A simple conversation over a cup of coffee with this newspaper’s former editor, Brett Horner, in August 2017 unleashed a whole new wave of possibilities for me.
Unfortunately, since the announcement in September 2016 that Nelson Mandela Bay would be the host city for the Ironman 70.3 world championship 2018, the conversation was a little rough.
The media was relentless about costs and benefits associated with the event – and correctly so, as now editor Nwabisa Makunga pointed out to me in a passionate social media conversation back then.
The thing is, tangible benefits are the easiest to see and quantify but the intangible ones require a little bit of work and imagination.
My point is, when we talk about benefits, it is easy to talk infrastructure, or millions in induced spend, but there is much more to it. Intangibles get lost.
Due to the city hosting this event and the opportunity to write about it, the benefit for me has been the development of my writing and storytelling through these pages.
So today being the last edition of Let’s Tri, I will dedicate this column to you, the reader, and let you know how you can get in with the Ironman 70.3 World Championship action.
First up are the escorted bike rides – these group rides give athletes the opportunity to see the bike course.
Look out for them as the start from Kings Beach at 9.15am daily and head out through Walmer Boulevard, Heugh Road and Seaview.
The sight of hundreds of slick triathletes riding their super bikes is spectacular.
On Thursday the Ndlovu 5km run is at Hobie Beach, targeted mostly at the spouses and families who are here with the athletes.
If you have watched the Olympics, then you’d remember how each nation is introduced through a parade.
In Ironman this is called the parade of nations and starts at the Boardwalk from 3.30pm. Come and see these fierce competitors walk our street carrying their nation’s flags and colours with pride.
On Friday at 9am, is IronKids, a mile and half mile dash along the finish line.
The main events kick off on Friday when female pros rack their bikes ahead of their race on Saturday.
This, too, is a spectacular sight as they leave their race weapons parked at Kings Beach overnight, making it the most expensive parking lot on the African continent.
The men do the same on Saturday afternoon.
If you cannot make it to race village then pop around at any of the four fan parks in Kwanobuhle, Motherwell Peach Park, Ggebera Sports Grounds and Gelvandale Sports Stadium. Entrance is free.
After all is said and done, SA will have left a lasting impression on the nearly 15,000 foreign visitors and cemented its position as an ideal sporting destination.
Nelson Mandela Bay has been great, the atmosphere and the hospitality has been amazing, and we hope other international sporting brands see us as an ideal destination.
Finally, I would like to thank Mandela Bay Development Agency boss Ashraf Adam for his support and giving me the opportunity to be part of history.
Molo.