The 2026 Pretoria Boys High 24 Hour MTB Race offers riders a unique endurance challenge on one of Pretoria’s most iconic school campuses – with racing, camping and plenty of entertainment packed into one big weekend.
Paid partnership with Pretoria Boys High 24-hour Race
There are plenty of ways to spend a weekend on a mountain bike, but few offer the combination of endurance racing, night riding, camaraderie and atmosphere that comes with a 24-hour race.
The 2026 Pretoria Boys High 24 Hour MTB Race, taking place on 5–6 September, gives riders the opportunity to experience all of that without leaving the sprawling 35-hectare Pretoria Boys High School estate in Brooklyn.
And if 24 hours sounds like too much, there’s also a six-hour option.
The Hill and Valley MTB event is designed to appeal to everyone from the recreational rider looking for a memorable challenge to the experienced racer chasing laps and prize money. The 5km-plus circuit packs a surprising amount into every lap, with gravel, technical climbs, flowing track and singletrack combining to create a course that becomes increasingly challenging as the hours – and laps – accumulate.
THE CHALLENGE IS SIMPLE: KEEP RIDING
The 24-hour race starts at 10:00 on Saturday, 5 September, with riders having until 10:00 on Sunday to complete as many laps as possible.
You can tackle it solo or enter a team, with teams able to rotate riders so that only one rider is on the course at any given time. Teams can have between two and six riders, although only teams of four or fewer are eligible for the category prize money.
That makes the event as much about strategy and teamwork as it is about fitness.
A solo rider has to manage effort, nutrition, sleep and the inevitable mental battles that arrive during the small hours of the morning. In a team, the challenge becomes one of managing rider changes and keeping the laps ticking over while everyone deals with fatigue.
And then there is the course. The Boys High circuit is deliberately compact, allowing riders to settle into a rhythm while still providing enough variety to keep things interesting. The organisers describe it as more challenging than the Eduplex course, with plenty of climbing to provide a useful end-of-year fitness boost.
The beauty of a course like this is that its difficulty is largely determined by how hard you choose to ride it. It can be tackled by a novice looking for an introduction to endurance MTB or attacked by a racing snake intent on maximising every lap.
NIGHT RIDING IS PART OF THE DEAL
One of the defining features of a 24-hour race is the transition from daylight into darkness.
As Saturday afternoon turns into evening, the character of the race changes. Familiar sections of trail take on a different personality under lights, while the atmosphere around the race village becomes increasingly important as riders and support crews settle in for the long night.
Lights and helmets are compulsory, and riders need to arrive properly equipped for riding after dark.
For those who don’t fancy spending an entire night on the bike, the six-hour race starts at 14:00 on Saturday and finishes at 20:00, giving riders the chance to experience the transition into night riding without committing to the full 24-hour challenge.
There are solo and team categories in the six-hour race, including school categories.
MAKE A WEEKEND OF IT
The Pretoria Boys High event is about more than racing. Free camping is available on the school grounds, allowing riders and supporters to arrive early, pitch their tents and make a weekend of it. The 2026 programme also includes a Friday-night camping opportunity and a Fun Run on Friday, 4 September, adding another dimension to the weekend.
Once the racing gets underway, the race village becomes the social hub, with food and beverage stalls, coffee and plenty of opportunities to relax between laps. There will also be a chill zone, while the event’s growing list of attractions includes vehicle displays and sponsor activations.
Showers are available and campers can make use of the facilities, although riders should bring all their own camping equipment. Charging stations will be available at the race village for phones, computers and lights.
For families and supporters, that makes the PBHS 24 Hour more than just a race to watch. It is a proper MTB weekend.
CASH PRIZES & BRAGGING RIGHTS
There is also plenty to race for. The 24-hour event offers R2 000 for the winning solo male and female riders, while the winning male, female, mixed and school teams take home R4 000. There is also R500 for the fastest male and female laps.
The six-hour winners can also earn cash prizes, with R1 000 available to the solo male and female winners and R2000 for the winning team categories.
E-bikes are welcome in both solo and team events, but e-bike riders are not eligible for prize money.
PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER
The Pretoria Boys High race is the second event in the 2026 Hill and Valley MTB Series, following the Eduplex event.
Riders who entered both races qualify for a 10% discount on each entry and can compete for the overall Hill and Valley Series title, with custom-made jerseys on offer for the overall male and female winners based on the most laps completed across the two events.
Even if the series title isn’t on your radar, the PBHS event stands comfortably on its own.
It is a chance to test yourself over 24 hours, put together a team with friends, introduce someone to endurance MTB or simply spend a September weekend surrounded by bikes and other people who enjoy riding them.
And doing it all within the historic Pretoria Boys High campus makes this one of those races where the venue is very much part of the experience.
The 2026 Pretoria Boys High 24 Hour MTB Race takes place on 5–6 September. Entries are R600 for the 24-hour race and R450 for school riders, with the six-hour options priced at R330 and R175 respectively. Every participant receives a goodie bag.
Gather your team, check your lights, pack the tent and get ready for a different kind of MTB weekend. Enter now and take on the 24-hour challenge at Boys High. Online entry here.
Paid partnership with Pretoria Boys High 24-hour Race
