Image: SUPPLIED
Organisers of the Triathlon Summer Series have announced entries are now open for the famous four-race series starting in December.
The event will see races take place at Pollok Beach over December 13, 16, 19 and 20.
The ZSports event, sanctioned by Triathlon SA, will take on new surroundings as it is hosted in the midst of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
Each race day will feature both sprint and super-sprint triathlon disciplines, in addition to the sprint and super-sprint duathlon disciplines.
The sprint triathlon will feature a 750m swim, 20km bike and a 5km cycle, while the super-sprint will have athletes swimming 400m, before a 10km cycle and a 2.5km run.
The events will also include sprint and super-sprint duathlon races featuring similar distances.
The four-race, seven-day spectacle will be open to both teams and individuals 15 years or older.
Known for unearthing the next generation of triathletes and helping future stars get some racing under their belts, the event will also be seen as trials for the Eastern Province athletes.
Competitors will need to complete at least two races to be considered for possible selection to the EP team to compete at the SA Sprint National Championships in Bloemfontein in February 2021.
With the curveball thrown at all sporting events due to the pandemic, , race organisers have encouraged prospective entrants to preregister to avoid disappointment of possible exclusion from any of the races.
While late entries are possible, should Covid-19 regulations in place allow for it, there could be an additional surcharge for those entering on the day of the race.
The 2019 series saw some good racing action, with organisers able to keep up with the growing number of athletes wanting to be part of the race.
The series crown was taken home by eventual winner Keegan Cooke, who managed to win all but one race across the series.
Having turned professional just over a year ago, Cooke, a former PEople’s Triathlon champion, said he would be racing in the series again in 2020.
Cooke, who finished in fourth position in the second edition of the race earlier in November, alongside a star-studded field, said he would take a bit of a break before resuming training later in the month.
“It’s not one of my main races. I will use the Summer Series as training.
“My training will pick up again towards the end of November and through December when I will put in some decent mileage heading into the new year, with the intention of doing the Ironman SA 70.3 race in East London and to get in some early season racing,” he said.
HeraldLIVE