The Race · Fired up by Red Bull
Night Burn
A high-speed chase after dark, with bonfires, DJs and the whole Burn Camp watching.
- WhenFriday 30 OctoberThe penultimate night, after Stage 6
- WhereShamwariShamwari Private Game Reserve Burn Camp
- Qualify30 ridersFrom the Red Bull KM, a timed kilometre on Stage 4
- The FoxHenrique AvanciniTwo-time UCI MTB Marathon World Champion
How it works
The qualifiers get a head start. Then the Fox is released to hunt them down.
The Night Burn is a handicap chase on a short circuit in the Burn Camp, raced with lights after dark. The riders who qualified set off first; then “The Fox”, two-time UCI MTB Marathon World Champion Henrique Avancini, starts last and picks them off one by one. The last woman and the last man still ahead of him win.
In 2026 it's under the stars at Shamwari Private Game Reserve on the penultimate night, after Stage 6. Everyone else watches from the trackside, around the bonfires.
The Night Burn is not part of the general classification and is entirely optional, and only a limited number of riders (30) qualify. There are two races: the Legends Race, and the main event, Chase the Fox, for which mainly amateur riders qualify.
Qualify
The Red Bull KM
You earn your place on the road. The Red Bull KM is a timed kilometre on Stage 4: every rider is timed over it, Pro and Age Group alike.
If you want to take part, pack a front bike light: it's on the packing list.
30 riders qualify: those whose Red Bull KM position beats their general classification position by the most. You can't buy your way onto the start line, so focused Age Group riders, strong privateers and Pros all have a chance.
The jersey
Limited edition, earned in a kilometre
Every qualifier receives the Night Burn jersey and wears it in the chase. It's one of six jerseys you can win during the week.
2025 · Blaauwater
The first Night Burn
In 2025 the Fox was Tom Pidcock, chasing 30 qualifiers around a 700-metre dirt oval at Blaauwater Burn Camp.
The last riders to hold him off were Cherise Willeit and Jamie Ryder, who each won a flight with Red Bull pilot Pat Davidson. In a legends race before the chase, Alistair Brownlee beat Cameron Wurf and Payson McElveen.
Matt Beers was fastest over the Red Bull KM in 1:22, at 43.5 km/h. Fastest woman was Age Group rider Lena Ronge, in 1:34.