The Bigg Pull Returns - A 1,650 km Journey of Strength, Endurance and South African Unity

Centurion, 24 August 2026. More than two decades after an extraordinary feat of strength captured the imagination of South Africans, The Bigg Pull is returning in 2026, bigger, more ambitious and with a renewed purpose.

Officially launched on 21 August, The Bigg Pull will see a rotating Power Team of some of South Africa’s strongest men and women pull a truck approximately 1,650 kilometres from Centurion to Cape Town over 40 days. But while physical strength will be at the centre of the challenge, the story behind The Bigg Pull is about much more than moving a truck.

It is a national journey built around strength, endurance, community and unity, taking the team through towns and communities across South Africa and inviting people along the route to become part of the experience.

A South African story more than 20 years in the making

The Bigg Pull has its roots in an extraordinary challenge undertaken in 2003, when legendary South African strength athlete Wayne Price, known as “The Gentle Giant”, led a team of 20 in pulling a truck from Centurion to Cape Town over 35 gruelling days. It was an achievement that pushed the team physically and mentally, but also demonstrated what could be accomplished when individuals worked together towards one seemingly impossible goal.

More than 20 years later, that rope is being picked up again. The 2026 Bigg Pull honours the spirit of the original journey while reimagining it for a new generation and a very different media landscape.

“The first Bigg Pull showed us that something extraordinary can happen when people commit to a shared goal and refuse to give up,” says Price. “This time we want to take that spirit even further. Yes, it is going to test us physically, but the bigger story is about the people we meet, the communities we travel through and what can happen when South Africans pull together.”

One nation. One rope.

The Bigg Pull will travel through multiple towns on its route towards Cape Town, turning the challenge into a moving national story rather than a single sporting event. Communities will be encouraged to follow the journey, support the team along the route and become part of the broader Bigg Pull story.

The challenge will also be broadcast live every day, allowing audiences around the country to follow the highs, setbacks, milestones and human stories as they happen. This live element will offer a rare view into what it takes to sustain an endurance challenge of this scale, from the physical demands placed on the Power Team to the mental resilience, teamwork and preparation required to keep moving forward day after day.

The people behind the pull

At the heart of the 2026 journey will be the Power Team itself. While the team taking part are united by physical strength, each arrives at the rope with a different background, motivation and personal story. Over the coming months, The Bigg Pull will introduce South Africans to the individuals behind the challenge, exploring their journeys, the sacrifices involved in preparing for the event and what taking part represents to each of them.

Adding another layer of purpose to the journey, each Power Team member will pull in support of a charity that is personally meaningful to them, using their participation in The Bigg Pull to raise awareness and funds for their chosen cause. 

As the team makes its way across the country, supporters will be able to follow not only the physical journey, but also the causes driving each team member forward, creating an opportunity for the challenge to leave an impact well beyond the kilometres travelled. These stories will form an important part of the broader Bigg Pull narrative, showing that strength is not measured only by what someone can lift or pull, but also by resilience, determination and the ability to use that strength to make a difference.

A challenge built for participation

The scale of The Bigg Pull means that no single person can carry it alone. The Power Team will rotate throughout the journey, with teamwork fundamental to completing the 1,650 km route. In the same way, communities, partners and supporters will each play a role in carrying the momentum of the campaign from Pretoria to Cape Town.

The launch marks the beginning of the build-up towards the challenge, with further announcements around the Power Team, their chosen charities, the route, community activations, partnerships and opportunities to participate to follow.

For Price, the return of The Bigg Pull is ultimately about recreating the spirit that made the original challenge so memorable while giving it new meaning in 2026.

“There will be difficult kilometres. There will be moments when people are exhausted and things do not go according to plan. That is part of the journey,” says Price. “The rope becomes a very simple symbol, nobody gets to Cape Town by pulling alone. We get there together.”

-ENDS-

About The Bigg Pull

The Bigg Pull is a purpose-led South African initiative that will see a rotating Power Team pull a truck approximately 1,650 kilometres from Centurion to Cape Town over 40 days. Inspired by the original 2003 Bigg Pull led by Wayne Price, the 2026 journey brings together strength, endurance, community and live storytelling in a national initiative designed to celebrate what South Africans can achieve when they pull together.

Each member of the Power Team will also use their participation to support and raise funds for a charity close to them, extending the impact of the journey to causes across South Africa.