16 Jan SAFIRE BERG 100 – POSTPONED!

Postponement of 2020 Safire Berg 100 due to COVID-19

The organisers of the Safire Berg 100 MTB event, scheduled to take place this Saturday, 26 March, in the KZN Midlands, have announced the mandatory cancellation of this popular event due to newly announced restrictions on travel and mass gatherings of people, which form part of government’s measures to try and limit the spread of COVID-19 (the Coronavirus).

“We are naturally devastated about the cancellation of this event, which has been so many months in the making,” says organiser, Katie Fogg. “However, this is what has to be done to protect our riders and everyone involved in the race, as well as the wider Midlands community. We have tentatively set a new date of 13 June 2020 for our much-loved race, but this naturally depends on the circumstances. So hopefully this is a postponement rather than a total cancellation of the Safire Berg 100 this year.”

In what would have been the 9th such event, the riders would have left from Nottingham Road, riding the 100km scenic route and ending the race in the village of Himeville. The implications for both riders and the Midlands towns, which rely heavily on tourism and the drawcard of outdoor activities such the race, cannot be underestimated. Various charities and NPOs, which would have acted as service providers along the route, will also be impacted.

Pietermaritzburg-based Safire Insurance has been the title sponsor of the Safire Berg 100 since the race started in 2012, with this event one of several that the short-term insurer supports, along with the Safire Baynesfield Classic MTB & Trail event.