The inaugural Ongolo Gravel 100 Mountain Bike Race will be held at Farm Vaalgras, situated 50km west of Windhoek in the scenic Khomas Hochland on Saturday, 9 August.
The race, which forms part of the Gravel & Dirt MTB Marathon Series, in partnership with Hollard Namibia, will start and finish at Farm Vaalgras and will feature three distances to cater for a range of fitness levels: 164km – a challenging route with 2000 metres of climbing; 84km – a moderately difficult course; and 44km – a shorter, more accessible option.
The 164km route will take riders through private farmlands, past Friedenau Dam, then westward along the C28 for 40km, before turning south towards the Us Pass, eventually looping back to Farm Vaalgras.
The 164km race starts at 07h00, the 84km race at 08h30, and the 44km race at 09h00, while the final cut-off time is at 16:00. The prize-giving ceremonies start at 14h00, while the 164km prize-giving ceremony is at 16h00.
Event organiser Johan Pretorius said that the Ongolo Gravel 100 was created as a preparatory race for the upcoming Khomas 100 and has been welcomed by Khomas 100 organiser Anri Parker. The event is expected to become a regular fixture on the Namibian cycling calendar.
The name Ongolo is derived from the Ovambo word for zebra, an animal commonly seen in the Khomas Hochland, Pretorius added.
The event is sponsored by Hollard Namibia, with additional support from Mannies Bike Mecca, Cymot, SCE Consulting Engineers, and Farm Vaalgras.
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