Entries for the 2027 Race Across South Africa — 2,000km self-supported, KZN to the Cape winelands — are officially sold out, with only a waitlist and a small reserved pool left.
Freedom Challenge's Race Across South Africa (RASA) follows the same self-navigated, unsupported ethos as the organisation's better-known winter classic, the Freedom Trail — just compressed into a single non-stop effort rather than a multi-stage tour. Riders leave The Oaks Hotel in Byrne, KZN, and have up to 15 days to reach Diemersfontein Wine Estate in Wellington, roughly 2,000km and an enormous amount of climbing later, navigating by GPS between three compulsory checkpoints. Everything in between — food, shelter, mechanicals — is on the rider.
That the 2027 edition has already sold out is a real signal for South African bikepacking: this is a race with no marked route, no aid stations beyond three checkpoints, and a five-figure entry fee, yet demand has outstripped the field cap well over eight months out. For riders who missed the window, the practical path in is the waitlist — organisers release any of the 25 reserved international/contender spots that go unclaimed before 10 December 2026.
Source: Freedom Challenge
Frequently asked questions
Can I still enter the 2027 Race Across South Africa? +
General entries are sold out. Freedom Challenge is running a waitlist, and any of the 25 spots reserved for international/serious contenders that go unclaimed will be released to the waitlist before 10 December 2026.
How is the route navigated? +
RASA is GPS-navigated with no marked course — riders self-navigate between three compulsory checkpoints that provide food and accommodation; everything else is self-supported.
Where does it start and finish? +
It starts at The Oaks Hotel in Byrne, KwaZulu-Natal, and finishes at Diemersfontein Wine Estate in Wellington, Western Cape.
