Ironmen head to Buffalo City
By Tabisa Mntengwana
10 January 2012
MORE than 3 000 triathletes are expected to line up on the East London beachfront on Sunday, 22 January for the Spec-Savers Ironman 70.3 South Africa.
International and national athletes are making their way to the city with a number returning to the race, such as Italian Alessandro Degasperi, Brit Jodie Swallow and South Africans Raynard Tissink, James Cunnama and Kent Horner.
According to the Ironman website, the East London leg of the Ironman races has reached its biggest ever field. It was first held in the city in 2008.
"We are extremely proud to have achieved this milestone and to have done so on the fifth anniversary of the event makes it all the more remarkable," says Keith Bowler, the managing director of World Endurance South Africa.
World Endurance South Africa organises the race, along with Buffalo City; Triangle Events, the world's largest global triathlon company; and SpecSavers.
"For an event such as ours to display such prodigious growth amidst the tough economic climate is truly phenomenal and speaks volumes for the stature in which the event is seen by athletes . We sincerely hope that the event goes from strength to strength and continues to garner such interest and enthusiasm from athletes and spectators alike."
The race kicks off at 7am with a 1,9km swim off Orient Beach in an anticlockwise direction, followed by a 90km cycle on the N2 highway and a 21,1km run around the Esplanade.
The swim's first leg is 300 metres long - the buoy must be rounded on the right side. After turning left at the buoy the next leg is 700 metres. The buoy must again be passed on the right hand side.
The third leg is 200 metres long and the final leg before the exit to the beach is 500 metres long; the exit is 200 metres long.
"Each athlete is expected to have the ability to complete the swim," reads the website.
Next up is a 90km cycle, starting at the Esplanade on the beach front. The route follows the R72 motorway towards Nahoon River, turning left to follow the N2 highway towards King William's Town. The turning point is the Berlin off-ramp.
Aid stations will be open at the 20km, 45km and 60km marks.
Finally, there is a 21km run. Athletes run down the Esplanade, passed the Orient Theatre and along the eastern Esplanade up into John Bailie Road towards Schenker Road. The route turns back on the second loop, and goes out on to the pier before turning around to the finish line.
There will be three aid stations on the road run.
Belgian athlete Frederik van Lieber won the race in 2011, beating Cunnama into second place. Degasperi came third.
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