TROPIC AIR 10TO4 MTB CHALLENGE
Title sponsor of the 10to4 Mountain Bike Challenge on the slopes of Mount Kenya, all for conservation
Welcome to the Tropic Air 10to4 Mountain Bike Challenge!
We are thrilled to welcome you once again to the breathtaking landscapes of Mount Kenya and its surrounding conservancies for this year’s 10to4! Whether you're here to ride, cheer on the cyclists, or enjoy the vibrant race village, there’s something for everyone during this action-packed weekend.
For over two decades, the Tropic Air 10to4 has been more than just a race—it has been a vital force in protecting Kenya’s most important water tower, its wildlife, forests, and communities. By taking part, you are directly supporting the Mount Kenya Trust (MKT), a Kenyan not-for-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding this iconic mountain.
MKT’s work spans four core areas: water, forests, people, and wildlife.
Highlights include:
Protecting Forests & Restoring Ecosystems: We have planted nearly 2 million indigenous trees, rehabilitating degraded areas and strengthening natural habitats.
Wildlife Conservation & Anti-Poaching Efforts: Our ranger teams patrol more than 31,000 kilometers annually, tackling illegal logging, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict. We also support the reintroduction of the endangered Mountain Bongo and work to protect Kenya’s elephant population.
Supporting Communities & Sustainable Livelihoods: From promoting regenerative agriculture to advancing Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (ASRHR), MKT integrates conservation with human well-being.
Tackling Climate Change & Water Management: With increasing climate pressures, we focus on rainwater storage, water catchment protection, and carbon and biodiversity credit initiatives to create long-term resilience.
As you ride through the diverse landscapes of Mount Kenya—up its rugged slopes, across private and community conservancies, and through vital wildlife corridors—we hope you gain a deeper appreciation for this incredible environment. Mount Kenya’s ecosystem is intricately connected to conservation efforts, farming, pastoralism, and energy production, making its protection essential for the nation’s future.
Thank you to all our 2025 sponsors, land owners, partners, volunteers and riders, who work and ride together to make this weekend happen.
So, gear up for an unforgettable adventure, embrace the highs and lows of Africa’s second-highest peak, and most importantly—enjoy the ride!
The TropiC AiR 10to4 2025
Race information
EXTREME: Exceeding what is usual or reasonable.
Distance: 75km (Day 1) & 60km (Day 2)
Held over two days, the Extreme combines both the Hardcore and the Classic. This event will challenge the fitness and technical abilities of seasoned mountain bikers and elite riders. Not for the faint of heart. Experienced mountain bikers only!
WILD: Remote, uninhabited place, unconstrained action or emotion.
Distance: 55km on Day 1 (TBC) & 60km (Day 2)
Held over two days, the Wild is aimed at those who are keen for an extra challenge, but are not quite ready for the Hardcore. On Day 1, the route will be entirely across the Borana Conservancy, while on Day 2 Wild Riders join the Classic or Rush race.
CLASSIC: Of the first or highest quality, class, or rank, of recognized value and serving as a standard of excellence.
Distance: 60km on Day 2
The Classic is an experience that has become synonymous with the 10to4. Starting at nearly 3,000 metres (10,000 ft) on the northern slopes of Mount Kenya, riders will descend some 60km over demanding terrain, through indigenous forest and wide open plains, abundant with wildlife, down to the Ngare Ndare Forest at 1940 meters (6,400 feet), then onto Borana Conservancy, finishing at Borana Race Village.
RUSH: To move very quickly; adj., intensely pleasurable or exhilarated feeling.
Distance: 57km (Day 2)
Running concurrently with the Classic on Day 2, The Rush is a less arduous 57km ride but will still provide exhilaration for younger riders, mid-level cyclists and those seasoned mountain bikers who spend more time in their office chairs than is good for them!
SLIDE: To move smoothly along.
Distance: 40km (Day 2)
Running concurrently with the Classic and Rush on Day 2, the Slide is a gently undulating and pleasant ride, suitable for all. Estimated ride time for this 39km route is between 1.5 to 4 hours, depending on ability. Children under 12 are welcome with an accompanied adult!
EBIKES: Electric powered, travel longer and faster!
Distance: WILD, CLASSIC, RUSH E-bikers will be competing in their own class and will be placed separately from the other competitors. Max. Battery size is 625 Watt Hour / Max. motor size 250 Watts
MINI 10to4: ENDURO, HOG, DASH & SCRAMBLE
Distance: 1 - 13.5 km
For our Mini 10to4 crew, a race for all ages and abilities. Come and join in the fun!
