The Sondela Marathon gives Samantha Sanders and Marc Pritzen a chance to strengthen their Ford Trailseeker Series leads this weekend.

After three rounds of the 2026 Ford Trailseeker Series, both riders lead the chase for the R100 000 grand prize. Round four takes place at Sondela on Saturday, 27 June.

Sanders heads the elite women’s standings on 70 points after one victory and one second place. Pritzen starts the weekend with a 27-point lead over Ignatius du Preez in the elite men’s classification.

Sondela Marathon route favours speed and tactics

The Sondela Marathon route should produce fast racing across the Nature Reserve. The course covers 66.7 kilometres and includes only 588 metres of climbing.

That profile gives little room for long climbing attacks. It could instead reward positioning, power, and team decisions.

Sanders enters as the 2025 South African Marathon Champion and a strong all-rounder. An early move could force rivals to chase separately or cooperate behind her.

Her strongest challenger may come from inside her own Efficient Infiniti Insure team. Sarah Maré remains close enough to keep pressure on the series leader.

Maré needs to beat Sanders at Sondela to keep the overall contest open. Sanders can create a wider gap if she finishes ahead of her teammate.

Women’s race brings depth beyond the series leaders

The women’s race will not revolve only around Sanders and Maré. Frances Janse van Rensburg returns after missing the Van Gaalen round in early June.

Janse van Rensburg brings major road pedigree as a double South African road champion. The flowing trails should help her use her power against the mountain bike specialists.

Tania Burgarin Ortiz, Sanchia Malan, and Roxanne Kemp resume their own battle at Sondela. Malan and Kemp sit only nine points apart in the overall standings.

A top-five result would move Malan into third overall, ahead of injured Vera Looser. Kemp could also close on Malan with a third-place finish.

Burgarin Ortiz sits further down the standings. However, her Van Gaalen ride showed her strength on Highveld terrain.

Kemp and Burgarin Ortiz appear closely matched. Both riders will want to gain the upper hand this weekend.

Danielle du Toit adds further interest for Safari Essence Titan Racing. She finished third at the Cradle round before taking a mid-season racing break.

Her current form remains unclear. Her racing quality still makes her a strong top-five contender.

Luzaan Durand leads the younger riders chasing a breakthrough elite result. She looks close to a top-five finish but faces a crowded field.

Lianke Fourie, Megan Boschoff, Bianca Botha, and Caitlin Mee are also in that group. Keara Botha, Larissa Meintjes, and Ali Erskine complete the listed elite women’s starters.

Pritzen faces sprint threats in men’s contest

Pritzen holds a useful advantage in the men’s series race. Du Preez, second overall, is not listed to start on Saturday.

That situation points toward another contest between Pritzen and Jaedon Terlouw. They were closely matched at the Cradle and Van Gaalen rounds in May and June.

Sondela may prevent a simple two-rider duel. The course profile could keep a larger group together until the final kilometres.

In 2025, Johan de Villiers won from an eight-rider group. Another sprint finish remains a strong possibility this year.

Pritzen can draw confidence from his road background if the race ends in a sprint. Terlouw also has reason to back himself after outsprinting Ryan Gibbons to win Ride Joburg.

Philip Buys adds another major sprint and tactical threat. Jan Withaar viewed Buys as a key danger near the Van Gaalen finish.

Withaar and his Insect Science teammates may need to alter the finale. Wessel Botha and Keagan Bontekoning could help shape the closing moves.

The Ford Raptor Sprint rises four kilometres from the finish. If it fails to split the group, the finale could become chaotic.

Travis Rademan-Ludeke, Halalisani Ndebele, Andre van Rooyen, and Damon Terblanche could benefit if the favourites hesitate. Marking and counterattacks may decide the final approach.

Top-ten chase adds more intrigue

Pieter du Toit returns to racing for Ford Prime Bunch at Sondela. His supporters will watch for signs of top-ten form.

Pieter Korkie, Tabiso Zindela, and Jean du Plessis also target similar results. The depth of the start list makes that goal difficult.

They face Mothekgi Makgatho, Stephan Aldum, Thembani Njobeni, and Mahlatse Ubisi. Other listed contenders include Diwan Prinsloo, Wium du Toit, Luan Vermeulen, and Liam Hoffmann.

Lumardt Pienaar, Lethabo Happy, Felix Rogotzki, Gerhard Bekker, and Kevin Scholtz are also due to race.

Saturday’s forecast points to a cold start, with temperatures rising later in the afternoon. Racing updates are scheduled from 07:30 on the Trailseeker Series Instagram and Facebook channels.

Highlights from the race and the wider series are set for the Ford Trailseeker Series YouTube channel.

For additional reporting, see trailseeker.co.za.