The sun peeked through the clouds at the Germiston Lake as athletes prepared for the Standard Bank 5150 Ekurhuleni Triathlon, last Sunday.
The race was part of the iconic Ironman series, one of the world’s most challenging endurance races, and included a 1 500m swim, 40km cycling route and 10km run.
The race was one to remember, with athletes starting off with the swim in slightly windy conditions, which caused choppy waters for the swim, but the wind soon died down and the sun came out in full force as the racers took to the streets for the cycling and running sections of the race.
Travis Johnston was the first man across the finish line, while Eulali van der Vyver won the women’s race.
In the men’s race, Johnston started the race well, putting in an early lead in the swim, with Darryn Whelan exiting the water two seconds after and Darren Lang not far behind him.
Not satisfied with a two-second lead after the swim, Johnston put the hammer down in the cycling stint and increased his lead by two minutes.
With his lead now well cemented, Johnston was able to control his race and looked comfortable while further extending his lead in the run.
It was ultimately Johnston’s day as he finished first, more than five minutes ahead of Lang, whose effort on the run saw him come in second, while Whelan brought up the final podium place more than a minute behind Lang.
Results:
• Johnston came in first with an overall time of one hour, 59 minutes and 40 seconds.
• Lang came in second with an overall time of two hours, five minutes and 29 seconds.
• Whelan came in third with an overall time of two hours, six minutes and 38 seconds.
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In the women’s race, exceptional swimmer Sunee Pretorius exited the water first with the leading men, way before the other podium finishers.
She was able to start the cycling section of the race with a reasonable lead but could not maintain the gap as van der Vyver closed in.
Michelene Kahl was also looking comfortable, in the cycle, as she moved a few minutes behind the top two women.
The women’s race was tightly contested between Pretorius and van der Vyver, but it was the run that turned things around for van der Vyver.
Through a powerful performance she was able to drastically open the gap between her and Pretorius.
Despite Pretorius’ best efforts, van der Vyver won the women’s race in emphatic style.
Results:
• Van der Vyver came in first with an overall time of two hours, 23 minutes and seven seconds.
• Pretorius came in second with an overall time of two hours, 26 minutes and 21 seconds.
• Kahl came in third with an overall time of two hours, 35 minutes and 38 seconds.
The day also included a Funtri Race which saw participants completing a 400m swim, 20km cycling route and 5km run.
Laurenz Devers, Britney Strumpher, Brett Claassens and Matthias Valkeniers were the top finishers in the Funtri Race.
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