Fortuner Challenge celebrates 10 years with tightest finish ever
The Fortuner Challenge, powered by Quartz, has, for the last 10 years, offered the public a chance to test their mettle and walk away with a brand-new Toyota Fortuner. The 2026 instalment was no different, and each and every finalist in this year's competition was a worthy candidate.
The Fortuner Challenge, an annual event that pits everyday challengers against Toyota athletes for the grand prize of a brand new Toyota Fortuner celebrated its 10th anniversary this year.
Every year, four public contestants are chosen by four media houses to be paired up with a Toyota Hero, an Toyota athlete that has proven their mettle on the sports field. This year saw Saood Variawa - Toyota Gazoo Rally Raid driver, Tamar Gliksman - competitive showjumper, Clayton Blommetjies - Toyota Cheetahs rugby player, and Morgan Gould - Kaizer Chiefs alumni representing the Heros.
Public contestants were selected by four media houses to represent the challengers with Lelani Loots being selected by Media24, Shaun Farrell by Arena Holdings, Stephan Jacobs by Independent Media, and Andre Malan by Supersport.
Paired with a Hero, the contestants tackled a variety of physical and problem-solving challenges over the span of 48 hours, scoring points along the way.
The pairing of Farrell and Gould showed that physical stamina is a key element in the Fortuner Challenge, but found the competition stiff against the Blommetjies and Malan pairing, who also showed intense physical prowess.
Jacobs and Gliksman were never far from contention though, and keen communication allowed them to stay in contention throughout the event, with the Variawa and Loots combo calling on Variawa’s previous experience in the Fortuner Challenge.
Over the course of the event, the lead changed hands several times and by the close of Day 1, a mere 4 points separated all the teams.
Challenging Tasks
Challenges ranged from orienteering tasks with their Garmin watches with paddling and sprinting the order of the day. This was followed by a test of concentration, despite fighting the exhaustion and fatigue as teams attempted to complete a deft obstacle course and build a puzzle.
The afternoon challenged the Heroes’ fitness and endurance on an indoor cycling rig while their partners had to simultaneously beat the clock with a timed agility challenge.
The evening wasn’t for resting and a treasure hunt followed by a Fortuner tug-of-war tested both body and spirit, before allowing the contestants a brief respite before the second day called.
The wet and windy terrain of the Cape Winelands greeted the contestants that morning, and the activities kicked off with a Specialized mountain biking challenge, first using the new Levo R e-bikes for an uphill drag race, followed by a variable mountain route with rapid-fire questions along the way.
It wasn’t all grit and determination though as the teams then had to bake a pizza with a list of ingredients to pair with a specific Blaauwklippen wine - because the Fortuner isn’t only about the rugged outdoors, it has a sense of sophistication as well.
Midday challenges consisted of the Oakley blind puzzle and a round robin padel tournament, keeping the heart rate up, and the mind engaged, before the final set of challenges was to take place.
The final onslaught came in the form of a multi-discipline challenge, consisting of a variety of tasks ranging from an obstacle course, a blindfolded maze, off-road driving gymkhana, football challenge, and an arduous balancing task that was set to break spirits.
There Can Be Only One
Ultimately, it was the pairing of Tamar Gliksman and Stephan Jacobs that pipped the opposition, relying on strong communication, teamwork, and sheer determination to come out on top.
Jacobs walks away with a brand new Toyota Fortuner 2.4 GD-6, gear from Specialized, Oakley, Salomon, Garmin, Total Quartz, Thule, and Blaauwklippen, as well as the title of the Fortuner Challenge, powered by Quartz, for 2026.
