GEORGE NEWS - Simola Hillclimb is officially the world’s fastest hillclimb, with a record of 34.161 seconds at an average speed of 200.228 km/h from a standing start!
Year-long planning, coordination and logistics ensure the Simola Hillclimb remains South Africa’s premier motoring and motorsport lifestyle event, and one of the top hillclimbs in the world.
In 2025, the event drew a record 20 224 spectators, while the livestream reached 546 000 viewers across 120 countries, clocking over 5.7 million minutes watched.
The 16th Simola Hillclimb will take place in Knysna from 30 April to 3 May 2026.
Since its first edition in 2009, the Simola Hillclimb has grown from a local motorsport event into a global spectacle.
Its mission has always been clear: attract visitors to the Garden Route town of Knysna to enjoy a unique mix of motorsport, entertainment and natural beauty, while boosting the local economy and supporting the community.
Over 15 editions, the event has become South Africa’s premier annual motoring and motorsport lifestyle experience.
Its international draw comes from world-class drivers, fierce competition, and a remarkable lineup of cars, from classic models to wild race machines. Being known as the world’s fastest hillclimb has cemented its reputation as one of the top hillclimbs globally.
Although the event takes place over a single weekend each May, preparing for it is a year-long operation, involving meticulous planning, coordination, and complex logistics to transform a public road into a 1.9 km adrenaline-fuelled motorsport arena.
Facts and figures
World’s fastest hillclimb: Current record: 34.161 seconds, 200.228 km/h average speed, set in 2022 by Andre Bezuidenhout in a Gould GR55.
Comparable benchmark: 1.9 km Goodwood Festival of Speed, average 175 km/h in 2022, Max Chilton in McMurtry Spéirling.
Event planning starts immediately after each year’s event with a comprehensive debrief.
Regular meetings with Motorsport South Africa (MSA), local authorities, emergency personnel, suppliers, partners, and sponsors ensure a smooth, world-class event.
Event Build-Up
Planning for the Simola Hillclimb begins months in advance, with key updates and adjustments starting around October the year before the event.
On-site preparations and construction begin more than two months before the hillclimb, transforming a normally quiet public road and the grounds of the Simola Hotel Country Club and Spa into a world-class motorsport arena.
In 2025, this involved installing 67 FIA-specification concrete barriers with catch fencing, each bolted together using specially developed steel plates, bolts, washers and nuts. Over 7 000 used car tyres were bound together with 1.4 km of stainless-steel strapping and buckles to meet stringent FIA and Motorsport South Africa (MSA) safety standards, serving as additional protection at various points around the track.
The organisers also placed 41 MSA-approved apex markers into the tar to clearly demarcate track limits and installed 2.73 km of additional speed and safety fencing to ensure spectator safety. Grandstands and decks covering 2 153 m² were erected, providing 500 seats at the Turn 2 Grandstand and 300 seats at The Esses Grandstand, while 43 marquees spanning 2 587 m² were set up for the Pit Lane and VIP hospitality areas.
The pit area accommodated 22 pits for up to 84 competitor vehicles, with additional marquees for demonstration and track-experience vehicles.
Thirteen containers were rented for offices, timing, livestream production, storage, catering and refrigeration.
This extensive and meticulous preparation ensures that the Simola Hillclimb is not only a safe and thrilling motorsport event, but also an immersive experience for competitors, spectators, partners, and sponsors alike.
The Simola Hillclimb is more than a motorsport event — it’s an unmatched celebration of speed, skill, and automotive culture, firmly putting Knysna on the international motorsport map.
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