Tru-Cape Kogelberg Challenge and Pringle Bay Festival

Start with a marathon and finish with a family-friendly festival

On Saturday, 8 September 2012, while runners gear up for the gruelling, yet scenic Tru-Cape Kogelberg Challenge in the Kogelberg Nature Reserve, families, friends and the less fit  are invited to amble around Pringle Cove Centre and surrounds for a bit of fun and festivity.

The 2012 Kogelberg Challenge

The Kogelberg Challenge consists of a half marathon (21.1km), a 10-km race and 5-km fancy dress fun-run. Athletes can sign-up for a single event, or can opt to participate in all three, as the times are staggered; not to mention, each participant receives a medal just for partaking..

• The half marathon starts at 7:30am, so get there early; registration opens at 5:30am.
• The 10-km jets off at 10:30am.
• Whereas, families and friends can get ready to strut their stuff in the fancy dress 5-km fun run at 12pm.

Breakfast will be served for runners and their families between 6am and 10am at the Pringle House ECO School, and showering facilities at the school will be available after the race. For more information contact Sandi on +27 (0) 79 413 6610 or email her on sandykei@sonicmail.co.za.

Tru-Cape Family Festival Programme

As the headline sponsors, Tru-Cape have dished up healthy helping of goodness with retro Tru-Cape apple games scheduled from 8:30am to 2pm. Kids and adults alike can look forward to apple and spoon races, pass the pears without your hands and bobbing for apples in a barrel of flour. Additionally, get to Centrepoint corner at 11am for the Tru-Cape Apple Bake-off, where pie-bakers can stand a chance of winning Tru-Cape hampers. To enter the Tru-Cape Apple Bake-off, contact Morne on +27 (0) 82 894 3019.

If you don’t like them apples though, you can also get crafty at the recycling competition, make your own puppet for the puppet show or – definitely for the less squirmish – take part in the interactive snake and reptile show hosted at the Pringle House ECO School between 9am and 1pm. 

The Village Market will be open early with a range of wares and treats as well as a sheep spit braai; all other eateries in the CBD will also be open for business.  The Pringle Bay Art & Craft route will be open on Saturday, 8 and Sunday, 9 September between 10am and 5pm. Maps for the route will be available at The Anchor Restaurant at the Pringle Cove Centre.

The festival is free for all, but entry for the Kogelberg Challenge is priced according to race and distance; for more information, check the entry form for the Kogelberg Challenge.

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Brian Berkman: 10 Things He Loves About Pringle Bay

Tru-Cape’s PR guy and Pringle Bay resident, Brian Berkman gave us a little insight on his favourite aspects of this seaside treasure of a town.

1)    Dining at Hook, Line & Sinker. My favourite restaurant is run by passionate foodies Jacqui and Stefan Kruger who are as well known and loved for their superb seafood as they are for telling disobedient customers where to get off. Booking is essential, +27 (0) 28 273 8688.

2)    Lemon & Lime Deli. In keeping with the foodie theme this deli is a must-visit location for wine on Sundays (and any other days), quality meats, Elgin freshly frozen chickens and about any spice or canned item you could imagine.

3)    The exquisite crescent beach. No matter the weather you will find people on Pringle Bay’s beach. It stretches the entire bay and there are many rock pools in which kids can wonder and adults can pick mussels (you need to get a license from the Mini Mart).

4)    The Buffels’ River lagoon. Although the water is brackish on account of the reeds and soil deposits, it is warm to swim in. The lagoon mouth on Pringle Bay beach is perfect for even small toddlers to wade in.

5)    Although in neighbouring Betty’s Bay, the penguin reserve at Stony Point is worth a visit. Only R10p/p will get you in and you can have the same experience as you might at the more famous Boulders near Simonstown with far fewer people.

6)    Also nearby is the Harald Porter Botanical Garden – a mini Kirstenbosch, really pretty and perfect for picnics too.

7)    There are many quality artists in Pringle Bay whose work is available to view at their home studios. There is also a fine art gallery in the village above Pringle Mingle Centre.

8)    It may be a tiny village, but Pringle Bay has a gym complete with nutritionist and personal instructor, Gary Isenberg.

9)    The Saturday market at Miems. Restaurant and bar by night and market on Saturday mornings, you can buy anything from farm vegetables, artisan chocolates, baked goodies from Ticklemouse, Life is Good clothing and second hand knickknacks. 

10)  Its biodiversity. The Kogelberg biosphere is a proclaimed area that includes Pringle Bay. Walk or mountain bike amid the fynbos, avoid the baboons and keep an eye out for the Cape Mountain Leopard, often photographed in the reserve.

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Looking for a recommendation for the accommodation in Pringle Bay?

Moonstruck in Pringle Bay; a contemporary beach house retreat offers private and luxurious ocean-front accommodation with panoramic views. The guesthouse is an “idyllic romantic getaway” for a coastal vacation; a leisurely stroll through an indigenous fynbos greenbelt will lead you to a pristine sandy beach located - only three minutes away. Operating as a bed and breakfast (B&B), guests enjoy gourmet breakfasts whilst enjoying mountain and ocean views, with an array of quality restaurants all within easy strolling distance of Moonstruck. For more information, visit Moonstruck.co.za.

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