The Standard Bank IRONMAN® African Championship is set to deliver one of the most interesting races in the event’s 12-year history through a combination of a strong professional field and new race route. The annual triathlon showpiece takes place on Sunday 10 April 2016 at Hobie Beach.
The new bike route, while remaining two laps of 90.1km, is now almost completely coastal and will see athletes exit transition to their left along Marine Drive, passing Schoenmakerskop and Sardinia Bay before joining Seaview Road via Heron Road. Athletes will continue until Beachview where they will turn and complete the reverse, back to transition at Hobie Beach. Athletes will then turn in front of the Beach Hotel and proceed to the second lap.
The run route undergoes its first change in eleven years, changing from three laps of 14.06km to four laps of 10.55km. Athletes will exit transition at the Blue Waters Cafe entrance to the Hobie Beach parking area, proceed past the old turnaround point at Driftsands and turn at the Humerail intersection. After the turnaround, athletes will run along Marine Drive and turn right into Admiralty Way turning around at the island at the University Way junction and make their way back towards Marine Drive and transition. The new run route gives athletes more time along Marine Drive where supporters will be in abundance. This also removes the dark and lonely stretch of Marine Drive after the university back gate.
“The change in course offers a different dimension to the race from an athlete’s perspective and this could see some interesting tactical racing develop. There are now fewer climbs but athletes will be more exposed to the conditions meaning that wind will play a part as always. From a spectator’s point of view, Marine Drive along the beachfront will be the best viewing area to see both cyclists and runners providing ample opportunity to cheer the athletes on,” says Paul Wolff, Operations Director for IRONMAN South Africa.
The big news in the professional field is that reigning IRONMAN World Champion, Jan Frodeno will be racing in South Africa, the country where he grew up during part of his teen years. This will be his first race in South Africa in ten years and his first long distance event in the country. Frodeno will be headlining a stellar professional men’s field, which includes fellow Kona top-ten finisher, Boris Stein. Also in the line-up is Ben Hoffman, Bas Diederen, Australia’s Tim Van Berkel, his Swiss namesake Jan Van Berkel, Victor Del Corral Morales, David Plese, Ronnie Schildknecht and South African trio, James Cunnama, Matt Trautman and Kyle Buckingham.
The professional women’s field will be the strongest on record in South Africa, featuring defending African Champion, Jodie Swallow and Asia-Pacific Champion, Melissa Hauschildt; British athletes Lucy Gossage, Susie Cheetham and Corinne Abraham; Australian Annabel Luxford, German Diana Riesler and the USA’s Amanda Stevens also make up a formidable line-up.
Along with the strongest professional field ever assembled, a total of 1859 athletes will be racing the new bike and run courses and experience the famous Nelson Mandela Bay crowds. A record 616 international athletes representing 68 countries – the most countries ever represented, will be coming to Nelson Mandela Bay. The strong professional field and high number of international athletes, draws widespread international interest and the event will be streamed live across the world with viewers from nearly 60 countries expected to watch the broadcast.
“One of the aspects that makes the Standard Bank IRONMAN African Championship one of the most sought-after events both locally and internationally is that our focus remains to provide a world-class experience for athletes and to stage an event the people of Nelson Mandela Bay can be proud to call their own.” says Keith Bowler, Managing Director of IRONMAN South Africa.
The international visitors are forecast to generate an estimated spend of R65 million for the Metro and surrounds during Ironman week