Monday 10th February
12 Noon - 4.30pm - ALL RACES pre-event check-in @ Mount Kenya Trust Office
Tuesday 11th & Wednesday 12th February
10.00am - 4.30pm - ALL RACES pre-event check-in @ The Leo Project, Behind Dormans, Nanyuki.
Thursday 13th February
Noon-6:00pm – ALL RACES pre-event check-in @ Ngare Ndare Forest Gate (Ethi)
From 3.00pm - Mini 10to4 River Route open to all riders - time trials TBC
7:00pm – EXTREME and WILD Race Briefing @ Borana Race Village
7:30pm-8:00pm - EXTREME and WILD pre-event check-in @ Borana Race Village
8:00pm – Borana Race Village gate closes. Late arrivals will not be able to enter.
Friday 14th February – DAY 1
6.30am - EXTREME and WILD pre-event check-in opens @ Borana Race Village
7.00am – EXTREME and WILD Race Briefing @ Borana Race Village
7:30am – EXTREME Race START @ Borana Race Village
7:35am – WILD Race START @ Borana Race Village
10.00am-7:30pm - ALL RACES pre-event check-in/Bike Drop @ Ngare Ndare Forest Gate (Ethi)
10.00am-4:00pm – ALL RACES BIKE DROP @ Borana Race Village
7:00pm – ALL RACES Race Briefing @ Borana Race Village
8:00pm – Borana Race Village gate closes. Late arrivals will not be able to enter.
Saturday 15th February – DAY 2 @ Kisima START Line
5.15am - BIKE DROP Riders meet @ Borana Race Village
6:30am-8.00am – ALL RACES pre-event check-in
8:00am – ALL RACES Race briefing
8:30am – EXTREME Race START
8:35am – WILD Race START
8:40am – CLASSIC Race START
8.45am – RUSH Race START
8:50am – SLIDE Race START - Group 1
9:00am - SLIDE Race START - Group 2
Late afternoon - ALL RACES prize giving
8:00pm – Borana Race Village gate closes. Late arrivals will not be able to enter.
Sunday 16th February – DAY 3 @ Borana Race Village
7:30am – Mini 10to4 enduro pre-event check-in
7:50am - Mini 10to4 enduro Race Briefing
8:00am - Mini 10to4 enduro Race START
8:00am - Mini 10to4 hog, dash & scramble pre-event check-in
8:30am – Mini 10to4 hog, dash & scrambleRace Briefing
9:00am – Mini 10to4 hog Race START
9:05am - Mini 10to4 dash race START
9:10am - Mini 10to4 scramble race START
11:30am – PRIZE GIVING Mini 10to4
4.00pm - Borana Race Village closes
2024 impact
Borana Lodge is a Global Escosphere Retreat, accredited due to our commitment to mitigating negative impacts and positively transforming the well-being of the planet and people.
All retained earnings from tourism are committed to the sustainable conservation of habitat and wildlife along with building local livelihoods.
RACE RULES
N0 1: A correctly fitting cycle helmet must be worn when riding on any stage.
N0 2: Bikes should be fit for purpose i.e. a mountain bike in good mechanical repair.
N0 3: A full disclaimer must be signed and exchanged for your race number.
N0 4: Ensure that you are self-sufficient in the event of a flat tire or other technical or personal issues. Note down the emergency contact number and fully charge your phone.
N0 5: Cycling gloves, padded shorts, water bottle, cycle pump, spare tubes, cycle repair tools, mobile phone and sunscreen are considered essential items.
N0 6: Ride of way – This concept applies to all mountain bikers around the world. If you are walking on a section because it is too technical or you are tired, you must give way to those riding. If you are behind someone pushing, simply ask them for 'ride of way'.
N0 7: Give way – If there is a faster rider behind you, find a safe place to let them pass. Shortcuts are not permitted.
N0 8: No offensive language.
N0 9: Disqualifications & penalties - Riders may be disqualified at the discretion of the organisers for any one or more of the following reasons including but not limited to, riding at any point on any stage without a helmet, bad sportsmanship or malicious behaviour and/or damaging the environment.
N0 10: Membership of AMREF - the Flying Doctor - is compulsory. In the event of an accident, all medical costs must be covered by the participant as per the signed disclaimer.
N0 11: Attach your bike number to the FRONT of your bike and do not swap numbers.
N0 12: All children aged under 12 years competing in Saturday's races must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Any child going through a water stop or across the finish line alone will be disqualified, as will the adult who should have been with them.
Check your race map and colour. Critical junctions are manned by marshals wearing high-vis vests, minor junctions are marked with signs and/or white chalk arrows, white chalk blobs or tape to guide you. There are motorcycle route openers, motorcycle roving monitors and a sweeper vehicle with a medic at the back of the race.
