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Standard Bank IRONMAN 70.3 South Africa Entries Open

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Standard Bank IRONMAN
Standard Bank IRONMAN 70.3 South Africa now open

PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa (21 May 2019) – Entries for the Standard Bank IRONMAN 70.3 South Africa taking place in Buffalo City on Sunday, 26 January 2020 are now open.

The Standard Bank IRONMAN 70.3 Buffalo City is the oldest 70.3 event in South Africa, and will take place for its 14th consecutive year, showing just how popular this race has become on the South African triathlon circuit.

The beautiful city of East London offers miles of beachfront and rich cultural history for athletes and spectators to enjoy. The Standard Bank IRONMAN 70.3 South Africa started in 2007 and quickly caught the eye of many triathletes. It now boasts over 2000 athletes who register for the event year on year.

“To see how this race has grown and developed over the last 13 years has been phenomenal. The quality of race experience, the challenge it offers, and the unique atmosphere are just a few of the reasons this race has reached this level of popularity amongst athletes. It is especially encouraging to see our international athletes and their family and friends coming back year on year, as this demonstrates the growing international appeal of the event,” says Keith Bowler, Managing Director: IRONMAN South Africa.

“The local support and atmosphere in Buffalo City on race day is unbelievable. Locals come out in droves all along the course. Athletes are usually greeted with the smell of braai as they head up Bunker’s Hill with locals lined up with their grills on the side of the road,” adds Bowler.

2019 saw South Africans, Bradley Weiss and Annah Watkinson, winning the men’s and women’s races respectively despite having some strong competition from the international field. The introduction of the African TriClub Championship brought some extra competitive edge to the event as My Training Day (MTD) came out as TriClub victors stamping their authority in the inaugural African TriClub Championship.

For the second consecutive year, the Standard Bank IRONMAN 70.3 South Africa will play host to the African TriClub Championship, where clubs will be racing against one another yet again to battle it out for bragging rights of been crowned ‘Africa’s TriClub Champions’.

“The African TriClub Championship was an exciting addition to the 2019 Standard Bank IRONMAN 70.3 South Africa. My Training Day finished as victors this year but no doubt more clubs will be gunning for their title in 2020. The African TriClub Championship ignites rivalries and forms strong friendships as club mates become like family during the journey to the finish line,” says Paul Wolff, Director of Operations: IRONMAN South Africa.

“We get athletes from South Africa, Botswana, Egypt, Namibia and Kenya to name but a few African countries, so there will be a lot of club pride at stake to be crowned the best TriClub in Africa,” adds Wolff.

The Standard Bank IRONMAN 70.3 South Africa in Buffalo City also fared well in the 2018 lRONMAN Athlete Choice Awards. Out of the 105 IRONMAN 70.3 series events that took place in 2018, the Standard Bank IRONMAN 70.3 South Africa ranked in the Top 10 in two categories marking a major accomplishment for the event and the host community.

“The Standard Bank IRONMAN 70.3 South Africa was selected 3rd in Best Overall Run Experience and selected 4th in Overall Post Race Celebration Experience. For every IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3, event surveys were sent post event to all athletes who competed. There were over 55,000 athletes in total who completed the surveys. Based on the cumulative results, the Top 10 global events were ranked,” explains Bowler.

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.