Attakwas Extreme takes place on Sat, Jan 16, 2027 in Oudtshoorn, South Africa. The main route is 120 km.
- Date
- Sat, Jan 16, 2027
- Start
- Oudtshoorn 🇿🇦
- Distance
- 120 km
- Climbing
- 2,650 m
- Level
- Open to all
Attakwas Extreme is a notoriously tough one-day mountain-bike race, with the 2027 Extreme course running 120 km from outside Oudtshoorn to Great Brak River through rocky Klein Karoo terrain and corrugated gravel roads.
What would it take you?
Pick the level closest to yours for an estimate of finish time on this course and the training a solid preparation needs.
Estimated finish
5:50–7:05
Peak-week training
6–8 h/week
A model estimate from distance, climbing and level, not a promise. Conditions, drafting and pacing move it.
IntervalCoach turns those weekly hours into a concrete plan built around your actual fitness. Start with this race as your goal
Your road to race day
Race day at Attakwas Extreme is 18 weeks away. This is how a coach divides that time. The first phase starts now.
01Base6 weeks · Sep 13, 2026 – Oct 24, 2026
Aerobic foundation: mostly steady endurance work that grows the aerobic engine and the durability the later phases stand on.
02Build6 weeks · Oct 25, 2026 – Dec 5, 2026
Progressive overload: training load climbs in waves, with harder weeks stacked on the base and planned recovery weeks that let the gains land.
03Peak3 weeks · Dec 6, 2026 – Dec 26, 2026
The hardest weeks of the plan: race-specific intensity at nearly full training load, sharpening exactly what this race asks for.
04Taper2 weeks · Dec 27, 2026 – Jan 9, 2027
Volume drops while intensity stays: short, sharp efforts keep the legs awake as fatigue drains away.
05Race week1 week · Jan 10, 2027 – Jan 16, 2027
Openers, rest and logistics. The work is done; the job now is arriving fresh.
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