Round 6 of the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship takes the paddock to Lesotho on 24–26 September for the Roof of Africa — the oldest surviving hard enduro event in the world. First run in 1967, it has never softened. Three days across the Maloti Mountains, altitudes reaching 2,639 metres, and up to 198 kilometres of Gold Class racing on the most demanding terrain the HEWC calendar has to offer.
Unlike most rounds, the Roof does not decide its winner in a single race. Here is how the format works, and what riders are preparing for.
Three Days, One Cumulative Time
Every session counts. Every second lost on Day 1 carries through to the finish. The lowest accumulated time across the Time Trial, Day 2 and Day 3 wins the event — which means there is no stage to park, no day to write off, and no margin for a mechanical that costs time a rider cannot recover.
Points are awarded separately for each day's stage position, but the overall race result — and the allocation of championship points — is determined by cumulative time, not by those daily points. The clock decides who wins in Lesotho. Championship points go to the top 15 finishers overall on final cumulative time.
Before the Race: Wednesday 23 September
All Gold Class riders must present at the Avani Lesotho Hotel and Casino in Maseru on Wednesday 23 September for administrative and technical control. There is no documentation on race day.
- 10:00–17:00 — Administrative control (Avani Hotel)
- 14:00 — Street Parade, Maseru (6–8km route)
- 15:15 — Signing session
- 16:00 — Press conference (selected riders)
- 17:00–18:00 — Technical control / scrutineering
- 18:00 — Riders briefing (all competitors)
Parts marked at scrutineering: frame (right-hand steering head), crankcase, silencer, and rear wheel/tyre for Friday and Saturday. Marked parts must remain on the bike throughout the event, and one spare silencer is permitted. All FIM competitors must present a compliant chest protector and an FRHPHE-02 homologated full-face helmet.
Day 1 — Thursday 24 September: The Time Trial
Music Box to St Patrick. Two laps, with the fastest lap counting and roughly 60 minutes between runs. Teams may work on bikes between runs, but riders use one tyre set for both. Individual starts at 30-second intervals, ordered by FIM HEWC championship standings. Start location: -29.433201, 27.647614.
The critical detail: Time Trial times count toward the overall race time. This is not a seeding exercise — these seconds follow riders for three days. Points on Day 1 are limited to the top three: 3, 2 and 1.
Day 2 — Friday 25 September: The Deep Mountain Loop
The longest and most remote day. A 110–120km loop starting and finishing at Music Box (St Patrick, -29.511083, 27.751153), with Gold away at 07:00. The route includes two unassisted fuel stops and one assisted service point near the Metolong Dam — the rear wheel and/or tyre may only be changed at that assisted point. Navigation is combined GPS and marked route, and time bars will be enforced.
Start order follows accumulated times from Day 1, fastest first at 30-second intervals. A DNF on the Time Trial means starting at the back of the group with a time bar applied. Distance is where this race is usually decided: riders who lose significant time in Friday's remote sections rarely recover it on Saturday.
Day 2 points run 10 down to 1 for the top ten.
Day 3 — Saturday 26 September: The Final Ascent
A 38km loop ridden twice from the same Music Box venue, Gold away at 07:30, with an assisted service point between laps where a rear wheel or tyre change is permitted. The loop takes in the Golden Summit in its closing kilometres — both times.
Saturday carries the most points on offer, 20 for the stage winner down to 1 for 15th, and the most weight in the championship. It is a short, brutal format that rewards the rider who has managed their energy across all three days rather than the one who charges hardest on the final morning.
Weather: Prepare for Both Extremes
The Maloti Mountains are in southern hemisphere spring. Maseru is warm and largely sunny, but race altitude reaches 2,639 metres, where temperatures drop sharply and afternoon thunderstorms arrive with little warning. Conditions at Music Box will be cooler than in Maseru.
- Thursday 24 September — 24° / 9°C, rather cloudy with an afternoon thunderstorm. 55% chance of rain.
- Friday 25 September — 24° / 10°C, partly sunny and pleasant. 1% chance of rain.
- Saturday 26 September — 24° / 13°C, mostly cloudy with thunderstorms in spots in the afternoon. 55% chance of rain.
Forecast source: AccuWeather Maseru. Actual conditions at race altitude will be significantly cooler, and time bars on Thursday and Saturday afternoons may be affected if storms arrive. Riders should monitor the official Telegram group at t.me/theroofofafrica and the HEWC riders channel on Sportity (password: HEWC).
Equipment: Three Days That Punish Preparation
Three days in the Maloti Mountains ask more of equipment than almost anywhere else on the calendar, and several of the championship's official partners supply the areas most exposed here.
Tyres. Friday looks dry, while Thursday and Saturday both carry a 55% chance of afternoon storms at altitude — loose wet rock and mud on Day 1, potentially baked hard by Friday, unpredictable again on Saturday. Rear tyres can only be changed at the assisted service point on Day 2 and between laps on Day 3, so the choice between hard-compound and intermediate needs to be settled before the briefing, with a spare ready for Saturday. Official partner Plews Tyres supports a substantial portion of the HEWC field, including Mario Roman, James Moore and Matthew Green.
Protection and kit. Gold riders are in the mountains for up to eight hours across the three race days, at altitudes markedly colder than the start/finish, where a loop can turn from warm sunshine to driving rain. Comfort matters as much as protection over that distance. S3 Parts body armour and protection systems are built for riders spending extended time at full effort.
Bearings. The Maloti Mountains are full of water crossings, loose rock and mud — the contamination environment where wheel bearing damage begins. According to Factory Links' technical research, deterioration typically starts with contamination and lubrication breakdown well before any detectable play at the wheel. At the Roof of Africa, a mechanical on Day 2 is a remote mountain problem. Factory Links OEM Series bearing kits pair P6/ABEC 3 deep-groove ball bearings with NBR double-lip oil seals and marine-grade moisture-resistant grease.
Nutrition. Friday's 110–120km includes two unassisted fuel stops, meaning service crews are absent for most of the hardest stage on the calendar. At altitude the body burns energy faster and cold accelerates fluid loss even when riders do not feel it. USN performance nutrition is built for sustained high output — and intake needs planning across all three days, not just race morning.
What's at Stake
Manuel Lettenbichler arrives in Lesotho leading the championship, having taken maximum points at Round 5, the Abestone Hard Enduro in Italy, where he won Sunday's Gold Final by more than six minutes from Mitch Brightmore. Teodor Kabakchiev completed the podium, while James Moore took the Junior win and fourth overall and Mario Roman recovered from an overnight engine change to finish fifth. Ashton Brightmore continues to lead the Junior World Championship.
Lesotho also brings a home-soil dimension: South Africans Wade Young and James Moore both sit inside the championship top ten and know this terrain as well as anyone in the field.
Three rounds remain after Lesotho closes: the Roof of Africa is followed by Sea to Sky in Turkey on 8–10 October, and the season finale, 24MX Hixpania Hard Enduro in Spain on 23–25 October.
Full event information and entry details are available at theroofofafrica.com. Follow the title fight at the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship standings.