The largest annual celebration of cycling in South Africa is returning to the City of Gold on Sunday, 20 November. Thousands of cyclists will saddle up at the FNB Stadium to compete in the Virgin Active 947 Ride Joburg, a race about people, the beautiful attractions in Johannesburg, and having fun.
In this year’s race instructions brochure, Virgin Active 947 Ride Joburg Race Director Fritz Pienaar says it is the first edition of the race after all Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted and the vibe has returned.
“We encourage you to stay for a while after your race to celebrate your achievement. We will have some great live performers to entertain you, plenty to eat and drink, and a Castle Lite beer tent,” Pienaar enthuses.
The City is bringing the flair, and cyclists can bring the fun as they cycle through the streets of Johannesburg. The main race starts at 5:30 am.
The iconic 97-kilometre road race will head out onto the Soweto Highway and proceed onto Main Reef Road. Along the route, cyclists will complete a 5-kilometre lap at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit. They will also pass Montecasino in Fourways and can admire the lovely scenery as they pass by the Johannesburg Zoo Lake and over the famous Nelson Mandela Bridge in Braamfontein.
Before crossing the finish line, cyclists will pass by Gold Reef City and then take the Nasrec offramp, which will lead them to the end of the race celebrations back at the FNB Stadium.
This year’s Virgin Active 947 Ride Joburg – hosted by the City of Johannesburg – has the biggest prize purse for a single-day event on the continent, with the first male and female expected to take home R200 000 each.
Race organisers have reintroduced the Virgin Active 947 Ride Joburg Short Ride, which covers the best sections of the route in just 35 kilometres.
“The Short Ride provides a perfect platform for new riders to experience the event and opens it up to younger or older riders who don’t feel up to riding the 97km,” Pienaar adds.
There will be 3 water points along the 947 Short Ride route, stocked with ice-cold water, Powerade, and Coke. Like the full race, the short ride will also start and end at FNB Stadium between 9:30 am and 10 am.
Member of Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Community Development, Cllr Ronald Harris, says Johannesburg is ready to host one of Africa’s biggest mass participation sporting events.
“We are delighted to host the 947 Ride Joburg, which is another in the series of big events in Johannesburg. We are thrilled once again that we will be able to showcase what Johannesburg has to offer,” says MMC Harris.
Written by Brümilda Swartbooi
14.11.2022