Evolution Gravel Race

More than just the hardest gravel race in Africa.

February 20, 2022

Five days, 850 kilometers and 10,000 meters of altitude through the African wilderness - the Evolution Gravel Race will be one of the toughest challenges of the year. From June 26 to 30, 2022, the stage race, held exclusively on gravel, will stretch across the length of Tanzania. Starting at the famous Ngorongoro Crater, past the mighty Kilimanjaro, all the way to the Swahili Coast on the Indian Ocean.

Fast gravel passages in the Savanna are as much a part of the course as the steepest climbs in the Tanzanian backcountry. The international participants can expect tropical heat, a warm and humid rainforest climate and an unforgettable experience that is about more than just competing. The best athletes from East Africa will be in attendance as rivals and fellow adventurers. In short: an endurance test for the fit and adventurous.

The Evolution Gravel Race is more than just a challenging off-road cycling race, it’s the second installment in the AMANI adventure series after the Migration Gravel Race (June 18-21, 2022), which was held for the first time last year in neighboring Kenya, and represents the Project’s first major investment in Tanzania.

An evolution towards inclusivity

The main concern of the AMANI Project, an upstart, disrupting band of cycling enthusiasts seeking to make their sport more interesting by making it more inclusive, is to create opportunities for athletes from East African countries to participate in races - both locally and internationally - and to showcase their skills on the international stage. When travel was not an option in 2020, for example, the "Ride Online" initiative was launched. For this, AMANI brought smart trainers to Africa so that riders could engage online in virtual formats with the international community. As happened after the MGR, the initiative also seeks to bring East African riders to Europe to provide opportunities for them to participate in professional cycling. Top athletes such as Ide Schelling supported these efforts and have trained with the African riders in Holland. True to the motto "if the mountain won’t come to muhammad," AMANI also creates competitions on the ground in Africa. There, local athletes get the opportunity to compete with the world’s best gravel athletes and thus to expand their network and showcase themselves to sponsors, without being regulated by rigid federation structures, visa complications or travel constraints.

As with everything it does, AMANI initiatives are conceived and operationalized in close cooperation with the local cycling clubs and with the involvement of the local population in the organization of the races. It was the riders and clubs themselves who initially identified the lack of international racing opportunities as the number one barrier to entry for East African athletes in professional cycling. The Evolution Gravel Race is just the latest initiative aimed at bringing those racing opportunities home to East Africa.

The registration period for the 2022 Evolution Gravel Race is currently underway. More information is available at www.evolutiongravelrace.com and www.teamamani.com.

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