Gravel trekking in the Kenyan savannah: a challenge to self-discovery and leadership skills.

The preparation took several months. Daniel trained in forced stages, 12-15 hours a week, with long runs, specific strength training, altitude adaptation, and a very disciplined diet. "The Migration Gravel Race is not a race to be taken lightly: every stage is intense, and recovery is as important as performance," he explains at the end of his experience. Daniel Marburger is CEO of StoneX Bullion, a cycling fanatic and ready for two-wheeled challenges like the Migration Gravel Race, billed as the "wildest gravel race in the world": four stages in the Kenyan savannah, 650 kilometers and 8,000 meters of elevation gain, through the Masai Mara region.

An experience that certainly can't be improvised: "It's been on my bucket list for a while. It's one of the most remote, beautiful, and physically demanding gravel stage races in the world, and it combines adventure, competition, and cultural experience like few other events can. For someone like me who loves cycling and testing my limits, Kenya seemed like the ultimate challenge." Daniel is no stranger to these challenges for two-wheeled fanatics: he regularly competes in races in Europe, and recently added Africa to the list with endurance events like the Cape Epic in South Africa after the Rad Race in Germany, constantly seeking races that require both physical and mental effort. From this perspective, gravel races have become a passion: "They're raw, unpredictable, and honest."

The Migration Gravel Race severely tested the physical and mental endurance of the manager, who heads one of the largest global platforms for buying and selling precious metals: “It was tougher than I expected: physically brutal, but also emotionally rewarding. Crossing the Masai Mara, riding red dirt roads, encountering giraffes and zebras is something I'll never forget. Every day was a mix of exhaustion and awe. The terrain, the altitude, the heat: everything required maximum focus.” Gravel races, by their very nature, are a challenge beyond the physical: “When you're exhausted and still have 30 kilometers of sand ahead of you, it's all about the mind. I broke down the stages into mental checkpoints: proper nutrition, breathing, finding your rhythm. And honestly, the camaraderie among the runners helped a lot. You're never truly alone out there.”

What did he take away from this challenge to the limits of endurance? “Perspective. It reminded me that discomfort and fatigue are temporary, while growth is permanent. You don't need perfect conditions; you need commitment. I returned with a deeper appreciation for simplicity, for nature, and for the power of sharing passions and goals with others. It's a competition, but it's also a journey of self-discovery,” Daniel Marburger testifies upon returning home and to the company.

A personal sporting experience that also translates into a moment of professional growth: "Bike racing stimulates me like few other things in the world. As someone who has to make decisions every day, I find that pushing my limits on the bike helps me stay mentally and physically alert, with my feet on the ground. It's also the time when I think most clearly, without my phone, without distractions, essentially just me and the bike in the middle of nature."