South Africa Africa

Ride Joburg Cycling Race 2026 Guide

By Oliver Mason · October 24, 2026 · 7 min read

The Nelson Mandela Bridge in Johannesburg lit in green, pink and blue at night with the city skyline behind — Photo: South African Tourism / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

SOUTH AFRICA · SPORT GUIDE

Key Facts

—Date Sunday, 22 November 2026, a road race marketed as 97 km on closed Johannesburg roads.
—Finish Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, Midrand, near Johannesburg, South Africa.
—Start times Waves start from 06:26 local, which is 23:26 US Eastern on Saturday, 21 November.
—Entry Howler lists ZAR 810 (about US$49), but the organiser’s site says entries have closed.
—Registration Race packs Tuesday, 17 to Friday, 20 November; mini expo Saturday, 21 November at Kyalami.
—Watch in the US No US broadcast has been announced, and 2026 live tracking is unconfirmed.
—What it means for you Entry status is unclear, so confirm it with the Race Office before you book flights.

South Africa’s biggest city closes its main roads for a mass cycling race on Sunday, 22 November. Here is what visitors from the US need for entry, times and travel.

In Plain English

Ride Joburg: a road cycling race through Johannesburg; the 2026 main race is about 97 km long.
Seeding: placing riders into start groups by their past race results, so faster riders start first.
Faces timing board: the compulsory number board on the bike that carries the timing chip.
Kyalami: a motor-racing circuit in Midrand, between Johannesburg and Pretoria, where the race finishes.

South Africa’s biggest city closes its main roads on Sunday, 22 November 2026, for the Ride Joburg cycling race. The organisers’ site description says 20,000 to 30,000 riders finish the course each year.

The Howler ticket page lists an individual road entry at ZAR 810 (about US$49), but the organisers’ site says entries have closed. Start waves, registration dates and the finish at Kyalami are published, while booking fees are not.

What Ride Joburg Is

Ride Joburg is a mass-participation road cycling race through the streets of Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city. The 2026 road race covers about 97 km, and the route page lists 1,398 metres (about 4,600 feet) of climbing.

The organisers describe it as the world’s second-largest timed cycle race, after the Cape Argus in Cape Town. That is the organisers’ own claim, and it has not been checked independently.

The organisers also run a 35 km Short Ride, and their pages mention mountain bike and kids races. This guide covers only the 97 km road race.

The City of Johannesburg hosts the event, and Howler lists Faces Ride Joburg as the organiser. Fidelity is named as the 2026 safety partner.

Aerial view of central Johannesburg with tall office towers, a rail yard and low buildings under a cloudy sky — Central Johannesburg from the air, photographed in November 2017. The Ride Joburg route is listed as running through the city, with the finish at Kyalami. Photo: Mark Hillary / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

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The Route and the Rules

The route crosses the M1 highway and the Nelson Mandela Bridge and ends at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in Midrand. The road page calls the race 97 km but lists 96.1 km, while the site’s description says 94.7 km.

The route page lists eight water points along the course. The ticket page says roads are fully closed for the race.

Individual riders must be 15 or older on race day. A child on a tandem with an adult must be at least 9.

Only pedal-assist e-bikes are allowed. Riders must choose the e-bike category when they enter, or they risk disqualification.

A Faces timing board is compulsory and can be bought with the entry. It costs ZAR 60 (about US$3.60), or ZAR 80 (about US$4.80) with chip and clip.

Handcycles, tandems, recumbent cycles and para cyclists have their own entry categories. Para cyclists must state their disability in the medical details when they enter.

Schedule and Time Difference

Start waves on Sunday, 22 November run from batch A at 06:26 local time to a last listed start at 07:50. The ticket page lists the race day from 05:00 to 16:00 local time.

South Africa is seven hours ahead of US Eastern in November, because it keeps UTC+2 all year. Batch A therefore starts at 23:26 on Saturday, 21 November in New York, and the last wave at 00:50 on Sunday.

The organisers’ batch table estimates finish times from about 2 hours 27 minutes to 6 hours 30 minutes. Check your own batch time in the official schedule.

Race pack registration runs from Tuesday, 17 to Friday, 20 November, 09:00 to 17:00. It takes place at two Balwin estates and three Specialized bike stores, the organisers’ Info Hub says.

A mini expo is listed for Saturday, 21 November, 09:00 to 15:00, at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit. The Info Hub also contains outdated 2025 text, so confirm these times before you travel.

