Nyanga ready for Africa Triathlon Cup

NYANGA will host athletes from across the world this weekend when the Bonaqua Africa Triathlon Cup and Multi-Sport Festival comes to life at Troutbeck Resort on Saturday.

Competitors from Austria, the Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Morocco, South Africa and Zimbabwe are expected to take part in the continental event, which returns to the eastern highlands with a mix of elite racing and community participation.

Organisers are now putting the finishing touches to the venue after a busy few days on site.

Event director Rick Fulton said the technical equipment arrived over the weekend and crews have been working since Monday to build the race infrastructure around the Troutbeck course.

The work has not been straightforward.

Cold winds and steady rain swept through the area earlier in the week, slowing some of the setup work, but Fulton said the team has managed to keep the preparations on track.

“We got all the logistics here over the weekend and the team moved in on Sunday evening,” he said.

“We started building the venue on Monday morning and the weather hasn’t made it easy. There was rain most of the day and strong winds overnight, but we’ve managed to stay ahead of schedule and things are coming together well.”

Athletes have already started arriving in Nyanga ahead of the race.

Japan’s Himeka Sato is among the early arrivals and has checked in at the resort to acclimatise to the altitude and conditions before the weekend’s competition. More international competitors are expected to arrive between today and Thursday.

Fulton said the event had avoided major disruptions to travel despite ongoing problems affecting international flights.

“A few athletes had some travel complications, but most of them managed to find alternative routes,” he said.

“Many of them are already in the region because they competed in South Africa last weekend and some will continue to Namibia for another race after Nyanga.”

The elite men’s race has attracted a strong field with 17 entries confirmed.

The women’s field is smaller, with three athletes set to compete, including Zimbabwe’s Andie Kuipers, who will carry local hopes in the elite race.

The Africa Cup will run alongside the Africa Triathlon Junior Cup, which will feature young athletes from Mauritius, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe’s junior team includes Callum Smith and Zander Botha, who competed at the Africa Triathlon Junior Cup in Ebotse, South Africa, over the weekend. They will be joined by Matthew Hildebrand and Zizael Manyati in the junior men’s race.

Rachel O’Donoghue will represent the country in the junior women’s competition.

Saturday’s programme stretches beyond the elite races and will include the national championships as well as several open events designed to draw broader participation.

These include an open water swim, a trail run, an aquathlon, a duathlon challenge and a corporate team triathlon.

Local entries have been lower than expected so far, with Fulton pointing to school commitments and other competing activities on the calendar.

“There are several reasons why the local numbers are down a bit this year, and school activities have played a big part,” he said.

“But we still expect a few late entries before Friday. Either way, the event goes ahead and we will make sure everyone who comes here has a great race experience.”

By the weekend, the quiet hills of Nyanga will once again turn into a race arena as athletes from around the world line up for one of the biggest triathlon events on the regional calendar.