More than 500 cyclists are set to converge at the Vipingo Ridge course in Kilifi county on Saturday for the third leg of the 2026 LOOP Safari Gravel Series.
The coastal leg will feature demanding 105km, 55km and 30km routes.
The men’s elite race boasts a formidable regional field, with Kenya’s Stanley Ngugi, Ivan Kipruto and Dan Kiptala leading the home charge against Uganda’s Jordan Schleck and other top riders from across East Africa.
Ngugi heads to the coast hungry for his maiden victory of the season after twice finishing runner-up in the Limuru and Naivasha 100km races.
In Naivasha, 21-year-old Lawrence Lorot stormed to top honours in 3:29:04, only one second ahead of Ngugi, who finished in 3:29:05, while Kipruto sealed third place in 3:29:22.
The 19-year-old Ngugi will attempt to dethrone Schleck, the reigning Vipingo champion who is chasing a remarkable third consecutive triumph at the venue.
Ngugi, Kipruto and Kiptala will hope to draw confidence from their recent international outing at the Evertsberg Gravel 2026 in Sweden, where they gained valuable experience competing against some of the world’s finest gravel specialists.
Kipruto, who claimed third place in Naivasha, believes the lessons learned there have sharpened his title ambitions after focusing on improving his endurance.
“Naivasha was a good learning experience for me. My endurance dropped towards the end, but I was still able to stay with the leading pack and secure a podium finish,” said Kipruto.
“Since then, I have worked on my endurance and I feel much better prepared going into Vipingo. I know the competition will be strong, but I am going there with one goal, which is to fight for the win.”
The women’s elite contest is equally loaded with quality, with Kendra Masiga, Monica Jelimo and Dinnah Safari expected to headline a fiercely competitive field.
The winning team will pocket Sh125,000, while the runners-up and third-placed teams will earn Sh100,000 and Sh70,000 respectively.
In the individual elite races, the top five finishers in both the men’s and women’s categories will receive Sh20,000, Sh15,000, Sh10,000, Sh7,000 and Sh5,000 respectively.
Beyond the race for honours, the LOOP Safari Gravel Series continues to drive the growth of gravel cycling in Kenya by offering competitive racing opportunities for riders of all abilities.
The Amani Project coordinator Troy Barrie believes the depth of talent assembled makes Vipingo one of the standout races on this year’s calendar.
“Vipingo is shaping up to be one of the most competitive legs of this year’s series, with a star-studded field bringing together some of the best gravel cyclists from Kenya and across the region. With riders like Stanley Ngugi, Ivan Kipruto, Dan Kiptala and the leading women’s contenders on the start line, we expect a very high level of competition.”
“The coastal terrain will add another dimension to the race, and we are looking forward to seeing the riders push each other all the way to the finish,” Barrie said.
