Attakwas Extreme prize money will rise sharply in 2027, as the South African UCI marathon expands its purse to 18,400 USD.
The Momentum Medical Scheme Attakwas Extreme, presented by Biogen, will mark its 21st edition with its largest elite payout yet. Organiser Dryland Event Management has increased the purse after extended backing from title sponsor Momentum Medical Scheme and presenting sponsor Biogen.
Attakwas Extreme prize money puts UCI winners on $6,000
The UCI Men’s and UCI Women’s race winners will each receive 6,000 USD on 16 January 2027. That places the event at the top of the UCI Mountain Bike Marathon calendar for winner payouts.
Dryland’s Henco Rademeyer said the race has spent two decades asking professionals whether they can survive it. From 2027, he said, it will also ask whether they can afford to miss it.
The 6,000 USD first prize equals roughly 96,000 ZAR, using the supplied estimate of R16.00 per USD. Equal prize money will apply to the UCI Men’s and UCI Women’s fields, with riders from first to fifth sharing the total purse.
The overall prize fund converts to about 294,400 ZAR at the same exchange estimate. The King and Queen of the Mountain prizes will also move to US Dollars from 2027, with each hotspot winner receiving 200 USD.
Those climbing prizes go to the first man and woman to reach the top of the Attakwaskloof climb. The summit comes 55 kilometres into the 120-kilometre route.
Dryland targets a stronger international field
The Attakwas Extreme has long carried the nickname Hell of the South. Its reputation comes from a route known for heat, rough surfaces, and heavy climbing through the Attakwaskloof.
Rademeyer said a strong start list cannot be bought in a single season. He said it comes from decades of staging a race respected by professionals and valued by amateur finishers.
The higher payout also aims to attract more international riders already training in Stellenbosch during the northern hemisphere winter. South Africa’s leading XCM riders have regularly raced the event, while major overseas names have also appeared.
Rademeyer described the 2027 increase as a first step toward a bigger long-term ambition. He noted that Leadville, which is not UCI-affiliated, currently pays 10,000 USD to its men’s and women’s winners.
Same course for elite and amateur riders
The event format allows amateur riders to take on the same 120-kilometre Extreme course as the elite field. That shared challenge remains central to the identity of the race.
Alan Hatherly set the current course record in 2026 with a time of 4 hours, 25 minutes and 10 seconds. Annika Langvad’s women’s record of 5 hours, 25 minutes and 55 seconds has stood since 2017.
Momentum Medical Scheme’s Damian McHugh said the race does not depend on hype. He said riders earn every cent of the increased prize money on a course they choose to race again despite its difficulty.
Biogen’s Brandon Fairweather called the event South Africa’s toughest single-day cycling challenge and one of the hardest worldwide. He said Biogen’s support for riders at Attakwas will continue for another three years.
Limited entries for the 2027 edition are available through the race website. Alongside the full Extreme, the event includes a 47-kilometre Half and a 32-kilometre Mini for junior marathon racing enthusiasts.