Cronje Beukes and Chloé Hopf won the 2026 Lions Karoo to Coast in muddy and cold conditions on Sunday, 27 September. Beukes, who hails from George, had twice finished in the top five before claiming the victory and following in the footsteps of his father Gerrie and uncle Matthys. Hopf’s victory, on the Knysna Sports [...]
The 25th edition of the Lions Karoo to Coast will take a slightly different route from Uniondale to Knysna, following the De Poort Pass to Avontuur rather than the Ou Wapad. Entries to the 2026 event, which takes place on Sunday 27 September, close on Monday, 7 September at 17:00. The updated route features [...]
May's devastating floods damaged Die Wapad, Die Poort, and Prince Alfred's Pass, but with an adaptation of the iconic route from Uniondale to Knysna, the 2026 Lions Karoo to Coast will still take place on Sunday 27 September. Rather than ascending Die Wapad out of Uniondale, the course will now follow the Die Poort pass [...]
Over the last decade, we at Diverge have covered around 25 events per year across MTB, Gravel, Road, and Trail Running. With that experience in hand, we'll be bringing you more insights in 2026. Some of it will be on the ground, on the job for the event, while we will be covering other races [...]
Having broken the course record in 2024, Tristan Nortje became the first rider to dip below the 3-hour mark at the Lions Karoo to Coast, as he bettered his own record en route to victory in the 26th edition, on Sunday, 21 September. He was joined atop the podium by fellow George local, Mellusca Toovey, [...]
Community is at the core of the Lions Karoo to Coast, from the individuals who volunteer to man registration tables and water points to the charitable beneficiaries of the race, and on to the young riders who have used it as a springboard to launch careers at the highest levels of cycling. The people of [...]
The Lions Karoo to Coast has been a mainstay of the South African mountain biking calendar since 1999. The historic route, which follows the country’s longest gravel pass from Uniondale to Knysna, has ensured that thousands of riders have taken part in each of the 25 editions to date. E-Mountain bikes and gravel bikes have [...]
Tristan Nortje soloed to victory in commanding fashion, breaking the 12-year-old course record by nearly 3 minutes at the 2024 Lions Karoo to Coast. Catherine Colyn was as dominant in the women’s race winning by 11 minutes and 42 seconds; on Sunday, 22 September. A year on from the event which was cancelled, due to [...]
The Lions Karoo to Coast will boast Cycling South Africa sanctioning for the first time in nearly a decade when it takes place on Sunday, 22 September 2024. This has led to a surge in the number of competitive riders taking part and the reestablishment of elite racing hostilities. In the women’s race Cherise Willeit [...]
The Lions Karoo to Coast will be a Cycling South Africa sanctioned event for the first time in nearly a decade when it takes place on Sunday, 22 September 2024. This will allow riders with racing licences to take part again and ensures that the local development riders are able to compete, on home turf, [...]
