Opportunities to do a mountain bike race in a Big Five National Park are extremely rare. That’s why the Marakele MTB Challenge on Saturday 24 May is capturing the attention of mountain bikers with adventurous spirits. Here are the full details of this unique event.
Paid partnership with Marakele MTB Challenge
Most South Africans already know why Rhino, Elephant, Leopard, Lion and Buffalo are grouped together and highly respected. Just seeing them in the wild evokes a sense of awe and excitement. That’s why a mountain bike race in the Marakele National Park has an added sense of thrill.
The Marakele MTB Challenge on 24 May 2025 has four distance options to choose from:
- 70km with 344m of ascent
- 40km with 220m of ascent
- 20km with 71m of ascent
- 10km with 36m of ascent
There are well-stocked water points on the race routes, which primarily use the National Park gravel roads and game paths, making it a relatively non-technical route and possible for all levels of mountain biker to complete. The 10km and 20km events are ideal for beginners and under-18s. eBikes are welcome but won’t be eligible for any prize money.
Expect multiple wildlife encounters with a range of antelope, zebra, giraffe and possibly even some of the Big Five.
Field Rangers are deployed along the routes within the National Park to ensure the safety of the cyclists. Before the start of the race, a helicopter is also deployed to fly over and scan the route from above.
The Marakele MTB Challenge is organised and hosted by the SANParks Honorary Rangers in support of SANParks. This is the second edition of the Marakele MTB Challenge. Last year, the finisher’s medal was a Leopard. This year, the finisher’s medal will feature a Lion.
Marakele National Park is located 12km from Thabazimbi in the Limpopo Province. Thabazimbi is a three-hour drive from Johannesburg and a bit shorter from Pretoria. It is within the UNESCO Waterberg Biosphere Reserve, which is designated for conservation and eco-tourism.
From an accommodation perspective, there are tented camps and camp sites within Marakele National Park as well as surrounding areas and in the town of Thabazimbi too. For accommodation in the National Park, contact Janine via email: marakelemtb@sanparksvolunteers.org
Find out more about Marakele National Park here.
To enter the Marakele MTB Challenge, click here.
The SANParks Honorary Rangers would like to give recognition to the following event partners for their contributions: CT Hydraulics; Deye Service South Africa; Honingcraft; Trollope Mining Service 2000; Phakisa Holdings; Enduro Engineering; Super Hardchrome; Victor Soap Industries; Innovative Sealing Concepts; Huyser Industries; Sai Deepa Africa; Raytoko Electrical & Mechanical; Micron Technologies; Oasis Water; Jim Green Footwear; Squirt, African Wild Spice; WAN4U and Xponent.
