Popular Sappi Mankele Challenge is back
The Sappi Mankele Challenge, an annual highlight on the cycling calendar in Mpumalanga, is back in full swing on Saturday 05 April.
The event is known for its wide offering of routes, and this year is no different with a 5km trail run as well as 15km, 35km, 50km and 70km cycling races. This family-focused fun affair, which takes place at Mankele Adventures near Mbombela, is not only perfect for beginners but offers more serious challenges for experienced cyclists, particularly in terms of elevation gain.
"With the Sappi Mankele Challenge we aim to offer a day out for the whole family, whether it's joining in the 5km fun run, or tackling the more serious distances. Mankele Adventures is the perfect place to put together an event like this, with convenient amenities at the camp, beautiful trails through forests and grasslands as well as epic views when climbing out of the valley," said Danie Botha of 2D Adventures, who are the event organisers. "What is different from last year is the addition of the 70km marathon, as the Sappi Mankele Challenge is part of the Mpumalanga Marathon Series comprising three races, which is quite exciting".
Riders in the 15km, 35km, 50km and 70km races at the Sappi Mankele Challenge will ride through the picturesque forests near MbombelaThe event forms part of the Sappi Trails Programme (STP) which was started in 2011 and is a product of Sappi's innovative approach to sustainable forestry. One third of Sappi's unplanted lands are exclusively preserved for biodiversity, with 3,885 hectares of proclaimed nature reserve in Mpumalanga alone. For recreational activities, Sappi collaborates with trail partners to ensure that trail networks on Sappi land result in broad-based economic beneficiation for communities surrounding their forests.
''The event is beneficial to the local community in many ways and creates important positive socio-economic benefits by bringing day and overnight visitors into the Sudwala area. In addition to supporting tourism businesses during the event weekend, it facilitates the development of improved trails, thereby encouraging year-round trail usage and related economic impacts, as observed at other Sappi trail locations such as Karkloof in KwaZulu-Natal," explains Sappi's Head of Corporate Affairs, Tebele Makhetha. "Another important outcome of this partnership, is the involvement of the Mataffin Development Team which now includes over 30 young girls and boys, who will have the opportunity to showcase their skills at the Sappi Mankele Challenge," she added.
"We are excited about the increased numbers we are seeing in the Mataffin Development Team, who took part and had a blast in the 2024 event. The majority of our younger riders will be tackling the 15km, and some are taking part in the 5km fun run, although they are taking it quite seriously. These events are so critical in exposing them to what is available if they try hard and commit to the team, and it's inspiring to see how they support each other at events too", Botha said.
Sappi and 2D Adventures are excited to welcome riders and runners back to Mankele in 2025, as the next chapter of the Sappi Trails Programme unfolds.
