All set for 40th Nedbank Cycle Challenge 

It’s been 40 years since the Nedbank Cycle Challenge first took place as Namibia’s first-ever corporate cycling event.

This year, the historic race returns with a new format for cyclists, further emphasising its evolution from a modest gathering to a significant contributor to cycling development in Namibia.

The 2026 event will take place this coming Sunday, starting and finishing at the University of Namibia’s main campus.

Dubbed the ‘Greatest Ride Under the Sun’, the race has assumed road-cycling participation dominance for the past four decades.

Cyclists can compete in one of three races: the 100km, which starts at 07h00, the 60km, which starts at 07h30, and the 25km, which starts at 08h00.

The Nedbank Cycle Challenge introduced new event organisers, Lema Events, which is the same team responsible for organising the coveted Nedbank Desert Dash.

Mannie Heymans from Lema Events says: “As the new organisers of the Nedbank Cycle Challenge, we take great pride in continuing the legacy of Namibia’s most iconic race. Our focus this year is on elevation, not just of the terrain, but of the total rider experience.”

Heymans was the winner in the junior men’s category when the race first saw the light in 1986.

He says the organisers have designed fresh, challenging routes that showcase the best of the city’s landscape and test the competitive aspects of the race, while implementing enhanced safety and logistics to ensure every participant enjoys the competition from start to finish.

Riders will start at Unam Sport Field and cycle on the Dr Hage Geingob Freeway towards Hosea Kutako International Airport. They will make a U-turn at the Dordabis turnoff and head back to the city, before turning towards Kupferberg for 15km.

They will then make a U-turn back to finish the race at Unam Sport Field.

Online entries will close today via the Pay Today platform on events.today.com.na/events/9.

The cycling competition is open to everyone, from seasoned cyclists to fitness gurus, as well as those who want to ride for fun.

Late registration, race briefing, and changes to entries can be done on Saturday between 10h00 and 11h00 at Unam Sport Field at an extra fee of N$150.

This event will see the return of the popular Nedbank Kidz Challenge for the first time this decade, taking place on Saturday.

Children’s event organiser Charmain Shannon says they are targeting to register 100 children on the day, while registration will take place from 09h00 at the venue, with a route mapped around the Unam campus precincts.

“We want the children to have fun while cycling at an appropriate venue. We therefore call upon parents to bring their children as early as 09h00 for registration, with the races taking place between 11h00 and 12h00,” she says.

Nedbank Namibia chief operational officer JG van Graan says as money experts who do good, the Nedbank Cycle Challenge is more than just a race, it is a platform for nurturing Namibian talent.

“We have seen incredible athletes like Dan Craven, Costa Seibeb, Vera Looser and Alex Miller dominating these local routes before taking the Namibian flag to the world stage, with a number of them creating excellent national pride for our country at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games.

“At Nedbank, we aren’t just sponsoring a sporting event, we are investing in a pipeline of excellence that proves Namibian cyclists can compete with the very best globally.”

Van Graan says the Nedbank Cycle Challenge is a celebration of harmony which supports eco-friendly mobility while promoting a competitive spirit.

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