On May 26, racers from 11 countries gathered at the starting line in Walvis Bay for Expedition Africa Namibia, a unique non-stop, multi-day adventure race, which concluded  with the last team crossing the finish line.

Expedition Africa has been the iconic expedition-length adventure race on the African continent for 12 years.

This year's race signifies the end of an era, as it was the final one.

The 2024 Expedition Africa Namibia race began at the yacht club in Walvis Bay on Sunday the 26 May, embarking on the first leg of eight-a 35 km kayak journey highlighting the coastal beauty of the area and concluded at Langstrand.

From there, teams embarked on the anticipated trekking legs, covering a 160 km journey through the dunes of the Namib Desert to Goanikontes, passing through the Moon Valley to Spitzkoppe near Usakos, and finally returning to the finish line in Swakopmund.

The total distance of the race was 487 kilometres, including 33 km of kayaking, 336 km of mountain biking, 118 km of trekking, a 50-metre abseil, and camel riding.

Teams were expected to navigate using a map and landmarks and must be capable of operating in harsh, remote environments under all weather conditions.

Teams travel day and night, deciding when and where to rest.

They had to complete the entire distance together, always staying within hearing and visual range of each other, offering help and assistance along the way.

The first team to complete the entire course and visit all the control points will be declared the winner.

The top-ranked team, Merrell Songlines, gave a good account of themselves and won the first-ever Expedition Africa Namibia adventure race in a time of 66 hours 27 minutes.

The all-South African team of Kelvin Trautman, Lance Kime, Jeannie Dreyer, and Martin Dreyer set the pace from the outset in the very demanding eight-stage race, arriving first at the finishing point in the early hours of Wednesday morning last week.

The last teams finished on Saturday on the sixth and final day of the event.