The Journey

It began in 2017, with a single ambitious idea and a stretch of untamed road. Gravel riding, then a growing phenomenon overseas, had begun to murmur its presence into the ears of South Africa’s cycling community. There was something undeniably magnetic about it: less intimidating than mountain biking, less hazardous than road cycling, and yet imbued with the spirit of both. A middle path, not just in terrain but in philosophy; adventure without aggression, solitude without isolation.

At Faces, the potential of gravel riding was more than apparent. South Africa’s vast and varied landscapes, stitched together by a quiet web of back roads, seemed destined for this emerging discipline. What was needed was a race, a journey, that could capture the imagination of riders and give gravel biking its rightful place on the South African stage.

That race became King Price Race to the Sun.

A 100 mile gravel odyssey stretching from Hartbeespoort Dam to Sun City, King Price Race to the Sun was conceived in 2017 as more than a race. It was an experience. The route was a careful composition, balancing beauty and challenge, remoteness and accessibility. Early adoption was swift and enthusiastic. Riders, many new to gravel, found in it a kind of liberation, an invitation to explore, to test, and to connect. By the time entries had sold out for consecutive years, it was clear: gravel had not just arrived, it had rooted itself.

Crucial to the event’s early development was Francois Theron, whose vision helped shape not only the course but the spirit of the race. His departure from Faces to start Sox marked a new chapter in his journey, but the legacy of his contribution remains etched into every mile.

Building on the momentum of King Price Race to the Sun, the next step was both natural and necessary. If one race could draw riders from the city to the bushveld in the North West, could another lead them from the vineyards to the sea in the Western Cape?

So began the conceptualisation of King Price Race to the Sea.

Using the same foundational philosophy, two iconic destinations, one transformative ride, the search for a route began. The stretch between Franschhoek and Hermanus emerged as the ideal canvas. Through satellite images and scouting rides, a route unfolded: winding gravel paths framed by towering mountain passes, golden wheat fields, and valleys washed in springtime colour. As fate would have it, a 2019 team-building tour with Faces coincided with much of the envisioned track. That ride confirmed what the maps could not fully capture; the visceral, breathtaking beauty of the terrain.

Despite launching during the uncertain tides of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, King Price Race to the Sea defied the odds. Riders came. The event flourished. And in the process, a new chapter of gravel riding was written. What began as an experimental expansion became, almost overnight, a flagship event.

The early September timing proved to be serendipitous. Temperatures are mild, the landscape vibrant with blooming canola, and the route itself revealed South Africa’s hidden pastoral poetry. Riders often emerge from the event not just physically tested but profoundly moved. This is not just a race. 

Today, King Price Race to the Sea stands proudly as one of South Africa’s most beautiful gravel races, not just for the terrain it covers, but for the stories it continues to create. Stories of resilience, of connection, and of that elemental thrill that comes from chasing the horizon on roads less travelled.