Beware of traffic on public roads, especially at the crossing of the main tarmac road at Kisima.
BE CONSTANTLY ALERT FOR WILD
ANIMALS ESPECIALLY ELEPHANTS, RHINO AND
BUFFALO WHICH ARE EVERYWHERE.
Wildlife rangers will be patrolling the known hazardous areas and will guide you in the event of immediate animal presence. For your own safety, their instructions must be followed without question.
We wish you a safe ride!
The Mini 10to4 races will all take place on Sunday 18th February between 7.30AM - 12NOON.
There will be four races in total, and these will be all be inside Borana Race Village on the Wild Rides river trail, with improvements from last year and some exciting obstacles and jumps that will give our mini’s a race to remember and hone their skills...
Race categories (approximate distances):
Enduro - distance 13.5km. age 8 - 12 years.
Hog - distance 9km. age 6 - 12 years.
Dash - distance 4.5km. age 6 - 8 years.
Scramble - distance 1km age 4 - 6 years.
The Safari Simbaz will be on hand to guide and support and give tips to our mini riders around the trickier bits of the course. The route will be marked and will have three waterstops, an ambulance and security along the route. The whole course is within race village and varies from 1 - 13.5km. Kids are advised to come on tubeless tyres and helmets are mandatory. Parents are welcome to cycle the course on Saturday and to accompany their kids on the route!
PARENT CHECK LIST
PRE-RACE CHECK IN
Fill in your waiver forms and medical information, collect your child’s bike badge and goody bags at any of these locations: During the week before the event in Nanyuki; - At Ethi Check In; - At the Borana Race Village or - On the morning of the race, before the race briefing, you can collect your race number and then the goody bags after the race You cannot sign up on the day for the race.
WHAT TO DO ON RACE DAY?
Wake up, have a good breakfast, and hydrate your kids! Remember to bring a helmet. Your child will not be allowed to start without one. Be at the MINI 10to4 START line at least 30 - 45 mins before the race starts. Do not miss your race!
START TIMES
ENDURO: 8:00AM
Note: To let the older riders have the course to themselves, they will start one hour earlier than last year. If your child is in the ENDURO, please ensure you arrive early!
HOG: 9:00AM
DASH: 9:05AM
SCRAMBLE: 9:10AM
Prize giving: 11:30AM
your hosts
The 10to4 would not be possible without our incredible local partners and hosts. During the course of the event you will pass through Mount Kenya National Park and Reserve, Kisima Farm, Marania Farm, Ol Donyo Farm, Ngare Ndare Forest Reserve and Borana Conservancy.
The event opens up wildlife areas that are usually public or private conservation areas. We pay a portion of the funds raised to Borana Conservancy and a portion to Ngare Ndare Forest Trust for their projects, but it is a fraction of the true value of access to these protected areas, with significant rhino and elephant populations.
The Kenya Wildlife Service and Kenya Forest Service not only waive entry fees, they help with security while you are on your bikes. Lewa Wildlife Conservancy kindly help us in a number of different ways, including security and medical assistance.
All of the farms, conservancies, MKT and Reserves deploy their security and maintenance teams along the route before and during the event to ensure your safety.
Tropic Air our headline sponsor is a critical eye in the sky and is on standby for any emergency situation. They make a huge and valued contribution by sponsoring a helicopter throughout the event to monitor both cyclists and wildlife, while carrying medics to assist if you are injured. Cottage Hostpital and Gundua help with medical assistance throughout the course.
Thank you to Rhino Ark who have lent us their radios to keep in comms with all the water stops.
For the Mini 10to4, thanks to the Wild Rides team who have been creating an awesome track for the kids to enjoy on Sunday. We also have Abayomi who are the logistics partner on the day.
thank you for your support
your hosts
eat, drink, play, dance, camp, shop, relax at the borana race village
Kisima is an extensive, highly productive, mixed working farm in Timau, Meru County. Whilst arable crops and floriculture are the primary focus, Kisima also manages a seed potato and forestry programme, and supports numerous thriving community development projects
Kisima Farm's dedication to sustainability is apparent in its responsible approach towards environmental stewardship throughout all aspects of its operations
With a heritage of high-quality crop protection technologies with the highest safety standards, Bayer’s strong integrated portfolio supports growers to improve yield and quality by managing common challenges such as downy and powdery mildew, botrytis while promoting root heath and
A bouquet of Success
WILD
THE CLASSIC , RUSH & SLIDE 2025 SATURDAY 15th FEBRUARY
Tropic Air 10to4 Vechicle Route Map
& the Start for Saturday’s Events
Outpost, Delulu’s Cafe, Vitu Too & Entrecote
ASANTE SANA to our
10to4 sponsors
a rania