A bunch of riders splashing across a stone weir below rocky Karoo outcrops

Edition #3 · 25–30 October 2027

-- days -- h -- min -- s

Pure South African gravel

From a historic Karoo town, traversing vast semi-desert terrain, finishing in Big 5 country, we stay each night in remote Burn Camps, connecting with old and new friends under bright starry skies.

6daysof frontier gravel stage racing
700kmof pure African gravel
8,000mof climbing
4Burn Campswith legendary Karoo hospitality

Who to watch in 2026

Full Start List

Film

This is the Nedbank Gravel Burn

Must watch

Across the Great Karoo

Riders take on challenging mountain passes, unpredictable conditions and mixed road surfaces, and are rewarded with uniquely beautiful and contrasting scenery as the race reaches its conclusion at Shamwari.

This is the approximate route for 2027, and its distances, climbing, start times and maximum stage times are approximate too. We’ll announce changes during 2027 as we refine it, based on what we learned in 2026.

Four riders climb a dusty gravel road through green Karoo scrub

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Explore the route

Six stages from Robert Sobukwe Town / Graaff-Reinet across the Great Karoo to Big 5 country at Shamwari Private Game Reserve, with four Burn Camps along the way:

Blaauwater 2 nights
Merino 2 nights
Gwanishi 1 night
Shamwari 1 night

Burn Camp
Race route
Padstal
Summit
PCToyota Power Climber
KMRed Bull KM
Technical descent
River crossing
Railway crossing
Finish
Paved
Gravel
Liaison

See the full route

The Experience

Karoo days
Burn Camp nights

Something special happens when the stars come out over the Karoo and Burn Camp life ignites – rivals become friends and new connections are made in a full immersion into legendary Karoo hospitality, culture, flavours and aromas and its hidden secrets.

Large comfortable tent and camp bed
Stay in an intimate camp circle: your Lapa
Sumptuous Karoo-inspired camp cuisine (all meals)
Complimentary barista coffee, beer and wine
Full logistics support, including luggage
Tech zone: bike maintenance and washing
Fully equipped Mediclinic field hospital
Complimentary recovery technology

Burn Camp Experience

A rider raises an arm at the stage finish beside the Nedbank Gravel Burn windmill — Iconic Karoo windmill marks the daily finish line

Bike wash crew cleaning riders’ bikes in the Burn Camp — Expert bike wash and service

Smiling Padstal crew behind trays of fruit, sweets, boiled potatoes and AMACX energy bars — Nutrition & tech support at Padstals (service stations) along the route

A rider relaxing in a camping chair outside his tent — Your own tent, big enough to stand in

Riders recovering in Hyperice compression boots — Daily Hyperice recovery technology

A Vida e Caffè coffee in the Burn Camp — Barista coffee at first light

Riders raising glasses of Meerendal wine in the Burn Camp — Complimentary beer & wine, and friends!

A Burn Camp from above at dusk: circles of tents around their fires — Purpose-built, remote Burn Camps

The lit stretch-tent bomas of a Burn Camp at nightfall — Dining Bomas glow with life as night falls

Riders serving themselves from the buffet in camp — Karoo-inspired sumptuous food

Riders around the fire in a Burn Camp Lapa at night — The Lapa: 35 riders around each fire

A Camp Master in a leather apron lighting the Lapa fire — Friendly Camp Masters host riders in each Lapa

Fire dancers spinning flaming hoops at night — The Burn Celebration finishers’ party

The race

A frontier pro-am gravel stage race

Gravel lovers of every level ride the same route as Olympic and world champions, and everyone sleeps in the same Burn Camps. Race for a result, or ride for the adventure.

Categories, jerseys and prize money

Prize money: USD 155,000 prize purse, split equally between women and men
Jerseys: Daily leader's jerseys, Toyota Power Climber and Elixirr Challenger jerseys, awarded in the Pro and amateur Age Group categories
Adaptive: Handcycle category for disabled athletes
Teams: A race within the race for Pro teams

Start List

Night Burn · Fired up by Red Bull

A high-speed chase after dark

Qualify in the Red Bull KM on Stage 4, then race under the stars on the penultimate night, with bonfires, DJs and the whole Burn Camp watching, while "The Fox" hunts you down. In 2025 the Fox was Tom Pidcock and in 2026 Henrique Avancini; the 2027 Fox will be announced before the race.

How the Night Burn works

A rider stops in the grassland to film a herd of zebras on his phone

Stage 6 · Into Big 5 country

Because some views are worth stopping for

Racing through game country, all the way into Shamwari

Matt Beers racing on Karoo gravel — **Matt Beers**Winner, Nedbank Gravel Burn 2025 and 20264× Cape Epic winner

The Pro champions light the closing fire with their Fire Starter trophies

Trophies & medals

Auspiciously African trophies

The champions light the closing fire at the Burn Celebration with their Fire Starters: handmade from titanium, brass, indigenous Karoo olienhout and ostrich leather, bound together by a 42 g gold ring.

Trophies and medals

Stories

All stories

Race reports

31 October 2026

Beers and Laing Conquer the Great Karoo, Drechou and Skarda own the day

With Stage 7 coming to a close, Matthew Beers and Nele Laing emerge victorious

Race reports

30 October 2026

Easter Breaks Through, Eklund Wins After Sprint Drama and GC comes down to the final day.

Griffin Easter and Nathalie Eklund come first in Stage 6, leading General Classification results to be neck-and-neck and settled in Stage 7.

Race reports

29 October 2026

Two in a row for Stedman, Preen Strikes Again with GC expected to come down to the wire.

Travis Stedman wins twice in a row, claiming Stage 5; while Hayley Preen sneaks in a win.

Founder

Kevin Vermaak

In 2004, Kevin founded the Cape Epic and built it into the race known as the Tour de France of mountain biking. After selling it, he took a two-year sabbatical, and gravel bike expeditions in the Swiss Alps sparked his next venture: Nedbank Gravel Burn, created with the team behind the Cape Epic.

Read Kevin's blog Meet the team