The Vodacom Coastal Classic, a 109-kilometer cycling race, is set to take place on October 4, with cyclists from 11 foreign countries joining their Tanzanian counterparts. The race will start at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam and finish in Bagamoyo on the same day. A total of 147 cyclists are expected to participate in the event. The foreign contingent will come from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa, Australia, the Netherlands, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Burundi.
The participation of cyclists from 11 foreign countries will bring the total number of represented countries to 12, including Tanzania. The event is part of the Nyerere Cycling Tour, which aims to promote cycling and support community development initiatives. The Coastal Classic is expected to feature 69 cyclists, including 27 women, as organizers continue to promote greater participation in the sport. The race has attracted increased attention after organizers raised the prize money for the winners.
The winners in both the men's and women's categories will receive Sh10 million each, while second-place finishers will receive Sh7 million, and third-place cyclists will take home Sh5 million each. The prizes were announced during the unveiling of corporate partners supporting this year's Nyerere Cycling Tour. Vodacom Tanzania PLC Director of External Affairs and Regulatory, Zuweina Farah, said the event aims to support communities through education, health, and environmental initiatives.
The Nyerere Cycling Tour, formerly known as the Twende Butiama Cycling Tour, is expected to attract more than 200 cyclists for a journey of about 1,500 kilometers from Bagamoyo to Butiama. The tour will take cyclists through 10 regions, including Pwani, Tanga, Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Manyara, Singida, Tabora, Mwanza, and Mara, before ending at the home and burial site of Tanzania's founding father, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, in Butiama.
The tour will extend beyond competitive cycling, with organizers planning a series of community initiatives along the route. Under the education component, the program will support the construction and renovation of classrooms, distribution of desks, and construction of sanitation facilities in schools. The wider program is expected to benefit more than 25,000 students through initiatives that include the distribution of 1,000 desks, renovation of classrooms, and construction of new classrooms.
Environmental activities will include tree planting, while other community interventions will focus on road safety, financial literacy, and fraud awareness. Stanbic Bank Tanzania has committed Sh300 million towards social impact activities linked to the tour, including financial literacy initiatives for young people. The bank's involvement is aimed at supporting communities rather than focusing solely on the sporting side of the event.
The growing international participation in the event reflects the expanding profile of cycling in Tanzania while giving local riders an opportunity to compete against cyclists from different countries. The Coastal Classic will serve as both a standalone elite road race and an important opening event ahead of the longer Nyerere Cycling Tour, linking sport with community development initiatives across the country. A total of 213 cyclists have already registered for the main tour, including 23 women.
Key points
- Cyclists from 11 foreign countries to participate in the Vodacom Coastal Classic.
- The event is part of the Nyerere Cycling Tour, which aims to promote cycling and support community development initiatives.
- The winners in both men's and women's categories will receive Sh10 million each.
