Entries open for Plett adventure race
For almost a decade now visitors to Plettenberg Bay over the Easter weekend have had ample opportunity to not only work off those Easter eggs, but at the same time experience the natural beauty the coastal holiday town has to offer.
This year is no different with the ninth Pennypinchers Adventure Racing weekend from March 26 to 27. Entries have just opened and according to organisers, this year’s event is going to be the biggest yet.
The Pennypinchers Adventure Easter weekend events started nine years ago with only the Pennypinchers Easter surfski challenge, which attracts the country’s top paddlers.
Since then, several other events have been added to the programme thanks to more sponsors coming on board. These include the Pennypinchers Cairnbrogie Easter trail runs and the Pennypinchers night mountain bike relay.
The series caters for the whole family, including fun events for the youngsters, and all fitness levels.
This year there is a new addition to the programme – the Dash for Cash surfski challenge – which will see participants take each other on over about 1km. The challenge will be concluded on a knockout basis with heats drawn before the start of the race. Up for grabs is R6 000 in prize money and a luxury weekend away for two at Tamodi Lodge.
This event will also end the weekend’s racing on Sunday, March 27 at 16:30.
Earlier that day about 50 to 60 paddlers will compete in the 20km surfski challenge. The route will be chosen based on the ocean conditions on the day, with two options including the new mouth Keurbooms or an open ocean paddle around Robberg. There will also be a shorter course for novices.
The Saturday’s action will be packed with trail running and mountain biking.
At 8.30 about 300 runners will cross the startline at the Cairnbrogie Farm and participate in a 17 to 18km run.
This year’s route is going to be a tough one and will see some new additions along the coast and boasts a couple of good climbs. The route offers breathtaking views along a mixture of single track, jeep track and cow paths. There will also be a shorter route for youngsters 12 years and older and a 5km for children between 10 and 12.
For the little ones the programme also includes the Spur Kiddies farmyard 1.5km adventure trail again this year, and is a self-guided walk for parents and children along the dam, through the forests, past the calf pens and back to the finish line for goodie bags.
The run started with Cairnbrogie Farm owner Andrew Hill offering the barn and his farm as a venue to do a trail run on Easter Friday. The first year’s longest route was only 12km and became one for the first trail runs in the Plett area.
The idea of adding the night event to the programme came to organisers about three years ago while tending to race markers and branding after the trail run. Darkness fell midway through tiding up and organisers realised what a spectacular experience riding the area at night would offer riders. And so the Pennypinchers Cairnbrogie MTB Nite Relay was born. Each team will consist of two people and the aim is to see how many laps of the 4km to 6km course they can complete in two hours. The team with the most laps take the title.
Just before the event there will also be a sundowner ride for children who compete to see who can finish the most laps of the 2.5km track.
For more information contact James Stewart on 082-925-7885 or jlettuce@lincx.co.za. Tickets are available on entrytickets.co.za