Sabrina spreading the love during the festive season

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - For almost two decades the Sabrina Love Challenge has been synonymous with festive season activities and this year's event is drawing near.

It not only provides a platform for weekend warriors and serious athletes to show their mettle in various disciplines, but the series is all for a good cause.

It is a fundraiser for the Sabrina Love Foundation, which aims to provide care for children with special needs from disadvantaged backgrounds.

While for several years the event has included an array of disciplines, from running and mountain biking to swimming and surf-skiing, this year's event, like last year, will only have trail running and mountain biking, but many options within these to choose from.

The 18th Sabrina Love Challenge will run on 26 and 30 December within the private estates of Kurland and neighbouring MTO forests.

To mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, it will once again be a self-timed event and athletes will have the opportunity to take on their desired routes as many times as they like, or until they are happy with their times. After the race, participants will be required to load their details onto a leader board.

Organisers said that the routes will take participants through "breathtaking sections" of indigenous forest, river crossings and mountain peaks with sweeping views and will offer something for all levels of athletes.

Participants will start and finish at the same location, but will head off on their desired routes following colour-coded ribbons.

For the mountain bikers there will be two routes, a 20km and 40km trail. The Kids of Steel event, specifically designed for youngsters, will also be back. For the runners, there will be a 6km, 12km and 21km trail to choose from.

Entry fees for both disciplines are R300. Participants can also opt for a combo deal - R500 to participate in both the run and the cycle. Participants can only register online. When they're ready to start, they can go to Kurland, where staff will point them to the start/finish locations.

The first 1 000 entries will receive a goody bag which includes this year's unique "Year of Courage" T-shirt.