Ongolo presents a big 100-mile test
Mountain biking
Saturday will be a preparatory race for the upcoming Khomas100.
The Gravel & Dirt MTB Marathon Series, in partnership with Hollard Namibia, is proud to announce the inaugural Ongolo Gravel 100 mountain bike race, powered by Hollard. The event will take place on Saturday 9 August at Farm Vaalgras, situated 50 km west of Windhoek in the scenic Khomas Hochland.
The race will start and finish at Farm Vaalgras and will feature three distances to cater to a range of fitness levels:
• 164 km – A challenging route with 2,000 metres of climbing
• 84 km – A moderately difficult course
• 44 km – A shorter, more accessible option
The 164 km route will take riders through private farmlands, past Friedenau Dam, then westward along the C28 for 40 km, before turning south towards the Us Pass, eventually looping back to Farm Vaalgras.
Start times are 07:00 for the 164 km riders, 08:30 for the 84 km entrants and 09:00 for those taking on 44 km. The final cut-off time: 16:00
Prize-giving ceremonies are at 14:00, 15:00 and for the 164 km distance at 16:00.
Event organiser Johan Pretorius shared that the Ongolo Gravel 100 was created as a preparatory race for the upcoming Khomas100, and has been welcomed by Khomas 100 organiser Anri Parker. The event is expected to become a regular fixture on the Namibian cycling calendar.
The name Ongolo is derived from the Ovambo word for "zebra", an animal commonly seen in the Khomas Hochland, Pretorius added.
The event is proudly sponsored by Hollard Namibia, with additional support from Mannie’s Bike Mecca, Cymot, SCE Consulting Engineers, and Farm Vaalgras.
Entries are open at www.raceday.events/