The 2026 Trans Baviaans followed the alternative Langs Baviaans course, along the north-eastern slopes of the Baviaanskloof Mountains, on Saturday 8 August. With the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve closed due to flood damage, the 2011 route was revisited for just the second time in the race’s 22-edition history. Still measuring 230 kilometres in length, but with [...]
Trans Baviaans was founded in 2004 as a one-shot ride from Willowmore, in the Karoo, to Jeffrey’s Bay on the Indian Ocean. The finish has changed a few times over the years; initially, the race ended at Kabeljous, at the eastern edge of town, then it moved to the Fountains Mall, and finally to the [...]
Mother Nature is full of surprises, but mountain bikers are resilient too. The flooding that ravaged the Baviaanskloof region in May has affected but not prevented the 2026 edition of the Trans Baviaans from taking place. For just the second time in the race’s 22-year history, the route will be diverted to the Langs Baviaans [...]
For over two decades, the Trans Baviaans has presented ultra-endurance fanatics with one of the most rewarding challenges in South African mountain biking. Traversing the largest wilderness area in South Africa, the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve and the greater conservation areas of the Kouga and Baviaans Mountain Ranges, the 24-hour race is unique for many reasons. [...]
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 [...]
In Episode 12 of Season 2, the Diverge Podcast is back after an extended winter break. The mountain biking action has continued through the depths of winter, with the Ford Trailseeker series. On the 1st of August, the racing truly resumed in earnest, though with the Glacier Storms River Traverse, followed by the [...]
Having shattered the course record in 2024 by over 20 minutes, Arno du Toit and Keagan Bontekoning shaved a further 3 minutes and 44 seconds off last year’s time to cross the finish line in 7 hours, 25 minutes, and 21 seconds on Saturday, 9 August 2025. The Insect Science team was pushed hard through [...]
Last year, Insect Science’s Arno du Toit and Keagan Bontekoning crushed the long-standing Trans Baviaans course record. They reset the mark by 22 minutes to post the new benchmark of 7 hours, 29 minutes, and 5 seconds. On Saturday, 9 August 2025, they will have another go at bettering their time as they line up [...]
I hadn’t ridden a Trans Baviaans since 2018 – I think. It might have been 2019, but I’m not really sure. After a few years have elapsed it doesn’t really make that much difference. As long as its far enough back in your memory to forget how much you suffered going up MAC it’s time [...]
Arno du Toit and Keagan Bontekoning proved that mountain bikes are faster, even in near ideal conditions, than gravel bikes by smashing the Trans Baviaans course record and holding off the drop-bar charge of Rossouw Bekker and Matthys Beukes. The Insect Science team set a new record time of 7 hours, 29 minutes, and 5 [...]
