947 Ride Joburg rolls out on Sunday 22 November 2026, sending tens of thousands of cyclists onto Johannesburg’s closed highways for the city’s biggest mass-participation bike race. The 97 km road route starts and finishes on the FNB Stadium forecourt, looping through the city on roads that belong entirely to bicycles for one glorious morning.
947 Ride Joburg is one of the world’s great urban cycling events. Riding the M1 and M2 with no cars in sight, sweeping past the skyline of downtown Joburg and back towards the calabash, is an experience that keeps riders returning year after year — from lycra-clad racers chasing personal bests to social riders soaking up the vibe.
What to expect at 947 Ride Joburg 2026
The main 97 km route is the headline act, but the event caters for everyone: shorter distances and a kids’ ride run alongside the marquee race, so the whole family can be part of the day. Water points, mechanical support and roadside entertainment line the route, and the finish-line festival at FNB Stadium turns the morning into a celebration.
Racing starts early — first groups roll out around 06:00 to beat the Highveld heat — with seeded batches following through the morning. The atmosphere in the start chutes as the sun rises over the stadium is worth the alarm clock alone.
Event details
- Event: 947 Ride Joburg 2026
- Date: Sunday 22 November 2026, from 06:00
- Start/Finish: FNB Stadium forecourt, Nasrec, Johannesburg
- Main route: 97 km on fully closed city roads; shorter routes and kids’ ride available
- Entries: Via the official Ride Joburg website; fees published at registration
Entries and tips
947 Ride Joburg entries open months in advance and popular start batches fill early, so register as soon as you commit. Fees vary by distance and are published at registration. Out-of-town riders should book accommodation near Nasrec or along the Gautrain line for an easier race morning.
Train for the distance: 97 km at altitude with Joburg’s rolling hills is a fair challenge, and November mornings warm up fast — start hydrated, ride sunscreened and pace the first half. For supporters, the finish precinct offers grandstands, food trucks and big screens tracking riders across the route.
947 Ride Joburg FAQs
When is 947 Ride Joburg 2026? Sunday 22 November 2026, with batches starting from around 06:00 at FNB Stadium. Riders receive exact start times with their race packs.
Do I have to ride 97 km? No — shorter distances and a kids’ ride run on the same day, making the event genuinely family-friendly. Many households enter different distances and meet at the finish festival afterwards.
Why ride it? Because nowhere else can you ride Joburg’s freeways car-free with thousands of others, finishing in the shadow of Africa’s biggest stadium. It is a bucket-list morning for any cyclist — and the perfect anchor for a summer sports weekend in Gauteng.
Planning a visit around the race? Browse more events in Gauteng or recover with our favourite things to do in Johannesburg once the medal is around your neck. See you on the start line — 947 Ride Joburg 2026 is going to be a spectacular day on two wheels.
The race has a proud history of giving back, too. Charity entries raise millions of rands each year for causes across Gauteng, and community programmes put bikes and coaching into townships along the route. When the peloton sweeps through the city on race morning, it carries thousands of stories — first-timers who learned to ride this year, cancer survivors, corporate teams, and club racers chasing the front batch home.
If 2026 is your first attempt, join the event’s official training rides in the months before, get a bike service the week of the race, and trust the crowd support to carry you up the final drags. Cross the line once and you will understand why 947 Ride Joburg calls itself the ride that owns the city — and why entries disappear faster every single year.
