Clinton Mackintosh

Captain of the highly successful & world-renowned Cyanosis Adventure Racing Team. Clinton Mackintosh is regarded as one of South Africa’s toughest and most successful multisport athletes. With 7 AR World Championships under his belt he has successfully guided Cyanosis Adventure Racing Team to #6 in the AR World Rankings and continues to represent South Africa’s Cyanosis AR Team in the Adventure Racing World Series (ARWS)  around the world for over 20 years already with no signs of letting up.

Adventure Racing or Expedition Racing is a multidisciplinary mixed team sport involving manual (map and compass) navigation over an unmarked wilderness nonstop covering approximately 400 to 800km, some expedition length races can take teams up to 5/8 days to complete with very sleep. The main disciplines in adventure racing include trekking, mountain biking, and paddling although some races can incorporate a multitude of other disciplines that test human ability including climbing, abseiling, horse riding, skiing, and white water rafting. There is typically no suspension of the clock during races, irrespective of length; elapsed competition time runs concurrently with real-time, and competitors must choose if or when to rest and sleep. Typically teams race for 36+ hours with little to no sleep before they need to rest to minimize a sacrifice of performance and the ability to make sound decisions.

What are some of your most memorable achievements?

1st SA Team to win AR World Series Race outside of South Africa (Paraguay)
110 Adventure Races (Local and Internationally)
7 Adventure Racing World Championships
Multiple Wins locally and Internationally (Adventure Racing World Series)
Highest World Ranking 6th
8 Cape Epic Finishes

What are the ambitions that you are working towards?

I am driven by an immense desire to test my mental and physical limits in all aspects of life.

What are some of your top tips?

Never underestimate the importance of all the little things because they make up the BIG things in life. One of the very best things about being in a team sport is when you think you are done and have nothing left to give, your team can show you just how wrong you are and how much more beyond your own perceived limits you are truly capable of going.