Light rain failed to deter “spectathletes” lining the barriers along the finish chute as German triathlete Jan Frodeno raced to the title at the 2018 Isuzu Ironman 70.3 World Championships.
The athletes were cheered on by scores of local and international spectators as Frodeno, now a two-time 70.3 World champion, completed his race in a time of 3 hrs, 36 minutes and 31 seconds.
Frodeno, who last raced in Port Elizabeth in 2001, said it was difficult to compare that race and the world championship on Sunday.
“You cannot compare it as it was an Olympic-distance race, so it was much shorter.
“The community here has changed a lot though. There are a lot more people out on the course,” he said.
“It was a horrible day for spectating, but there were still a lot of people on the course – South Africans are really passionate about endurance sport.”
Great Britain’s Alistair Brownlee, a two-time Olympic champion who has raced in Cape Town, said he enjoyed the run, particularly the spectators cheering on the athletes.
On Saturday, the women had to contend with entirely different conditions – the heat.
Despite the sun beating down on them, the women’s professional field put on some impressive displays.
Four-time 70.3 world champion Daniela Ryf said it was one of the best races she had competed in from an organisational standpoint.
“I took a few looks at the scenery during the bike leg – I was in pain at the time, but I still needed to push hard, so maybe I lost half a second there looking up, but the course was so beautiful I just had to peek.
“I knew what to expect from the [Ironman] African Championships last year, the atmosphere was incredible – people [along the course] are very cheerful and passionate, so it feels nice when you have so much support,” Ryf said.
Czech competitor Radka Vodickova, who finished fifth, travelled with her family and said she would be spending a few days exploring the sights before leaving early next week.
“I heard about one of the most beautiful beaches in the world along the bike course, so I will be visiting there on Monday, and also show [her daughter] Ruby some elephants.”
Just under 4,000 athletes from 102 countries took part.
Forty percent of the field came from European countries, with North and South America rounding out the top three most represented regions, making up 13% and 11% of the field respectively.
Africa was represented by seven nations, making up 11%.
SA was second-highest in terms of the most registered athletes, behind the US, with Germany third.
In the pro women’s field, SA triathlete Jeanni Seymour finished seventh, while Annah Watkinson and Magda Niewoudt came 21st and 22nd.
James Cunnama, the only SA man in the pro field, finished in 19th place.
Cape Town’s Anton Malgas, who is visiting family in the city, said the successful hosting of an event of this magnitude was a feather in the cap for the country, and seeing all the international stars giving it their all was amazing.
Magda Jesus de Campos of Columbia, clad in a plastic jacket to shield her from the rain, said she had spent a few days in the city prior to the race, and after seeing all the beautiful sights, was hoping to come back for a longer stay.