The Adventure Racing World Series Africa calendar for 2025 includes 5 events in a selection of stunning locations and is supported by Merrell South Africa, who are proud to invest in this healthy and thriving community.

Adventure racing is a sport where independent Race Directors put their own personality and ethos into a unique course, each one suited to the wild and beautiful environments they are working in. Adventure Racing also depends on the enthusiastic support of teams, and the Africa Series and regional ranking points system is designed to encourage regular racing and foster this vibrant community.

Merrell’s involvement in adventure racing encompasses and supports the sport and its development through their sponsorship of the ARWS Africa Series and events.

As the title sponsor of ARWS Africa, Merrell is instrumental in bringing events together to create the annual series and sustaining a competitive community of athletes.

Throughout the year, teams score ranking points at each event and at the annual Africa Championship race elite teams duel for the coveted title of ARWS Africa Champion and a free entry to the annual AR World Championship.

This year’s championship race is the Wild@Heart race, organised by experienced racer Adrian Saffy in the Eastern Cape. The title will be contested over a 200km course from October 24-26th. The series opens with the Mountain Mammoth Adventure Race on April 4-6th.

“Merrell has once again embarked on a journey to support ARWS Africa and we are proud to be associated with the AR World Series brand and events,” says Liezel Jooste, Marketing Manager at Medicus Shoes, the importer and distributor of Merrell footwear in South Africa.

“We are so thankful for Merrell’s support over many years,” says Heidi Muller, CEO of Adventure Racing World Series.

“Their investment in adventure racing contributes to the continued growth of our sport and elevation of the competitiveness of teams locally and internationally. This has benefitted the community as a whole and continues to do so.”

About Merrell

For more information about Merrell South Africa, visit www.merrell.co.za where you can see more about their products, the events they support and can read their excellent blog.

About AR World Series Africa

The Adventure Racing World Series (ARWS), established in 2001, is a global platform that unites professional adventure races in iconic locations to serve a worldwide community of adventurers and endurance athletes. The series includes over 80 events on 6 continents in 2025.

ARWS Africa is a regional series of events of 150-250km, where one race serves as the annual championship and the winners receive a free place at the Adventure Racing World Championship.

ARWS Africa Series Races 2025;

4-6 April 2025: Mountain Mammoth Adventure Race (120km), Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape
https://adventureracing.co.za/

1-4 May 2025: Hessequa Adventure Race (250km), Riversdale, Western Cape
https://adventures.africa/

22-24 August 2025: Expedition Africa Magoebaskloof (250km), Limpopo
https://expafrica.net/expedition-africa-250km-120km-adventure/

24-26 October 2025: Wild@Heart Adventure Race (200km), Eastern Cape - AFRICA CHAMPIONSHIP
https://www.wildatheartar.com/ 

28-30 November 2025: No Frills, No Fuss (150km), Western Cape
https://www.nfnf.co.za/

Alongside the ARWS Africa Series the following World Series Qualifier races are also scheduled to take place in Africa. These are longer, expedition races attracting international teams.

ARWS Expedition Races (World Championship Qualifiers) in Africa;

28 April – 3 May 2025: Raid Bimbache Morocco (460km)Morocco
https://www.raidbimbache.com/
4-15 June 2025: The Ratel Expedition (450km), Richtersveld, Northern Cape, South Africa.
https://www.nfnf.co.za
13 – 26 March 2026: Expedition Africa Drakensberg (500km), KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
https://expafrica.net/EA2026