iSUZU IRONMAN
Gqeberha is set to welcome triathletes from all over the globe when the much anticipated 2024 ISUZU IRONMAN African Championship takes place in the city on Sunday.
Roads around the beachfront and the cycling routes will be closed to traffic as the athletes, for the full course, and the Isuzu IRONMAN 70.3 Nelson Mandela Bay will line up early in the morning.
The race, which comprises a 3.9 km swim, 180 km bicycle ride, and 42.2 km run will be run by approximately 2500 athletes.
The ISUZU IRONMAN 70.3 Nelson Mandela Bay title, comprising a 1.9 km swim, 90 km bicycle ride, and 21.1 km run will also be up for grabs.
According to a guideline by race organisers, the races will start simultaneously between 05:00 and 06:30 while the half-marathon is set to be completed after 16:00.
Athletes competing in the full race have until midnight to finish.
The athletes to beat will be Leon Chevalier and Laura Philipp, who finished their races in the men's and women's races last year.
Among the runners competing in one of the races this weekend is MacFarlane Moleli, journalist and anchor of Carte Blanche. Moleli competes in IRONMAN as a promise to Andre Piehl, his friend who was killed by an alleged drunk driver near the Cradle of Humankind in Johannesburg in January 2022 while cycling.
The roads that will be closed include the lower section of 2nd Avenue, Beach Road, and Admiralty Way.
