Calling Cape Town: Swim, Ride, Run, Survive — by Connor Andrew

By Connor Andrew

It all started with a couple of beers at Forries after supporting a few friends running a marathon around the Rondebosch Common (the insanity of doing such a thing should already paint a picture of the people I’m around). We were chatting about what was next when one of my mates brought up a big triathlon challenge he and a friend were doing as a relay to raise money for charity.

I had seen this crazy challenge online somewhere, and with a few draughts of confidence down the hatch, I signed up.

What is Calling Cape Town?

This mega race was Calling Cape Town — a challenge to raise money for children in underprivileged communities to access high-quality education. It’s an extreme triathlon that takes you around, in, and on top of some of the most iconic landmarks and beautiful scenery Cape Town has to offer. It starts with an 8km swim from Robben Island, followed by the 109km Cape Town Cycle Tour, and finishes with the 3 Peaks Challenge: a 50km trail run with 3000m of elevation, summiting Devil’s Peak, Maclear’s Beacon, and Lion’s Head. Oh, and all of this is done within 24 hours.

Training and mindset:

Training for this event was… interesting, to say the least. As someone who very much despises swimming training, doing a minimum of 4km per session was a real effort. But that just made the running and cycling that much sweeter.

Total training time averaged between 12–17 hours per week (yes, basically a part-time job), split between the three disciplines, with strength training once or twice a week. On that note, a big takeaway when training for something like this is: do not neglect strength training. Lifting in the gym ensures your joints, tendons, and muscles are robust enough to handle the high impact of running and helps boost your power output on the bike.

There is a distinct mindset difference between training days and race day, which helped me manage potential injuries during training and push through difficult moments on race day.

Training day mindset: Follow the plan, but listen to your body.
Following the plan is crucial to ensure you’re ready for race day. “Not feeling like it” doesn’t cut it. There will be days when you’re tired or lacking motivation, but you just have to get it done.

The one exception: if I felt a niggle or a potential injury developing. In that case, I’d adjust or skip the session, because the risk of pushing through and getting properly injured far outweighs the benefit of one workout. Most of my niggles came from running (which makes sense — it’s the most taxing discipline). Luckily, cycling is far lower impact and becomes a saving grace when your legs aren’t holding up.

Substituting a run for a cycle or Wattbike session allows you to keep training your cardiovascular system effectively. I won’t lie though — I didn’t always substitute proportionally. Sometimes I’d replace an 8km easy run with a 100km cycle… it happens.

Race day mindset: I finish this race, or I die.
Yes, it sounds extreme — and a bit stupid — but it’s gotten me through many tough endurance moments. Let me explain (and please take this with a grain of salt).

It simplifies the decision-making process:

• Legs: “We’re sore, should we stop?” → “Are we dead? No. Carry on.”
• Mind: “I’m tired, should we stop?” → “Are we dead? No. Carry on.”
• Stomach… you get the point.

Technically, there’s only one answer — because if I were dead, I wouldn’t be able to respond. But I’d already made the diagram, so…

This mindset removes any option other than finishing. No intrusive thoughts about your comfortable bed, or amazing food waiting at home. No giving in to your legs begging you to stop. Just forward.

But again — grain of salt. Don’t push through heat exhaustion or dehydration. We don’t actually want to die.

 

Race Day – The swim and bike

I woke up at 2:30am to get ready and head to the Gardens Hotel, where a bus was waiting to take us to the boat club. It was surreal standing there in a wetsuit among a group of equally crazy people, about to head into the darkness.

Soon enough, we were on the boat, heading to Robben Island. Cold water sprayed across my face as we rode the waves, moving further away from the city lights. As we got closer to the island, the swell grew. At that point, I genuinely thought, there’s no way I’m jumping into that water.

Luckily (or unluckily), the conditions were deemed too dangerous. So the organisers moved us 3km closer and dropped us 5km from Big Bay instead.

The swim was, without a doubt, the worst part of the event for me. I touched jellyfish I thought were sharks. I touched other swimmers I thought were sharks. I’m pretty sure I touched my own leg and thought it was a shark. So you can imagine where my head was at.

 

After two hours in choppy saltwater, I finally got out — and the relief was unreal.

I started the Cycle Tour at around 8:45am. This leg was incredible. I had to consciously hold back, knowing what was coming next, which allowed me to really take in the scenery and the energy of the city. Seeing other Calling Cape Town athletes in their kit, cheering each other on, and having small chats along the way made it even more special. The weather was great, the support great, the gees… out of this world. It the grander scheme of this race, the 109km flew by.

 

 

Race Day – The Run

It never really sinks in that you still have to run 50km over three peaks after finishing the Argus. People kept asking what I was thinking — but honestly, I wasn’t. I just put on my running shoes, ate, filled my bottles, and went.

I started the run at around 2pm, right in the peak heat, heading up Devil’s Peak. Along the way, I caught up to another athlete, and we ended up doing most of the race together.

I don’t remember much of Devil’s Peak — just head down, one step at a time.

But Maclear’s Beacon… I remember that.

From Dead Man’s Tree, just before Platteklip Gorge, an untrained Maria joined us — and ended up running the next 30km with me. Absolute legend.

Running on Table Mountain in the dark, seeing a trail of lights winding up Lion’s Head from athletes ahead of us — it was unreal.

And then came the final peak: Lion’s Head. Supposedly the easiest.

Sitting back at the hotel at 11pm, knowing I had to go back out, was rough. I was exhausted. A fellow athlete overheard me complaining and gave me a pill (which I was told was caffeine — I’m about 90% sure it was).

Sorry for the language, but holy shit — I felt amazing.

I ran through the city, up towards Dead Man’s Tree, and got hit with a wave of emotion seeing my mom, Sebastian, Claire, and the volunteers — at 12:30am, no less.

Then reality hit.

That caffeine high disappeared fast. At the base of Lion’s Head, I was completely cooked. Even the light from headlamps started irritating my eyes, so we moved in the moonlight — or rather, crawled.

Every step felt like climbing a cliff. Anything that wasn’t flat was walked — and flat sections on a mountain are rare. What should’ve taken 2 hours took 4.

At 3am, in that state, your mind starts doing strange things. It’s like being between reality and a dream. I started seeing figures — people walking ahead, shapes forming and disappearing.

Until one didn’t.

I saw a small dark shape moving along the path. I blinked. Still there. Blinked again. Still there.

I asked Maria if she could see it too. She said yes.

Relief… and fear.

We stared long enough to realise: it was just a porcupine trotting down the road.

The end was near.

Support

Words won’t do justice to the appreciation I have for everyone who showed up.

Running up that brutally steep hill out of Deer Park and seeing friends, family, volunteers, and students cheering us on — with watermelon and peanut butter smoothies — was unforgettable.

That’s what makes these events special.

Even the people who weren’t there physically, but sent messages or donated — it all adds up. If you ever do something like this, build yourself a strong support crew.

Learning Experience

1. It’s not all about me
   I initially thought this was about proving something. But seeing the impact on the children we were supporting changed everything. This was bigger than any one person.
   
   
2. Support isn’t optional — it’s necessary
   I can’t imagine doing this without the people who backed me every step of the way.
   
   
3. You can do more than you think
   As race day approached, doubt crept in. But pushing beyond perceived limits unlocks something powerful. Try it — you’ll see.
   
   
4. You don’t need drugs — just do endurance sport.

Yes, it might be more expensive. Yes, it takes longer and is harder. But it builds a better, more resilient version of yourself.

And the bonus? People actually congratulate you for it :)

So if you’ve been waiting for a sign to do your first endurance event, whether it be a 10km or 100km, this is it!