A Fond Farewell to Fritz Pienaar, and a Warm Welcome to JP Nortje

After more than two decades of shaping South Africa’s endurance sports landscape, Fritz Pienaar is stepping down as General Manager of Faces Advendurance and as Race Director of Ride Joburg. While this marks the close of a remarkable chapter, we’re grateful that Fritz will remain involved in our Faces Hire business and as a consultant, continuing to share his deep knowledge and passion with the Faces family.

Fritz’s story began on the trails. As a fierce competitor, he captured multiple national titles in mountain biking between 1998 and 2003 and represented South Africa on some of the world’s biggest stages. His love for the sport led him to co-found Advendurance in 2002 with Heinrich Richter and Theo Grobler. Determined to grow mountain biking in South Africa, Fritz helped build the National MTB Series, a collection of eight events across the country, all while still competing himself.

In 2008, Fritz hung up his racing shoes to focus entirely on sports event organisation. A year later, he launched the Trailseeker Series, a Gauteng-based series designed to bring top-class racing closer to home. It soon became the largest single-day MTB series, expanding into the Western Cape and transforming the local riding scene.

In 2013, Fritz teamed up with Pieter Swart to bring the Warrior Race to life. The first edition sold out with 5,000 participants, proving that the appetite for bold, new challenges was alive and well. Warrior has gone on to become South Africa’s leading obstacle course series.

When Faces acquired a majority share in Advendurance in 2019, Fritz turned his focus to new frontiers, including Ride Joburg, the Otter TERREX Trail, and even assisting at the Cape Town Marathon.

Reflecting on his journey, Fritz says:

“It was never just about organising races. It was about creating a lifestyle that brought people together around their shared passion for the outdoors. I’ve loved every moment of building that with our team, and I’m proud that we always kept the fun and camaraderie at the heart of it all. I’m excited to keep contributing through Faces Hire and to watch the next generation take things even further.”

As Fritz steps back, we’re excited to announce that JP Nortje will take over as Race Director of Ride Joburg.

JP joined Faces in 2020 after working in health and safety for Warrior. A former personal trainer with an unshakeable work ethic, JP quickly grew into key roles: Route Director for Ride Joburg, Race Director for the Warrior Race and Race to the Sun, and Race Director for the Trailseeker Series during the challenging COVID-19 years.

JP first crossed paths with Fritz in 2013, a meeting that would prove formative. Over the years, their working relationship grew into a mentorship that helped shape JP’s philosophy on events and leadership.

Looking ahead, JP shares:

“Fritz has always set a standard for what it means to lead with purpose and react calmly to the ever-changing landscape of eventing. As I step into this role, I aim to continue that legacy while also making Ride Joburg even more accessible and inclusive, so that more people can experience the magic of riding through our city. It is a huge privilege, and I’m ready to give it everything.”

As we celebrate this transition, we look back with gratitude and forward with optimism.

“Fritz has played a pivotal role in shaping Faces into what it is today. His influence is felt in every event, and we’re deeply thankful for his leadership and vision. At the same time, we’re thrilled to see JP step up. His greatest strengths have always been his people skills and his ability to lead with empathy and clarity. Those qualities will serve Ride Joburg and our entire community exceptionally well in this next chapter.” —Clark Gardner, CEO of Faces.

Thank you, Fritz, for everything you’ve given to this community. And congratulations to JP, we can’t wait to see where you take us next.