Belgian ultra runner Karel Sabbe can now proudly say that there is a trail named after him.
© Xander Cottens (CC BY-SA 4.0)
He’s run the Marathon des Sables, is well familiar with the Pacific Crest Trail, and is part of an exclusive group of ultra runners that completed the Barkley Marathons, the toughest ultra race in the world, in under 60 hours.
Being recognised for these amazing feats, Sabbe was made an honorary citizen of Anzegem, a municipality in West-Flanders where he’s been living for a few years now, and they threw in a few trails for good measure.
We should explain ourselves: the brand-new Karel Sabbe Trail in Anzegem consists of several possible loops that are ideal for running, hiking, or gravel biking (the trail is made up of dirt paths). The longest loop is 32 kilometres, but there are two variations of 16 and one of 14 kilometres for those who want just a little bit less.
After the amazing feats he has accomplished this year, Sabbe will take a sabbatical (get it?), but he will be back. He’s got his heart set on a humble 3000-kilometre trail from the North to the South of New Zealand.
There’s also an artificial hill named after him in the Blaarmeersen in Ghent, as he is said to have run up it 1000 times while training.
Oh, and he’s a dentist. What’s your excuse?