Entry and Fees

The organisers sell entries through the ticketing platform Howler, linked from ridejoburg.co.za. On 24 October the platform listed the 2026 road race as Active, with an Enter now button.

An individual road entry costs ZAR 810 (about US$49), and the price is shown for all rider categories. Booking fees at checkout were not displayed.

The road race page lists 1 November 2026 as the unseeded deadline and still shows registrations as open. Yet a banner across the organisers’ site says entries to all races have closed.

Seeded and substituted entries closed on 4 October, and preliminary seeding was scheduled for 8 October. Late entrants should ask the Race Office which start batch they will get.

The organisers’ policy says refunds are not permitted under any circumstances. A separate ticket refund policy is linked, so read it before you pay.

Cash prizes go to the top five men and women in the full 97 km race. The first man and the first woman each win ZAR 200,000 (about US$12,100).

Charities, companies and clubs can register teams, and a Free Ride application is also listed. New charity team registrations closed on 2 October 2026.

How to Watch in the US

No US television or streaming broadcast of Ride Joburg had been announced. The organisers’ home page links live results and photos, but both are labelled for the 2025 race.

The first batch starts at 23:26 Eastern on Saturday, but no 2026 live tracking is confirmed. Americans should check the organisers’ site for results.

Getting to Kyalami

Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit lies in Midrand, between Johannesburg and Pretoria, at the corner of the R55 and Allandale Road. The ticket page gives that address for the event.

The main international airport is OR Tambo International, east of central Johannesburg. The organisers have not published transfer times or distances to Kyalami.

Parking, shuttles and road closures on race morning had not been published on the pages read. Ask the Race Office or your hotel before you plan a Sunday morning trip.

Riders bringing a bike from the United States should check airline bike fees early. The three Specialized stores named by the organisers also serve as registration points.

Safety, Entry Rules and Costs

The US State Department publishes a travel advisory for South Africa, which this guide could not open on 24 October. Read the current level and warnings before you book.

The Howler page says the race runs on fully closed roads. Use official transfers on other days and keep cards and passwords private.

Visa and passport rules for US citizens could not be confirmed here. Check the State Department and South African Home Affairs pages before you travel.

South Africa uses the rand, which traded at about ZAR 16.58 per US$1 on 24 October. At that rate a ZAR 810 entry costs about US$49.

What It Means for You

If you want to ride, check on the Howler page that entries are still open, and book flights and a room early. Pick up your race pack between Tuesday, 17 and Saturday, 21 November.

If you want to follow from home, expect the first riders to start around midnight Eastern on Saturday. No broadcast is announced, so check the organisers’ site for results.

What Is Not Known

Whether entries are still open is unclear, because the organisers’ site shows both an Enter now button and a closed notice. Booking fees at checkout and the start batch for late entrants were not shown.

The organisers’ 2026 pages put the finish at Kyalami, while a tourism listing and Finishers name FNB Stadium. The start venue is not stated, and distances differ between 94.7, 96.1 and 97 km.

Details of the mountain bike and kids races, parking, shuttles and road closures for 2026 were not available. No hospitality prices for the Kyalami Pit Lane garages were published either.

No US broadcaster or live stream has been announced. The 2026 live results link was not confirmed, and the State Department advisory and entry rules could not be checked.

Related Coverage

Read the Rio Times Johannesburg city page and the guide to what to do in Johannesburg. The South Africa news hub covers the wider country.

Plan more of the trip with the best time to visit South Africa and the phone and internet setup guide. Cricket fans can also see the South Africa vs Bangladesh Test at Centurion on 23 November.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Ride Joburg 2026?

Ride Joburg is on Sunday, 22 November 2026, with start waves from 06:26 local time. That is 23:26 on Saturday, 21 November in US Eastern time.

How much does it cost to enter?

An individual road entry is listed at ZAR 810 (about US$49) on the official Howler page. A compulsory timing board costs ZAR 60 to ZAR 80 (about US$3.60 to US$4.80).

Can I watch Ride Joburg in the US?

No US television or streaming broadcast has been announced. The organisers’ site carries results and photos for the 2025 race, and 2026 tracking is not confirmed.

Is Johannesburg safe for American visitors?

Check the current US State Department advisory for South Africa before you book. The race runs on closed roads, according to the organisers.

Sources: Ride Joburg official site; Ride Joburg road race page; Ride Joburg Info Hub; Howler road race page; Howler tickets; Gauteng Tourism Authority; Finishers; open.er-api.com (all accessed 24 October 2026).

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief

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