Dias Vasbyt this Thursday and Friday

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The 60th annual Dias Vasbyt, the most important endurance walk on the South African calendar, takes place on Thursday and Friday, 22 and 23 February, in Mossel Bay.

It starts at 07:00 from the Dias Beach parking lot on Thursday, 22 February and encompasses 75km over the two days.

If you see athletes dressed in the same colours, walking together and some even tied to one another, over these days, they are teams of Dias Vasbyt competitors.

Most walkers do three "vasbyts". They must obtan qualifying times in the Kannaland Vasbyt which takes place in Ladismith in August - also 75km over two days.

The next is the Peninsula Vasbyt in the Cape.

Then the key event in the country, the Dias Vasbyt, takes place. It draws about 500 athletes to Mossel Bay each year.

Teams comprising six people compete against one another.

On day one athletes proceed from the Dias Beach parking area in the direction of Mikeva and they turn left at Heiderand Checkers in the direction of Santos Haven.

They continue to the Van Riebeeck Stadium, back through the graveyard, past the Mossel Bay courts and on to Second Beach at Dana Bay.

Then they walk on the sand to First Beach and from there through KwaNonqaba, back to the Dias Beach parking lot.

On day two, the walkers start at the Dias Beach parking area and continue in the direction of Supa Quik on Louis Fourie Road, through KwaNonqaba to the casino intersection on Louis Fourie Road and then to Dana Bay and from Dana Bay back to the Dias Beach parking lot.

Teams of athletes must start and finish together.