WITH the resurgent growth in triathlon racing, Durban’s beachfront will host the cream of the country’s triathletes alongside enthusiastic social athletes for the MiWay Durban Ultra Triathlon on Sunday 4 March 2018.
Building on the well supported 2017 event, the event has opted to move its centre of operations entirely to the Durban beachfront, a change from the finish area being staged at Moses Mabhida Stadium this year.
Damian Bradley who is the event director said the change is intended to make it more convenient for the athletes as well as their seconds, supporters, family members and spectators.
“This is an event that has a rich South African legacy, and we are centering it around the participants and the privilege of being able to race on the Durban beachfront.
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“With the event doubling as the SA Long Course Triathlon Championships, this will give fans a great chance to follow the elite competitors by having the race focus in one area,” said Bradley.
He added, “This is what we are calling the ‘Hot Zone’ where spectators can watch the swim exit, the bike start, the bike finish, the run laps and finish all in one spot. The ‘Hot Zone’ will offer a wide variety of food and drink options for spectators and their families.”
The Durban beachfront was the home of the initial explosion of interest in triathlon racing in the eighties, attracting worldwide attention as a triathlon racing mecca.
The limited entries for both the full Ultra Triathlon and the shorter Sprint race opened on Wednesday, 25 October, with the fields capped at 800 and 800 athletes respectively. There is a 10 per cent discount for the first 100 entries.
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The Ultra event will consist of a 1900m surf swim, a 90km cycle and a 21km run, while the Sprint event consists of a 600m surf swim, a 20km cycle and a 5km run. Both events can be tackled as a team, with each team member taking on one leg of the triathlon.
Bradley said the event forms part of the four-leg Ultra Triathlon series that celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2018. He said t is an entirely South African owned, born and bred series that has grown from one event and 200 athletes to a national series of four events and over 5000 competitors,” he said.
More information can be found at www.ultratri.co.za/durban-ultra/
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