Bikes, hills and heat: Witfontein Enduro 2026

SPORT NEWS - The 7th annual Witfontein Enduro delivered a memorable day of racing in George last Sunday, 15 March.

Hosted in the Outeniqua Mountains as round 2 of the SA Enduro Cup, the event featured a 32km route with 1300m of climbing across six stages.

A standout addition this year was the Powervan train shuttle, transporting riders high into the mountains to access the formidable Old Craddock Pass.

Congratulations went to the top performers: Keira Duncan won the men's race ahead of Matt Lombardi and Jason Boulle, while Frankie du Toit claimed victory in the women's race, followed by Arielle Behr and Leah Mitchell. Many of these riders will represent South Africa on the Enduro World Cup circuit in Europe.

Hike-a-bike

Craddock Pass challenged both bikes and riders, as hike-a-bike sections and the relentless heat seeing less than 80% of the field completing the course.

Roxy Baynes. Photo: Hugo du Plessis (Dronemaster SA)

Relief came via the Hillbillies' water tables, while the local mountain biking community played a key role in trail building and preparation, helping cement the event as one of the country's premier enduro races.

CapeNature and CTC also contributed by granting access to trails and preserving them amid forestry operations.

Frontier Medix managed race inci-dents professionally, ensuring rider safety, while major sponsors, including Ruwacon Construction, Leatt MTB Apparel, Ride Life Bike Shop, Giant Bicycles ZA, G2G Pro Importers and Ace Auto Parts, helped make the event possible and contributed to the prize purse.

Thanks went to the Barrett family for hosting the event in George, and to the many volunteers whose dedication ensured a smooth-running race.

Capetonians Kai van Rensburg (13) and his mum, Nina. Photo: Michelle Pienaar

Troy Cole Photo: Hugo du Plessis (Dronemaster SA)

Louw Sevenster from Gqeberha waits to load his bike. Photo: Michelle Pienaar

Lian de Jager Photo: Hugo du Plessis (Dronemaster SA)

Benjamin Brodrick (16, George) and a group of cyclists from Stellenbosch: JD Conradie (14), Ruben Visser (15), Schalk van Niekerk (14) and Lucien le Roux (15). Photo: Michelle Pienaar

Women’s winner Frankie du Toit (middle), Arielle Behr (2nd), Leah Mitchell (3rd) and Aimee Glisson (left, 5th). Photo: Hugo du Plessis (Dronemaster SA)

Men’s winner Keira Duncan (middle), Matt Lombardi (2nd), Jason Boulle (3rd), Luke Dinkel (4th), Justin Deyzel (5th). Photo: Hugo du Plessis (Dronemaster SA)