Kenyan cyclists have once again set another race, the LOOP Safari Gravel Series set to take place at the Hell’s Gate National Park in Naivasha on June 13, 2026.
This year edition carries extra weight, as riders will be competing not just for wins but to secure slots for the upcoming World Gravel Championships.
This follows after the season opening at Limuru Country Club in March, which had 822 cyclists, with now over 700 participants registered for the Naivasha, with contests of 20 km, 60 km and 111 km.
For a cyclist to qualify for the World Championship, they must complete the race and place within the top 25% category- one in Kenya, two in South Africa and one in Namibia.
The UCI Gravel World Championship set to be held in Nannup, Western Australia, in October.
At the Naivasha race, winners in both female and male will get Ksh 20,000, with second getting Ksh 15,000, third Ksh 7,000, fourth and fifth will get Ksh 5,000 respectively.
In the team category, the winning team will receive Ksh 125,000, the second team Ksh 100,000 and the third team gets Ksh 70,000.
Coordinator of the Amani Project Troy Barrie, said, “We are incredibly excited about what the 2026 season represents, particularly with the UCI accreditation for Naivasha. UCI accreditation transforms this race from a regional showpiece into an internationally recognized competition.”
Last year’s event attracted international cyclists in men’s race such as Lukas Mzewski of Belgium, Uganda Charles Kagimu and Germany’s Lukas Baum while in the women’s race were Haley Smith from Canada, Claudette Nyirahabimana Rwanda and Germany’s Svenja Betz.
Organisers say the toughest part will be between 60 and 90 km on the eastern side of Hell’s Gate National Park. The LOOP Safari Gravel Series is organized by the Amani Project with support from LOOP DFS as sponsors.
