Safari, Karaya eye more Loop wins after triumphant start in Limuru

Dinnah Safari of Airpocket and Kenneth Karaya of Black Mamba Development Squad are confident of more wins in this year's Loop Safari Gravel Series following a triumphant start the past weekend.

The duo won the elite 100km race, women and men, as the 2026 Loop Safari Gravel Series kicked off at the iconic Limuru Country Club on Saturday, marking a powerful start to Season Three of East Africa’s premier gravel cycling series that had a record 822 elite and recreational cyclists from across the region.

In the women’s race, Safari powered to victory after a strong tactical ride with a time of 04:08:04. She was followed by Kendra Masiga (04:09:23) of Team Loop Squad in second place as Team Ariya Finergy Solar Vortex captain Monica Jelimo (04:12:52) came home third to round off the podium.

“I am so happy and glad that I won the first leg of the 2026 series. It was part of our team’s plan, and I am happy it worked. When the race started it was a bit hard, but I managed to go ahead of all the girls. I am hoping for more wins in the upcoming events, and I am confident it will come to be,” Safari said.

Reigning Kenya National Men’s Gravel Champion Karaya delivered a commanding performance to claim the men’s title at Limuru with time of 03:06:50. He was closely followed by teammate Stanley Ngugi (03:10:32) as Uganda's Jordan Schleck (03:13:35) finished third.

“This win is a big motivation for me to train more and do well in the other races in the series this year,” Karaya said. “The race started slow and was quite muddy, but we picked up the pace because my plan was to go hard, and it all worked out,” he added. 

In the men’s 50-kilometre category, Ishmael Imani clinched first place with a time of 02:05:31, followed by Ian Wanyeki (02:05:50) and Kelvin Kamore (02:06:18). Joanne Carroll (02:28:17) won the women’s race as Jill Magrath (02:31:43) and Nira Mwangi (02:33:09) came home second and third, respectively, to seal the podium places.

The 20-kilometre and 5-kilometres races saw an inspiring turnout of recreational riders and junior cyclists, underscoring the series’ commitment to inclusivity and grassroots development.

The top five winners in the elite 100-kilometre race, both men and women, were awarded cash prizes of KES 20,000, KES 15,000, KES 10,000, KES 7,000, and KES 5,000, respectively. 

The 2026 calendar now moves to Naivasha on June 13 for the UCI-accredited second leg, followed by the coast edition in Vipingo on August 28. The season will culminate in the highly anticipated Riders’ Choice edition on October 24, a unique finale where cyclists vote to determine the destination, reinforcing the community-led spirit of the series.

Men 100 KM Top 5 

Kenneth Karaya - 03:06:50

Stanley Ngugi - 03:10:32

Jordan Schleck - 03:13:35

Benard Njoroge - 03:18:40

John Muchiri - 03:19:21

Women 100 KM Top 5

Dinnah Safari - 04:08:04

Kendra Masiga - 04:09:23

Monica Jelimo - 04:12:52

Martinie Ditona - 04:40:41

Mary Aleper - 04:44:37