Triathletes are putting the final touches to their preparations ahead of the Triathlon Summer Series scheduled to kick off next Sunday.
The four-part racing series will see competitors tackle three races at Pollok Beach in Port Elizabeth, before heading off to Port St Francis for the series finale.
While the triathlon races will be sprint distances, comprising a 750m swim, 20km bike ride and 5km run, there will also be a super sprint distance which consists of a 400m swim, 10km bike ride and 2.5km run, offering athletes of all skill levels the opportunity to be part of the fun.
Additionally, a sprint and super sprint duathlon series will also form part of the festivities.
According to Michael Zoetmulder, of Zsports Events, this was a way of introducing the sport to as many people as possible.
With hundreds of seasoned and beginner athletes set to compete in the quartet of events over the 10 days, fun is guaranteed to be had, regardless of the weather and conditions under foot. A number of triathletes will be gunning for the winner’s podium, and Zoetmulder said athletes who are looking for the series win, will need to compete in at least three of the four races.
Defending series men’s champion Keegan Cooke will be hoping his body has recovered sufficiently as he heads into the series with a target on his back.
The last two weeks have been busy for Cooke, having claimed the title at the Nelson Mandela Bay Triathlon Championships in November before following that up with a maiden win in the Nelson Mandela Bay leg of the Standard Bank 5150 African Triathlon Series at the beginning of December.
Speaking about his preparations, Cooke said: “I would say my body is feeling okay. I took it easy last week to give my body time to recover. So I haven’t been training as hard, and only really got back into it this week.”
Cooke said his training focus would be on all three disciplines, adding the series was the perfect opportunity to work on his speed.
“I have not yet finalised my events for 2019, this acts as good preparation for whatever races I decide to compete in,” Cooke said.
In the women’s field, local favourite Antonelle Saporta will be looking to add this series title to her list of achievements.
Saporta, who will be using the outing as a means of further preparation for the Ironman 70.3 East London early in 2019, said the series would be a means to test her limits.
“I won’t be tapering for this event, but I will be using it for speed sessions, so it will be good preparation for me heading into the Ironman event.”