Bedfordview ultra-endurance event raises over R800 000 for charity

Athletes pushed beyond their limits when they participated in the Spartan Baby Badass Ultra (SBBU) event.

The event, held annually from May 2 to 3, is a 24-hour endurance race held in the suburbs of Bedfordview.

Co-founder of the SBBU, Roberto Riccardi (Spartan nickname: Belloc72), said the core running challenge requires athletes to complete 24 loops at 4.167 km per hour every hour.

For those looking for something more, challengers can take on the 100-mile (161 km) equivalent.

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The SBBU was conceptualised in 2022 by founders John Sikiotis (Johnny Cobra) and Riccardi, following years of personal experimentation on themselves and their friends with ultra-distance sleep deprivation.

Their concept was simple yet brutal: a continuous 24-hour challenge where participants must complete a specific distance every hour, on the hour.

This year marked the fifth consecutive running of the event. Riccardi shared that this year’s edition reached its runner registration limit and marked the debut of indoor rowing and swimming disciplines.

These new endurance categories follow the same 24-hour format:
• The ergs (rowing): five athletes opted for the 100 km challenge, which requires rowing 4.167 km per hour.
• The swim: swimmers took on the 25 km challenge, completing 1.05 km (42 laps) every hour. Riccardi noted that the dropping temperature through the autumn night would certainly test their resolve.

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The founders wanted to create a local ultra-endurance event centred around a strict 24-hour format.

Central to this is “the barracks” – a communal hub where athletes return in between each loop.

The barracks serve a dual purpose: they provide a dedicated area for supporters to tend to their runners, and they bring all competitors together.

“The looming threat of sleep deprivation is as constant as the race presses through the night. Only the most stubborn and resilient individuals find a way to finish,” Riccardi said.

He added that failure to complete a lap or loop within the designated hour results in elimination from the event, traditionally marked by a bagpiper playing “Taps”.

The co-founder acknowledged that this race would not be possible without the many supporters and volunteers who take part in the event, especially volunteers from Holy Rosary School and St Andrew’s School for Girls.

The Italian Club Johannesburg, Casa Serena Old Age Home and Sette Bello restaurant look after athletes throughout the event. In addition, companies like Virtual Castings, which create the one-of-a-kind SBBU belt buckles for finishers known as “Spartan Babies”, are crucial to the success of the event.

“Of course, the event would not be the same without the support of key Bedfordview athletic celebrities, Charnia Yapp, who helps with all things safety and protocol, and her husband, Jess Yapp, who runs the music and Spartan war cries throughout the event.”

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One of the key figures in this year’s event was the young and indomitable Sienna Riccardi, a previous SBBU contender, who acted as this year’s managing race director.

Riccardi said the SBBU is a proudly COW fundraising event. He further explained that COWS is an eclectic, high-energy fundraising organisation that hosts unique sporting events throughout South Africa to support the Childhood Cancer Foundation South Africa (CHOC).

The event has raised significant funds for the charity since its inception, including R1.5m in its earlier years and just under R1m during the 2025 event alone. In 2026, the SBBU has raised over R800 000.

By channelling collective efforts, Riccardi noted that the event has shifted the traditional focus of endurance sports from self-interest to a deeper charitable purpose: helping children and their families currently battling cancer.

“An important message for all the families affected by childhood cancer is to remember that they are loved and are not alone. There is an entire community of fiercely dedicated people out there who are willing to run, row or swim through the night to raise funds and show support,” Riccardi said.