The 20th KAP sani2c takes place between 23 and 27 April in 2024, and welcomes back some of the best of the old, and rings in plenty of new, including route tweaks, continuous facility upgrades, and a host of 20th birthday surprises that includes the opportunity to be in the running to win a brand new Subaru Crosstrek.

The sani2c was established in 2005 as a fundraiser for Lynford school, where Ixopo dairy farmer Glen and Mandy Haw’s children attended school at that time. The family has stayed focused on this vision of supporting the local communities along the route, and each year millions of rands are paid out to the communities who provide services to the event, including over 23 schools. The sani2c has now seen nearly 20 years of development by the Haw family, who are dedicated and passionate mountain bikers actively participating in events. The route is exclusive to the event, as farmers open their farms just once a year for the event period.

Over the years, when sani2c became so popular it would sell out immediately, the event grew and was split into the Adventure and the Race, with the elite racing being part of the Race but with the event being the same in all other respects. The Trail was added in 2012 when entries for the Adventure also became hard to come by. In 2020, with a postponed and paired down event happening in December due to COVID-19, the Trail was dropped, but now it makes a comeback as the event that will cater for e-bikers.

KAP sani2c has welcomed e-bikes at sani2c for several years, and from 2024, the Trail event, from Tuesday 23 April to Thursday 25th, will be the e-bike race, with a podium and leader jerseys, and e-bikes will not be allowed to enter the Race or Adventure events. Conventional bike teams may join the Trail, which will facilitate mixed parties of e-bikers and conventional bike teams, or those for whom the dates are better suited. This shift will mean that e-bikes are well catered for and feel welcome at sani2c, and as this will be the smallest of the three events, riders will receive their own tents and will be grouped with friends in the race village.

The Adventure is the second of the three sani2c events and starts on Wednesday 24th April at Glencairn, finishing on Friday 26th in Scottburgh. The 2024 edition of the Adventure event is already fully subscribed, so riders are encouraged to enter the Race, which starts on Thursday 25th and ends on Saturday 27th April.

What is the difference? Not much. The Race is where you will find the professional athletes and part-time or ‘working pros’ racing upfront for their respective categories, but other than that, the Adventure and Race are the same.

Whether you ride in the Race or the Adventure - there will be riders who like to race, some who are out to have fun with friends and family and absorb the vibe, others who have done sani2c many many times, and then there will be riders for whom the sani2c is a bucket list event that they will be ticking off in 2024!

“At one stage we encouraged people to do the Adventure because the Race was full, and now we have to remind people that the Race is just the same as the Adventure, you just have to take less leave as it ends on the Saturday. The elite racing creates a buzz at the Race, yes, and that is not part of the Adventure, but I think for most people the experience of sani2c whether on the Adventure, or the Race, is pretty much the same awesome time on their bike,” says Farmer Glen.

The sani2c route is the number one priority for the team, because while chill lounges, tasty treats and a hot shower make for a good time, it is the trail that makes sani2c unique. In 2024, riders who know sani2c and the finish on day 1, can look forward to a significant difference. With the last 30 kms changing, the uphill climb to the finish at Mackenzie Club has been eliminated.

Day 1 covers 82 kms, and day two is 97 kms including the legendary 40km descent into the beautiful Umkomaas Valley, ‘Umko Drop’. While the Umko Drop is extraordinary, many riders say that Day 3 is their favourite of the stages. It is a fast 86 kms to Scottburgh Golf Club to finish your sani2c experience.

The three permanent race villages have been developed with the riders in mind, to ensure comfort and relaxation after an epic day of riding bikes. The start at Glencairn Farm is situated near the base of Sani Pass, and with the race now taking place at the end of April, the temperature will be somewhat milder than in the past. The hospitality includes the famous Jolivet Farm’s homemade crunchies, and farm fresh banana bread at Mackenzie Club, and while the steak braai on the final evening is a definite highlight, sani2c caters for all dietary requirements.

Visit www.sani2c.co.za for more information and to enter the sani2c Trail or Race.