Halfway Mark: Heywood’s R1m child hunger drive on a 650km bike ride

Co-founder of Union Against Hunger Mark Heywood had finished the fourth day – a gruelling 110km day of mountain biking – of the Go2Sea race when he spoke to Daily Maverick. He had not even showered yet. 

“The first four days have been tough, and demanding, and at times full of doubt about whether I have the physical capacity to do it,” he said.

He has seen the beauty and kindness of people as well as the country. He’s also seen the other side – the sheer poverty of rural black South Africa, where most people are unemployed.

“What strikes me is that we ought to be able to join the dots as a country, and that everybody would benefit if we joined the dots effectively.” 

Every day, when Heywood reaches the end of the ride, he is greeted by children from schools that host the riders. They take his bike to have it washed and show him where his tent is. They’re having fun too, he said. 

“They are innocent to the inequalities that will manifest later in life,” he added. 

On the fourth day he did a 50 switchback – a zigzag route from the bottom to the top of Spionkop in KwaZulu-Natal. It’s more than 3km of tough back-and-forth riding. 

Read more

Child hunger drives bid to raise R1-million on 650km cycle ride

September 10, 2026

It’s also a feat of mountain bike trail building to create such a route, he said. They do it without decimating nature; there’s no concrete and no artificial additions, just a path up a hill. 

“It is a low-environmental impact sport. It leaves nothing behind after you pass through, and it’s a sport that I feel South Africa could take much more advantage of as a source of tourism and understanding the country and understanding the people of the country.” 

On this ride there are about 50 e-bike riders. An e-bike has an engine and allows people to cover the trails long after their fitness to ride arduous terrain has passed. It is not just for older people to be able to see the country and exercise – it is for everyone. Heywood is not using an e-bike (yet). 

“Things are changing. I think this whole race shows that there’s a huge untapped potential and market in South Africa. Mountain biking still needs transformation. It’s still too white, reflecting class primarily, but class equates with race. But in the same way that running has transformed in the past decade, mountain biking can transform. And in the same way that hiking post-Covid has become hugely popular in all demographics, and particularly in lower-income demographics, that ought to be the future of mountain biking.”

The race to raise R1-million is off to a good start, with about R9,000 raised so far. 

“I appeal to people to make donations, and I promise people that all the money that we raise will be used well to fuel the Union Against Hunger’s advocacy and activism, but also directly to support some of the food kitchens that we work with, who keep people alive and keep people with dignity on a day-to-day basis, but of course we want to be able to give those food kitchens significant amounts of money.” 

The fundraising campaign begins with his bike ride and ends in December. When they set the target of R1-million, they weren’t joking, Heywood added. They need to raise that – and more – to build the movement South Africa needs to address our hunger crisis. 

“It’s evident as you ride, little kids asking for sweets and chocolates on the side of the path. They’re not just asking because of the novelty of sweets and chocolates, but because sweets and chocolate represent food, and that’s the tragedy – the beauty and the beastly poverty, as I call it – that we can overcome.”

On the fifth day (15 September) Daily Maverick checked in with Heywood about the upcoming cycle from Nottingham Road to Karkloof. 

“Touch wood, I’m feeling good. It rained a little last night. The sun is shining. We camped at Clifton Preparatory School, a truly beautiful school, that makes me think that all children should have the opportunity for learning and developing in safety and splendour. They could, if we were serious about all the country’s children.” DM

You can donate to the BackaBuddy campaign here.