Around the Pot returns to Swellendam on Saturday 1 August 2026 — a fast, non-technical Overberg gravel loop out toward the Potberg, with a 160 km 100-Miler and a 102 km 60-Miler starting and finishing at the Showgrounds.
Around the Pot 2026 at a glance
Source: aroundthepot.co.za
The route: an anti-clockwise loop toward the Potberg
“The Pot” is the Potberg, the mountain that anchors the eastern Overberg — and the race is essentially a big anti-clockwise loop out toward it and back. Riders roll out of the Swellendam Showgrounds on a few kilometres of tarmac before the timing mat at roughly 9 km turns the day to gravel.
From there the 100-Miler runs on fast, good-quality farm gravel through the rolling foothills, tracking toward a hazy Potberg on the horizon. The route drops down to Malgas and crosses the Breede River on the historic hand-drawn Malgas pont (a neutralised section), skirts the Bontebok National Park, then faces a hard grind home over the final ~60 km back to Swellendam. The 60-Miler shares the same character on a shorter loop. Full details are on our Around the Pot race page.
Start & finish: Swellendam Showgrounds
Swellendam Showgrounds
Race HQ — start, finish & registration
Swellendam, Western Cape
Elevation & difficulty
Water points & the Ouplaas neutral zone
The 100-Miler has six water points; the 60-Miler has three. All carry water, energy drink and food, and every rider passes through a compulsory 30-minute neutral zone at Ouplaas, where a hot meal is served and team support vehicles are allowed to meet riders.
100-Miler water points (160 km)
- 31 kmWP1 — Tarentaal
- 52 kmWP2 — Vryheid
- 79 kmWP3 — Sans Souci
- 96 kmWP4 — Ouplaas
30-minute neutral zone, hot meal and team support-vehicle meeting point. 100-Miler cut-off here is 14h00.
- 120 kmWP5 — Melkhoutfarm
- 147 kmWP6 — Finish
Timing mat; the short tarmac run-in is un-timed.
Tyres & setup
Weather: dress for late-winter Overberg
Around the Pot 2026 FAQ
When and where is Around the Pot 2026? +
Saturday 1 August 2026, starting and finishing at the Swellendam Showgrounds in the Western Cape.
What distances are on offer? +
A 160 km 100-Miler (07h30 start) and a 102 km 60-Miler (08h00 start).
How much does it cost to enter? +
Solo entries are R1,450 for the 100-Miler and R950 for the 60-Miler, through Entry Ninja. The field is capped at 2,000 riders.
How much climbing is there? +
There is no official figure for 2026; independent route guides put the 160 km 100-Miler at roughly 1,900–2,350 m of climbing. The terrain is rolling and non-technical rather than steep.
What bike and tyres should I ride? +
A gravel bike on 40–45 mm tubeless tyres is ideal for the fast, non-technical farm gravel. This is BikeBuy editorial advice — the organiser publishes no official tyre spec.
Where are the water points? +
The 100-Miler has six (Tarentaal 31 km, Vryheid 52 km, Sans Souci 79 km, Ouplaas 96 km, Melkhoutfarm 120 km, Finish 147 km); the 60-Miler has three. All riders pass a compulsory 30-minute neutral zone with a hot meal at Ouplaas.
What are the cut-off times? +
100-Miler: 14h00 at Ouplaas (96 km) and 18h00 at the finish. 60-Miler: 16h00 at the finish.
Around the Pot is one of the Western Cape’s marquee gravel days: a long, fast, non-technical loop through classic Overberg farmland with proper support, a hot-meal neutral zone and a hard-earned finish back at the Showgrounds. It rewards steady endurance riding over technical skill — get your fuelling and tyre choice right, dress for a cold, potentially wet start, and it’s a superb winter goal.
