Picture perfect day for more than 2000 Iron Man athletes
The Durban warm-winter temperature ensured for a huge spectator crowd to gather at the beach to wish the athletes good luck and cheer them on as they rushed into the surf.
THE third Standard Bank Ironman® 70.3® Durban got underway with just over 2000 age group athletes lining up at the start on uShaka Beach. The Durban warm-winter temperature ensured for a huge spectator crowd to gather at the beach to wish the athletes good luck and cheer them on as they rushed into the surf.
The rough sea conditions from last year which saw the swim being cancelled for the amateur athletes, was long forgotten when athletes were greeted with beautiful flat sea conditions on race morning. The calm sea saw athletes racing through the new 1.9km swim venue at uShaka Beach. Olivier Godart, 43, from Luxembourg the small European country surrounded by Belgium, was the first male athlete out of the water in a time of 00:26:29. The first female out of the water and into Transition 1 was Lauren Dane from Gauteng in South Africa with a time of 00:27:16.
Godart kept his lead and was also the first male to finished the 90.1km bike course and enter Transition 2. Hundreds of spectators stood ready and waiting along the promenade to welcome home the first male athlete Godart, who was still in the lead. Gordart finished the race in 04:08:39, making him the first male athlete to cross the finish line and the winner of his age group, 40-44.
“Racing in Durban, with these great weather conditions and fans, just make this an amazing experience and race. In fact I feel so good here, I cannot wait to go out and train again,” said Godart at the finish line. The swim with the flat conditions was good, almost too easy. The full road closures on the M4 for the bike course, also contributed to making this an amazing race, a real race. Because there is no cars, I can put my head down and just give it my all and still feel safe, and for this sport you have to be able to give it your all,” she said.
Jade Nicole, 27, from Johannesburg in South Africa was the first female athlete to cross the finish line. She managed to complete the three part course in 04:50:34.
“With the PRO athletes not racing this year, obviously opens the race in Durban up for me and other competitors and give us a good chance, which is phenomenal. But the best part of the race was the swim. It
was beautiful and fantastic, almost like a pool. Probably the best swim yet,” said Nicole.
