Alex Miller and Hayley Preen retained their elite titles at the Khomas100 Gravel Championship in Namibia, where Cycle Nation’s Marzaan Mellett rode to sixth in the women’s race.
The race took place on Saturday, 22 August 2026, and delivered the event’s strongest international field yet. More than 400 riders from 14 countries started the long-distance gravel contest.
Mellett, aged 20, spent much of the women’s race among the leading contenders. She stayed in touch through the opening 80 kilometres and remained near the front alongside Namibian Olympian Vera Looser.
The pace and terrain then began to split the group. Mellett lost contact with the leading riders as the race entered its closing stages, but she held her effort to finish sixth.
Her result added another encouraging international performance to her season. It also underlined her development in gravel racing against a deep elite women’s field.
Khomas100 Gravel Championship draws international field
The Khomas100 covered roughly 140 kilometres from the Tony Rust Race Track outside Windhoek to Gross Barmen Resort near Okahandja.
Riders followed the mountainous D1958 route through the Khomas Hochland. The terrain again shaped the race, with sustained pressure wearing down the front groups.
The event also carried UCI Gravel World Championships qualifier status. Riders who finish in the top 25% of their category qualify for the 2026 UCI Gravel World Championships.
Those world championships are scheduled for 10–11 October in Nannup, Western Australia.
Preen confirms form with another elite women’s victory
Preen successfully defended the Khomas100 title she won last year. The South African entered the race after a strong run of 2026 gravel results.
Earlier this season, she won the 2026 South African Gravel Championship. She also took the women’s elite race at The Ceder, a UCI Gravel World Series event.
Looser finished second in the women’s race. Anri Greeff, the 2025 Khomas100 runner-up and reigning Namibian Gravel Champion, completed the podium in third.
Mellett’s sixth place came behind an experienced group of proven gravel riders. Her ability to follow the leaders deep into the race marked a significant step forward.
Miller wins sprint to complete three-title run
In the elite men’s race, Miller extended his run at the Khomas100 with another victory. The defending African Gravel Champion and Namibian Olympian won in the closing stretch.
Miller made it three elite titles in a row after taking a decisive sprint. His win confirmed his position among the leading gravel riders in the region.
South African Marco Joubert placed second in his first appearance on the course. Uganda’s Jordan Schleck Ssekanwagi finished third to complete the men’s podium.
The 2026 edition strengthened the Khomas100’s place among Southern Africa’s notable gravel races. Its international field and world championship qualification pathway gave the race added weight.