The Hell of the South strives to be the richest one-day marathon in the world

Dryland Boosts Attakwas Prize Money in Bid to Make Hell of the South the Richest One-Day UCI XCM Race

There are easier ways to spend a January day than riding 120 kilometres through the unforgiving terrain of the Attakwaskloof. But for mountain bikers, the appeal of the Momentum Medical Scheme Attakwas Extreme, presented by Biogen, has never been about finding the easy option. It is about testing limits, earning respect and discovering just how much is left in the tank when the road ahead seems determined to break you.

Now, as the Hell of the South prepares for its 21st edition on 16 January 2027, organisers Dryland Event Management are giving professional riders another reason to make the journey to the Southern Cape. A significantly increased prize purse of C puts the race on a new financial footing, with the men’s and women’s winners each set to collect US$6,000. It is a landmark payday for a one-day UCI Mountain Bike Marathon (XCM) event, and a clear statement of intent from a race that has spent two decades building its reputation the hard way.

The ambition is bigger than a single prize-giving ceremony. Dryland wants Attakwas to become the richest one-day marathon in the world, and the 2027 increase is the first step towards that goal. While the race has yet to reach the winner’s prize offered by the non-UCI Leadville Trail 100 MTB in the United States, the direction of travel is unmistakable: attract deeper professional fields, raise the stakes and give the world’s leading marathon riders a compelling reason to line up in South Africa.

“For twenty years, the Momentum Medical Scheme Attakwas Extreme, presented by Biogen, has asked professional cyclists a simple question: can you survive it? From 16 January 2027, it will ask a second one. Can you afford not to be there?” says Henco Rademeyer of Dryland Event Management.

“We have spent twenty years building the hardest one-day race in the world. That part is settled. What we are announcing today is the next twenty. The Hell of the South will be the richest one-day marathon in the world. We are not there yet, but we’ve made the decision to get there, and Momentum Medical Scheme and Biogen have made it possible to start now. This is the first instalment.”

For a discipline in which the demands on riders are immense and the rewards can be modest, the increase matters. Equal prize money will be awarded in the UCI men’s and women’s categories, with the top five in each race sharing the US$18,400 purse. At an indicative exchange rate of R16 to the dollar, each winner’s cheque is worth approximately R96,000.

The King and Queen of the Mountain competitions will also get an international currency upgrade. The first man and woman to reach the summit of the Attakwaskloof climb, approximately 55 kilometres into the race, will each receive US$200. It is a relatively small prize in the context of the overall purse, but on a course where the climbing, heat and rough surfaces can exact a heavy toll, the intermediate battles are rarely insignificant. The move is underpinned by the continued support of title sponsor Momentum Medical Scheme and presenting sponsor Biogen, whose long-term commitment has helped Dryland invest in the next chapter of the event.

The prize money may be new, but the race’s reputation has been earned over many editions. Attakwas has long attracted South Africa’s strongest marathon specialists, while international riders have also tested themselves against its demands. For Dryland, the next challenge is to turn that established respect into a start list that consistently features the world’s leading XCM talent. Rademeyer believes the increased rewards could help make that happen, particularly among European professionals who spend the northern hemisphere winter training in Stellenbosch and elsewhere in the Western Cape. January offers an opportunity to race in favourable training conditions, but attracting the biggest names requires more than a challenging course and a compelling story.

“You cannot buy a start list. You earn it, over decades, by staging a race that professionals respect and amateurs are proud to finish,” Rademeyer says. “The Momentum Medical Scheme Attakwas Extreme, presented by Biogen, has always attracted South Africa’s top XCM riders, and while the world’s best has taken part too, we’d love to see the sport’s biggest names racing each other through the Attakwaskloof every January. The increase in prize money is a carrot to all the professional riders training in Stellenbosch during the northern hemisphere winter, an incentive to inspire them to race.”

The numbers suggest there is plenty of history for the next generation to chase. Alan Hatherly set the men’s course record in 2026 with a time of 4:25:10, while Annika Langvad’s women’s record of 5:25:55, established in 2017, remains the benchmark. Whether the larger purse brings an even deeper field in 2027, or puts those records under pressure, will be part of the intrigue.

Importantly, Attakwas remains more than an elite contest. Its defining appeal lies in the fact that amateur riders can take on the same 120-kilometre course as the professionals, confronting the same terrain and earning their own version of victory simply by reaching the finish. The Half, over 47 kilometres, and the 32-kilometre Mini also provide options for riders who want a shorter challenge, including junior marathon enthusiasts.

That balance between elite ambition and personal achievement has helped make the Hell of the South a fixture on South Africa’s endurance calendar. The increased prize purse signals that the event’s future will be about more than preserving its fearsome reputation. Dryland wants Attakwas to compete financially with the biggest one-day marathon races in the world, without losing the character that made it worth racing in the first place. More atta.co.za //

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