Trans Baviaans 24hr MTB Marathon, live.

Willowmore to Jeffreys Bay through a day and a night

The Trans Baviaans is a 230 km single stage mountain bike race for teams, from the Karoo town of Willowmore through the Baviaanskloof to Jeffreys Bay on the Eastern Cape coast.

The next race is on Saturday 14 August 2027. The event has grown since 2004 and the organiser calls it the toughest, most rewarding mountain bike race in the country. It is ridden in teams, the field is limited to 500 teams, and riders who finish within the 24 hour limit receive a medal.

The traditional route starts at about 700 m in Willowmore, climbs to the top of the Nuwekloofpas and then drops and climbs again through the Baviaanskloof, with river crossings, the steep climb called Fangs, the Mother of all Climbs and the Big Dipper descent into the Cambria Valley. The Neverender and the Mini Mac come late in the race, before the finish at Mentors Country Estate in Jeffreys Bay. The route page gives 2,840 m of climbing. After floods in 2026 the race used the Langs Baviaans route, still 230 km, so check the organiser's route page for 2027.

This is a race for experienced, self reliant mountain bikers who can ride through the night. The traditional route is not marked and needs map reading and basic navigation. The Baviaanskloof is part of the Cape Floral Region World Heritage Site and home to buffalo, and riders are asked to stay alert and together in the wilderness area. Five finishes within the time limit earn a handmade shield.

Willowmore hosts registration, the race expo, the briefings and the traditional pasta meal on the Friday. Teams with an official supporter package can meet their riders at checkpoint 5, and the finish venue in Jeffreys Bay has a bar, a chill zone with fires and hot showers. Prize giving is on the Sunday morning.

On Livebib you can follow a cyclist who chooses to share their own live position from the phone they carry. This is not the organiser's timing, and the official results come from the organiser.