Photo Credit Gernot Gleiss – Natascha Badmann CH, winning Ironman South Africa 2006
IRONMAN South Africa 2007 - The ultimate battle of champions
World-class triathletes will take to the field at the Spec-Savers IRONMAN South Africa 2007 on March 18 in Port Elizabeth with the hope of conquering the title of one of the world’s most gruelling endurance races.
General race info: On March 18 2007 the Spec-Savers IRONMAN South Africa will take place for the third consecutive year in Port Elizabeth. 1700 athletes will take to the field for a 17 hour event which will include a 3,8 km swim, 180 km bike and 42,2 km run.
Six-times Swiss world champion, Natascha Badmann, will return to the starting line to defend her title in the women’s race. Badmann will be hoping for her third consecutive victory in the Spec-Savers IRONMAN South Africa, after dominating the women’s race last year. She finished comfortably in 9:46:43, securing a 24-minute lead over second placed Diana MacPherson from South Africa. Badmann also holds the current course record in the women’s race for her remarkable 9:23:51 win in 2005.
While Badmann is expected to control the women’s race as the favourite, the men’s race promises to be a crowd-pleasing duel between the Spec-Savers IRONMAN South Africa 2006 winner Gerardus Schellens from Belgium, and 2005’s champion and local hero, Raynard Tissink.
Schellens currently holds the record for a phenomenal marathon time of 2:48:05 at IRONMAN South Africa 2006.
The Belgium shocked many when the novice to IRONMAN South Africa clinched the title from Tissink in last year’s race. This year Tissink will be intent on settling the score, while Schellens is adamant to fend off any claimants to the title.
The action-packed race starts at 7am on Hobie Beach, Port Elizabeth, on March 18.
Entries are still open until 15 February 2007.
More information and registration: www.ironmansouthafrica.com.
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