Rider's Brief | #1 Banhoek 31 January 2026
Welcome to the Ford Trailseeker Series, where mountain biking meets wide open trails, big scenery, and honest adventure. This Rider’s Guide includes everything you need to know to arrive prepared, confident, and ready to ride.
PRE-REGISTRATION
There will be a pre registration taking place on Friday 30 January from 09:00 until 16:00 at Specialized Paarl.
RACE DAY INFORMATION
Please note:
No late entries will be accepted.
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:
There are road works on the R45. Please add additional travel time to ensure you are not late for your start.
EMERGENCY INFO
- 066 247 2123
In case of an Emergency
In case of an emergency during the race, please contact the race organisers immediately on the official emergency number. Please save this number to your phone before race day.
VENUE
Please note we have a separate start and finish at the venue. The map below will assist you. A dedicated Wahoo warm-up zone and holding area will be next to the start batches.
START TIMES
Please arrive at least 30 mins before your start time.
BATCH | DISTANCE | START TIME |
Elite Men | Marathon | 06:30 |
Elite Woman | Marathon | 06:33 |
A Men | Marathon | 06:45 |
A Woman | Marathon | 06:48 |
B | Marathon | 06:51 |
C | Marathon | 06:54 |
D | Marathon | 06:57 |
E | Marathon | 07:00 |
F | Marathon | 07:03 |
A Men | Half Marathon | 08:23 |
A Woman | Half Marathon | 08:26 |
B | Half Marathon | 08:29 |
C | Half Marathon | 08:32 |
E-Bikes | Half Marathon | 08:41 |
A Men | Half Marathon Short | 09:00 |
A Woman | Half Marathon Short | 09:03 |
B | Half Marathon Short | 09:06 |
A | Fun Ride | 09:15 |
ROUTE PROFILES
MARATHON | 63.5KM
HALF MARATHON | 36KM
HALF MARATHON SHORT | 20KM
FUN RIDE | 10KM
RACE RESULTS & PRIZE GIVING
Race results will be posted live online during the event. Final official results will be published on the Ford Trailseeker Series website by Wednesday, 4 February.
Prize giving for Elites will be at 11am and Age Categories at 12pm.
ELITE LICENSING AND BATCHES
To be eligible for the overall prize money, you must hold a valid Elite license from CSA. If you’re not already licensed, you can purchase one through CSA.
Elite riders are only eligible for overall prizes, while age-category riders are only eligible for age-category prizes. If you choose to race as an Elite, you will not be allowed to move down to age categories later in the season.
The Elite men and women will race in separate batches, while age-category contenders will start in Batches A-D.
ELITE SERIES LEADERBOARD
This year, a new points system has been introduced for elite marathon men and women at Ford Trailseeker. All non-elite riders continue to compete under the standard series leaderboard points system, which remains unchanged across all distances and categories.
For elites, every race now counts. There is no best four from six, just consistent racing across all six events. Points are awarded based purely on finishing position, with only the top 20 scoring at each race.
SERIES LEADERBOARD
All riders outside of the elite men and women compete under the standard Ford Trailseeker Series Leaderboard Points System. This system remains unchanged and applies to all distances and categories.
The Series Leaderboard allows riders to track their progress and compare their performance against others throughout the season. Rankings are based on points accumulated across events and are specific to distance and gender.
Your best four results will contribute to your standing on the Ford Trailseeker Series leaderboard. The leaderboard will be updated after each event and can be viewed on our website.
Thank you for being a part of the Ford Trailseeker Series. We wish you an incredible race filled with excitement and personal achievement. Ride safe, have fun, and we’ll see you on the trails.