South Africa's newest big-ticket gravel race returns for its second edition — seven days and 750km of Karoo gravel from Graaff-Reinet to a Big-5 finish at Shamwari, 25–31 October 2026.
The route, stage by stage
The Gravel Burn is a point-to-point traverse of the Great Karoo, South Africa's vast semi-arid interior, and the 2026 course keeps the format that made the first edition land: long transfers between remote Karoo dorpies, two-night 'Burn Camps', and a finish most stage races can't touch — a loop through Big-5 territory at Shamwari.
Stage 1 (90km, 1,450m) rolls out of Graaff-Reinet and climbs early toward the summit of Conical Peak before dropping through remote farmland to the first camp at Blaauwater. Stage 2 (111km) is a Blaauwater loop the organisers rate a highlight, threading the Sneeuberg Nature Reserve, the flanks of the Compassberg and the artists' village of Nieu-Bethesda. Stage 3 is the queen stage at 137km and 1,580m, tackling the Wapadsberg Pass and finishing with the iconic Swaershoek Pass summit above Merino.
Stage 4 is the shortest day — a punchy 61km Merino loop the organisers frame as tactically significant. Stage 5 (135km) runs fast and flat through semi-desert Karoo to Gwanishi, before Stage 6 (112km) transitions from open plains into bushveld with sharp rock and hidden riverbeds. Stage 7 (92km) is the Shamwari loop, moving through active wildlife territory to close out the week.
Nedbank Gravel Burn start — Graaff-Reinet
Gravel stage-race start
Elevation, difficulty & weather
At 8,500m of climbing across 750km, the Burn averages a manageable gradient on paper, but the difficulty is in the accumulation — seven back-to-back days on rough Karoo gravel, at altitude around the Sneeuberg, into notorious afternoon wind. The queen Stage 3 (1,580m) and the two loops either side of it are where the race is won or lost. The official route notes late-October conditions ranging from about 10°C at a ±5:30am sunrise to 29°C by mid-afternoon, with sunset near 6:40pm — a wide daily swing riders need to pack for.
Editorial recommendation — the organiser publishes no official tyre spec; this is BikeBuy's advice based on the terrain. Karoo gravel is fast but sharp, with embedded rock and the odd hidden riverbed on the eastern stages. For most riders a 45–50mm tubeless gravel tyre with a reinforced casing and plenty of sealant is the sweet spot between speed and puncture protection; save the file-tread 40s for those chasing the podium on the flatter Stage 5.
A quick history
The Gravel Burn launched in 2025 from the team behind the Absa Cape Epic — founder Kevin Vermaak's first new stage-race project since that MTB institution. The inaugural edition threw hail, heat and extreme wind at the field over seven days from the Western Cape into the Eastern Cape.
Frequently asked questions
When and where is the 2026 Nedbank Gravel Burn? +
25–31 October 2026, starting in Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape and finishing inside the Shamwari private game reserve after seven stages.
How long is it? +
750km with 8,500m of climbing across seven stages, ranging from a 61km loop (Stage 4) to a 137km queen stage (Stage 3).
Is it a solo or team race? +
It's a solo, full-service stage race with Pro and Age Group categories — a different format to the two-rider Cape Epic from the same organiser.
Who won the first edition? +
Matt Beers won the men's race and Axelle Dubau-Prevot the women's race at the inaugural 2025 event.
The bottom line: the Gravel Burn has quickly become the marquee gravel stage race on the African calendar — a genuinely world-class, full-service week in a landscape no other event can offer. For SA gravel riders eyeing a 2026 bucket-list target, the October window and Graaff-Reinet start make it the domestic race to build a season around.
