Sani2C Nonstop is officially a #1 bucket list event in South Africa, here’s why...
Participating in a 257km mountain bike race – with a strong focus on mountain biking – was truly remarkable. The experience exceeded all my expectations, and the feeling of accomplishment I gained from it will stay with me forever.
Sani2C Nonstop Trophies - Anthony Grote digital media
I have participated in numerous ultra-distance events. As I browse through my Strava profile, I reflect on the extensive rides and races I have accomplished throughout my career. I've compiled a personal leaderboard showcasing the challenging events I have completed so far. At the top is the Unbound Gravel 200, marking the longest single ride I've undertaken, followed by the Sani2C NonStop, which stands as the ride where I spent the most time on the bike continuously. The third spot goes to the Cullinan Ultra Gravel, placing in the top three across all three categories. Among other notable events are the Transbaviaans, Tranbaviaans Virtual (thanks to Covid-19), Steamboat Gravel, Belgian Waffle Ride NC, World Marathon Champs X3, Imbuko Big 5, and, of course, the Attakwas Extreme. Below, I have categorized the events based on three criteria: longest time on the bike, furthest distance ridden, and highest elevation gain for easy comparison.
Longest Time on the Bike:
| Race | Time (hrs:min:sec) |
1 | 2024 - Sani2C NonStop | 12:58:17 |
2 | 2022 - Unbound200 | 11:35:05 |
3 | 2024 – Cullinan Ultra | 11:26:19 |
4 | 2021 - Cullinan2Tonteldoos | 11:14:34 |
5 | 2017 - Transbaviaans | 10:44:27 |
6 | 2022 - Belgian Waffle Ride, NC | 09:30:25 |
7 | 2020 - Transbaviaans Virtual | 09:17:35 |
8 | 2019 - Transbaviaans | 09:05:45 |
9 | 2018 - Transbaviaans | 08:59:01 |
10 | 2022 - Steamboat Gravel | 07:40:37 |
Furthest Distance Ridden:
| Race | Distance |
1 | 2022 - Unbound200 | 320.95km |
2 | 2024 - Sani2C NonStop | 257.13km |
3 | 2021 - Cullinan2Tonteldoos | 254.56km |
4 | 2024 – Cullinan Ultra | 252.92km |
5 | 2020 - Transbaviaans Virtual | 233.79km |
6 | 2022 - Steamboat Gravel | 227.58km |
7 | 2019 - Transbaviaans | 226.79km |
8 | 2018 - Transbaviaans | 226.54km |
9 | 2017 - Transbaviaans | 226.37km |
10 | 2022 - Belgian Waffle Ride, NC | 208.47km |
Highest Elevation Gained:
| Race | Elevation |
1 | 2024 - Sani2C NonStop | 4714m |
2 | 2022 - Belgian Waffle Ride, NC | 4352m |
3 | 2021 - Cullinan2Tonteldoos | 3429m |
4 | 2021 - World Marathon Champs | 3327m |
5 | 2022 - Crusher in the Tusher | 3218m |
6 | 2023 - Imbuko Big 5 Challenge | 3206m |
7 | 2024 - Imbuko Big 5 Challenge | 3139m |
8 | 2019 - World Marathon Champs | 3125m |
9 | 2022 – Attakwas Extreme | 3114m |
10 | 2022 - Steamboat Gravel | 3106m |
Each of these events has a story behind it, all of which have challenged me and pushed me out of my comfort zones, ultimately shaping my mindset to understand what I could accomplish. Particularly remarkable is the Sani2C Nonstop, which excelled in all three categories, securing a top 2 position. I have also included a fourth category for races that were perceived as the most challenging. Here are my top 10 psychological demanding events:
Psychologically Toughest Events:
| Race | Reason |
1 | 2019 – Absa Cape Epic | Psychologically the toughest stage race in the world |
2 | 2022 – Attakwas Extreme | Extreme Heat – Early in Season |
3 | 2022 - Unbound200 | Extreme Distance - Flat Terrain |
4 | 2021 – World Marathon Champs | Elba Island – 2 lap course, steep, punchy climbs |
5 | 2022 - Belgian Waffle Ride, NC | Blown from Unbound200 the weekend before |
6 | 2022 - Crusher in the Tusher | Extreme Altitude – Short distance; massive climbing |
7 | 2021 - Cullinan2Tonteldoos | One of the few on a gravel bike – so hard! |
8 | 2019 - World Marathon Champs | First time racing in Switzerland |
9 | 2024 - TransElands | Solo Time Trial from 76km (not my best idea) |
10 | 2024 - Sani2C NonStop | First time riding over 12 hours in one go! |
If you're a Munga or Freedom Challenge participant, you might think these times are no big deal compared to your usual adventures. But if you're considering stepping up to events longer than the standard marathon distance, here are some great reasons why you should. Getting involved in an ultra-distance event is seriously awesome. It's where I've felt closest to that state of "flow" in years. Maybe I'm chasing a particular feeling, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with that! Lots of riders come back year after year to events that stir up certain emotions or memories because of how it makes them feel. The stories riders share after these events are just amazing. I could sit for hours listening to each person talk about tough climbs and crazy weather. These events aren't just about overcoming challenges; I see real personal growth in every rider as they cross that finish line.
Views from Sani2C Nonstop - Anthony Grote digital media
In sports and performance psychology, we talk a lot about psychological resilience and grit. In South Africa a more simple, blanket term for this is “vasbyt”.
Grit is the passion and perseverance for long-term goals, whereas resilience is the ability to easily recover from or adjust to misfortune or change. There are many moments on route where you need to have grit to make it through physical and psychological obstacles. Take a tough climb, a scary descent, or working through the monotony of a long gravel road. In certain parts of the ride, you have no choice but to have grit to accomplish what’s right in front you – for the benefit of the performance goal (to make it up the climb without stopping) or outcome goal (to finish the event). In my opinion, once we don’t give ourselves an option other than to have instantaneous grit, that positive, non cognitive trait is an easy one to practice. All the training rides, struggles with cold, early mornings, and long-distance rides where you practiced the art of grit helped you show up more prepared for the ultra-distance event.
Resilience on the other hand is a different kind of beast. To be able to recover or pivot from adversity is not the easiest thing to do. Often those trapped in the fixed mindset space find this incredibly difficult. Have you ever struggled when plans suddenly change? Where are my A-type organizational people at? I too – have struggled with this in my life. Luckily, in the world of mountain biking, we have plenty opportunity to practice resilience. Unexpected mechanicals and crashes happen, and what is our mantra “when you get knocked down, you just get back up again…?”. Sure. But what about those times when you did everything right, and the body or mind are just not 100%?
When we speak about psychological resilience, we are talking about the off-the-bike adversity too. Where in your life can you think of times where you needed to be resilient to get through a particular time? Not necessarily the physical behaviours, but rather the psychological ones. Here’s some examples. Practicing patience in the typical morning/evening traffic instead of shouting and hooting at the taxis. Regulating your emotions in order not to shout at your toddler for filling your car’s petrol tank with water. Actively listening to your boss when they are having a hard day and venting their frustration onto you. We are constantly practicing resilience when we reset after expectations do not match reality, but each person has a tolerance for how much they can manage at any given time. Just like any other boundary being pushed and tested, resilience requires a lot of training to become an optimal psychological skill. The main ingredient to resilience is adversity. A little morbid to write it out like that, but without adversity, we’d never need adapt to our environments, i.e. – we’d never grow.
