The Medihelp Cherry Challenge will return to Ficksburg on Saturday, 17 November 2018 with various challenges for different athletic appetites.

The Medihelp Cherry Mountain Bike Challenge offers distances of 60 km, 40 km, 25 km, 15 km, 8 km and even a 2 km kids race to choose from. Or you can take your pick between 23 km and 5 km running distances in the Medihelp Cherry Run.

Each distance has its own unique challenges and lovely natural scenery to offer mountain bike adrenalin junkies and running enthusiasts alike. And both events coincide with the famous Ficksburg Cherry Festival, which gives you even more reasons to head to the Free State for a weekend of fun and fitness.

The Medihelp Cherry MTB Challenge will start and finish at the Ficksburg Golf Club and the mentioned distances will cater to riders of all fitness and experience levels. For more information on the Medihelp Cherry MTB Challenge, click here.

The Medihelp Cherry Run will start and finish at the Ficksburg Primary School. It is the biggest and most scenic race in the Free State with 14 km of the route traversing the breath taking Imperani Mountains and peaking at 1 835 m above sea level. To read more about the Medihelp Cherry Race, click here.

All finishers will receive medals and there will be lucky draws as well as prize money to the value of R2 000 for the winners of both events.

Medihelp's Principal Officer, Heyn van Rooyen, says Medihelp is proud to be sponsoring the mountain biking event again this year and to add the running event – which is presented for the 33rd year in 2018 – to Medihelp’s sponsorship.

"Medihelp medical scheme has a national footprint of members, and supporting events that promote a healthy and active lifestyle is at the core of Medihelp's sponsorship strategy. That is why the Cherry Challenge is a great fit,” says van Rooyen.

HealthPrint members can enter free of charge

Free entry is easy when you’re a HealthPrint member. HealthPrint is Medihelp’s free online wellness programme for members. Simply log on to your HealthPrint profile, click on the Medihelp Cherry Challenge tab and book your entry.

Remember to book your accommodation as early as possible as accommodation space is limited. The race information pages on Medihelp’s website as linked above also provide valuable info regarding accommodation options in and around Ficksburg.