport Challenge is R2200 and the cost for the Big 5 LITE is R2000, including registration for 5 events. As in previous years, Big 5 participants have a separate registration process, eliminating the need to register for individual events. Entries for the Big 5 Sport Challenge are handled by EntryTickets. 

Big 5 Sport Challenge: R2200 entry fee, including:
Big5 Buff
Big5 Finisher Moisture Management Shirt
Big5 Finisher Medal
Daily Raning based on Big5 Point System
Yellow Jersey Ceremony after each race day
Award Ceremony after final race day at Cruise Cafe
Prize Money over R35 000 (top 3 male and female)

Big 5 LITE: R2000 entry fee, including:
Big5 Buff
Big5 Finisher Moisture Management Shirt
Big5 Finisher Medal
Daily Raning based on Big5 Point System
Award Ceremony after final race day at Cruise Cafe
Great prizes

To register for the Big5 Sport Challenge, visit: http://www.entrytickets.co.za/eventview/big5challenge
To register for the Big5 Sport LITE, visit: http://www.entrytickets.co.za/eventview/big5lite

Fun for All – Both On and Off the Competitive Track
Festival Manager Nicci Rousseau-Schmidt says, “2014 will see the return of the ever-popular evening events like the Oyster Shucking and Oyster Eating competitions, the Knysna Wine Festival and Night Food Market, and the Pick n Pay Flavours of Knysna gourmet evening – but with a soon-to-be announced new twist. We are also looking forward to many fresh events – like the Junior Golf Tournament, a new Triathlon and a Canoe Relay event – all aimed especially at teens. Adrenalin junkies can also look forward to a new mountain bike endure event – the Trailmania Cycle Enduro – which times competitors’ pace only on the downhill sections! Naturally, it’s all about providing a programme that’s as varied as Knysna, Sedgefield and surrounds.”

Rousseau-Schmidt said, “Cyclists can look forward to the new Night Cycle event on 8 July at the pristine single track route at the Dormehl Farm on Barrington/Karatara Road, and active teens can take part in three new events – the Junior Golf Tournament on 9 July, the first Teens Triathlon on and around Leisure Island on 11 July, and the Junior Sit-On Canoe Relay from 12-13 July.

“On the more relaxing side of things, art enthusiasts will enjoy Woodmill Lane’s Wood Art Exhibition which will include sculptures, furniture, and more by local artists and crafters.

“This year there’ll be even more reason to laugh with more comedy acts lined up with the new Comedy Festival on 5 July and the Comedy Shuckle on 10 July.”

Besides the food, the fun and the competitive games, each year the festival seeks to raise money for charity, with all events donating a portion of proceeds to designated Knysna non-profit organizations. This year it is expected that more than R1.5-million will be raised for charity.

Festival travel packages – including affordable accommodation options – are available via the online booking system at www.pnptravel.co.za.