Kalahari Desert Kalahari Desert The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savanna in Southern Africa extending for , covering much of Botswana, parts of Namibia and regions of South Africa. "Kalahari" is derived from the Tswana word "Kgala", meaning "the great thirst", or "Kgalagadi", meaning "a waterless place"; the Kalahari has vast areas covered by red sand without any permanent surface water. Drainage of the desert is by dry valleys, seasonally inundated pans and the large salt pans of the Makgadikgadi Pan in Botswana and Etosha Pan in Namibia. The only permanent river, the Okavango, flows into a delta in the
Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon of 40 °C in the summer months and dropping to below 5 °C at night during the winter, presents a daunting challenge to the extreme athlete and determined adventurer alike. Known as the 'Big Daddy' in the South African running circles, the Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon is event organised by Extreme Marathons, and has its place on the International Calendar of similar trail events. Participants run in the footsteps of the ancient Bushmen, through the fertile vineyards of the Orange River Valley (not in 2015), across rocky outcrops and into the desolate Great Kalahari Desert. Although the event is advertised