Back in June, the inaugural Migration Gravel Race took place in the Maasai Mara, Kenya. Its aims were multiple – open up the East Africa gravel scene to world-class international riders, showcase the region and its riders to the international media, but perhaps most importantly, help offer local gravel riders the opportunity (Fursa, in Swahili) to compete on level playing field.

“This event was not about charity. These guys don’t need handouts or sympathy, what they need is an opportunity” Mikel Delagrange, Migration Gravel Race organiser.

“When people get a chance to come here and see it for themselves, there’s a levelling. These [local] riders come from a totally different culture, they speak different languages, but then you’re riding side by side, suffering at the same time, smiling at the same time, it makes you realise that we’re all pretty similar. Cycling brings us together.”

Ian Boswell, Wahoo Frontiers pro rider

One of the outcomes of the race is that four East African gravel riders have been chosen to race for Team Amani and they will be sponsored to travel to the USA to compete in four international gravel events. But they’re only going to do it once the riders are ready to compete as equals:

“We’re not going to enter a gravel race until we’re ready, and when we’re ready then people are going to say “Oh Sh*t. There’s somebody from East Africa here - it’s going to be a hard race”. That’s what we want.“

Delagrange, Migration Gravel Race organiser

This fantastic, uplifting film not only gives an insight into the Migration Gravel Race, but looks at the bigger picture of how we can help everyone enjoy the sport that we all love.