The 2026 Ford Trailseeker MTB Series ran across six events, from Banhoek on 31 January to Bosman Family Vineyards in Wellington on 12 September.
Thousands of riders took part over the season. Eighteen of them were on the start line, and the finish line, at every single one.
We call them the Six from Six, and this one is for them.
How 2026 played out
Banhoek kicked things off in the summer sun in January. Riders rolled out through the vineyards of the Banhoek Valley alongside some of the biggest international names in the sport.
In May, the series moved to Cradle Moon Lakeside Game Lodge for a classic Highveld winter’s day on the bike. Van Gaalen Cheese Farm followed, packing 1 200m of climbing into the first 45km. That made for a hard start and a well-earned run home.
Sondela Nature Reserve served up the flattest, fastest route of the season, and a bushveld weekend away for plenty of riders. Die Bosveld, just north of Pretoria, kept the pace high to close out the Highveld leg.
Then Wellington saved the drama for last. Rain tacked up the Walvanpas Trails at Bosman Family Vineyards, and two finishes came down to a single second.
Marc Pritzen and Sarah Maré were crowned series champions after a season that produced six different race winners across the elite men and women. Pritzen won the final round by one second to seal his title. Maré took second behind teammate Samantha Sanders to seal hers. Both champions rode all six events, which puts them on the list below.
What it takes to ride all six
Showing up for every round means building eight months around six dates. Riders who do it have to plan travel, book accommodation, fit in training, and arrive ready to ride on every one of those weekends, whatever the trails and the weather have in store.
The Six from Six did exactly that. A few family names appear more than once on the list, which says plenty about what this series means to the people who ride it.
“Completing all six events takes real commitment, from planning the travel to arriving ready at every start line. Seeing eighteen riders do that this season, including both of our series champions, means a great deal to the whole team. They represent exactly the kind of community we set out to build with this series, and we look forward to seeing them at the start line again in 2027,” said JP Nortje, Ford Trailseeker race director.
The 2026 Six from Six
Brendon De Beer
Stephan De Beer
Carl De Jager
Migael De Jager
Wilanie du Toit
Willem Du Toit
Paul Izzard
Roxanne Kemp
Sarah Maré
Sakhiwo Ntsheyiya
André Olivier
Nico-Maré Olivier
Marc Pritzen
Peter Robb
Frik Scheepers
Jaedon Terlouw
Cindy Van Zyl
Thabiso Zindela
To all of you, thank you for riding the whole season with us.
What’s next
Details of the 2027 series, including dates and venues, will be announced on 3 November. Riders can stay up to date by following @trailseekerseriesmtb on Instagram and liking the Ford Trailseeker MTB Series Facebook page. Highlights from every race can be viewed on the Ford Trailseeker Series YouTube channel. For more information, visit www.trailseeker.co.za.
See you on the trails.