3-Beaches Swim Challenge (Nelson Mandela Bay)

Hopping across the beaches along the Port Elizabeth waterfront, swimmers tackle a multi-stage challenge that traces the shoreline of Nelson Mandela Bay. The 3-Beaches Swim Challenge brings open water swimming and running together in the sea off the Eastern Cape coast of South Africa. Established in 2012, the event transforms this urban coastline into an active swim-run course connecting several prominent beaches. Across four distinct stages along the beachfront, competitors alternate between pushing through ocean water and crossing the sand on foot. The competition sets off from Something Good Roadhouse at Pollok Beach, where entrants enter the ocean for the opening swimming stage. Swimmers must navigate a 1.6-kilometre stretch through the sea from Something Good Roadhouse to Hobie Beach.

Sighting the shoreline markers and swimming in open water demands steady rhythm and focus. At Hobie Beach, athletes exit the water to make their first transition on the sand before plunging back into the sea. The second stage covers an 800-metre swim linking Hobie Beach to Humewood Beach. Reaching Humewood Beach requires another rapid exit from the water to negotiate the transition point on the beachfront. Athletes then head back into the ocean for the third swimming leg, an 1.1-kilometre traverse from Humewood Beach to Kings Beach. Across these three open-water segments, participants cover a cumulative total of 3,500 metres in the sea. Once emerging onto the sand at Kings Beach, the final test begins: a 3-kilometre run back along the shore to the finish at Something Good Roadhouse.

Organized by Zsports Events SA, the race offers flexible entry options for different athletic goals. Competitors can enter as solo athletes in the Individual category, or join forces in a Duo Team featuring one swimmer and one runner. There is also a Quad Team division structured for three swimmers and one runner.

Pollok, Hobie, Humewood and Kings Beach: rocks, buoys and the run home

On the 1.6 km first leg from Pollok Beach to Hobie Beach, swimmers go around all the rocks and around the marker buoy off Pollok. On the 0.8 km second leg from Hobie Beach to Humewood Beach, swimmers go around the pier and the 6-pack. On the third leg, swimmers round the marker buoy directly off the Kings Beach Lifesaving Club before coming onto the beach. The 3 km run back from Kings Beach follows the beach to MacArthur Baths and then the public footpath all the way to Something Good Roadhouse. Kings Beach, between the harbour and Humewood, has kiosks, restaurants, mini golf and a go-kart track, and boat trips and deep-sea fishing trawlers leave from it. The water at the swimming beaches of Port Elizabeth is warm, peaking at 23 degrees Celsius in summer and around 16 degrees in winter.

Cape Recife and the warm Agulhas Current marine ecosystem

Near the coastal reaches of the bay, the warm Agulhas Current flows past Cape Recife. The cape takes its name from the Portuguese word for reef, referring to the many ships that stranded along it. A historic lighthouse was constructed at the site in 1849. In 1973, authorities established the Cape Recife Nature Reserve, which encompasses 366 hectares of preserved coastal environment. About 12 kilometres from the race area, the coastal environment extends into the Sardinia Bay Marine Protected Area. This marine sanctuary spans 7 kilometres in length, extends one nautical mile offshore, and covers 12.91 square kilometres of ocean. Located within the warm temperate Agulhas inshore marine bioregion, the coastline consists of both rocky and sandy tidal and subtidal zones. Sandstone and other sedimentary rocks shape the underwater topography, creating high-profile structures and rugged crevices across the seabed. Within these subtidal zones, dense kelp forests made up of Sea bamboo and Split-fan kelp thrive in the sea.

The historic Baakens River mouth at Algoa Bay

The local marine area is fed by freshwater systems such as the Baakens River, which flows for 23 kilometres from its catchment area to its mouth in Algoa Bay. Prior to 1690, indigenous Khoekhoe inhabitants referred to the river as Kragga Kamma, a name meaning rocky creek. Near the estuary where the river reaches the bay, the stream passes through a gorge located south of the hill where Fort Frederick stands. In 1752, August Frederik Beutler placed an official beacon at the estuary on behalf of the VOC. The lower reaches of the river saw substantial physical modifications as modern infrastructure developed. The final 2 kilometres of the Baakens River were canalized, and the original coastal lagoon was filled in. Despite these engineering works, the Baakens Valley has repeatedly experienced severe natural flooding throughout its recorded history. Major flood events impacted the valley in the years 1867, 1897, 1908, 1968, 1981, and 2006.

The Swartkops River estuary and the Redhouse wetlands

Further along the coastline, the Swartkops River flows into the Indian Ocean at Algoa Bay. About 15 kilometres from the race area, the village of Redhouse is located on the banks of the Zwartkops River. During the summer, this wetland area hosts over 10,000 water birds. These protected tidal expanses complete the rich coastal landscape that frames the open water races of the bay.