A classic Highveld winter’s morning delivered near-perfect racing conditions for the elite women at Round 2 of the Ford Trailseeker Series on Saturday, 2 May 2026, where African Marathon Champion Vera Looser claimed victory after an intense race-long battle with Efficient Infiniti Insure teammate Samantha Sanders at Cradle Moon.
The pair proved untouchable from the early stages of the 62-kilometre marathon, distancing the rest of the field once the climbing began in earnest. Efficient Infiniti Insure teammate Sarah Maré set the early pace during the opening 10 kilometres before Looser and Sanders surged clear to establish an unassailable advantage.
For much of the race, the leading duo traded turns at the front across the demanding Cradle Moon trails. Sanders looked poised to gain the upper hand near the end of the Ford Raptor Rampage sector, opening a valuable gap with 27 kilometres remaining. But Looser responded immediately, digging deep to close the deficit and reignite the battle for victory.
The decisive moment came atop the final climb, just three kilometres from the finish, when Looser launched the race-winning move before entering the last technical singletrack section.
“I managed to get into the final singletrack ahead of Sam,” Looser explained afterwards. “In the muddy conditions you really had to focus on riding clean, so being in front was a massive advantage. I tried to keep the pressure on during the descent to the finish and I’m really happy to take the win.”
Looser crossed the line in 3:04:34, with Sanders finishing just 36 seconds later after one of the closest contests of the season so far.
Behind the leading pair, Danielle du Toit delivered an encouraging return to form to secure third place for Safari Essence. Maré followed in fourth, while Frances Swanepoel rounded out the top five with a strong ride.
Luzaan Durand, Tania Bester, Roxanne Kemp, Caitlin Mee and Karlise Scheepers completed the elite women’s top ten.
Elite Women’s Marathon Results:
Vera Looser: Efficient Infiniti Insure (3:04:34)
Samantha Sanders: Efficient Infiniti Insure (3:05:10 | +36)
Danielle du Toit: Safari Essence (3:15:09 | +10:35)
Sarah Maré: Efficient Infiniti Insure (3:18:47 | +14:13)
Frances Jansen van Rensburg (3:23:40 | +19:06)
To recap on the action from the race and to see the beautiful scenery of Cradle Moon Lakeside Game Lodge, follow @trailseekerseriesmtb on Instagram and like the Ford Trailseeker MTB Series Facebook page. Highlights from the race and the series can be viewed on the Ford Trailseeker Series YouTube channel. For more information, visit www.trailseeker.co.za.
For the full results from the Cradle round of the Ford Trailseeker Series, please click here.