Chrissie Wellington bags her seat and water bottle.
For access to all of our training, gear, and race coverage, plus exclusive training plans, FinisherPix photos, event discounts, and GPS apps,
sign up for Outside+.
Chrissie Wellington will take to the streets of Port Elizabeth tomorrow for the Spec Savers Ironman South Africa. Raynard Tissink, a Port Elizabeth local, is back to defend the title he won in 2010, but the 2009 winner, Marino Vanhoenacker of Belgium, won’t make it easy.
Pros and age-group athletes turned out this morning (Saturday, April 9), to swim the course a final time and then check their bikes into the transition area.
The Triathlete.com crew is (out-of-their-heads jet-lagged but …) on-location, which means that we survived a lay day in Johannesburg and we’ll be bringing you all of the news and images from Ironman South Africa throughout the weekend. Below are images from today. Photos: Hoy Wow, South Africa!
John directs athletes to the swim start. Photo: Kurt Hoy
Destination race? Hell yeah.
Courtney. Yep, she’s a lifeguard.
Age-group athletes get after it on Saturday.
No shortage of beach in South Africa.
Port Elizabeth coastline east of the pier.
This is a crew from Abu Dhabi.
Friends help each other with the wetsuit ritual.
Eva Dollinger after a final swim on Saturday.
Popsicle saleswoman makes her way down the beach in Port Elizabeth. Photo: Kurt Hoy
Raynard Tissink hang out near his hotel in Port Elizabeth. His house is only 12km away.
Fans surrounded Wellington as she prepared her transition area.
Chrissie Wellington enters transition at Ironman South Africa.
Chrissie Wellington bags her seat and water bottle.
Chrissie Wellington covered the opening to her water bottle with a plastic bag to prevent tampering.
Daniel Fontana has left the 70.3 distance in his past. He says, “It’s not Olympic and it’s not Ironman. It’s like a half marathon.”
2010 Ironman Austria champion Eva Dollinger racks her bike.
2010 Ironman South Africa winner (and local celebrity) Raynard Tissink.
Age-group athlete enters transition area at Ironman SA.
Men’s pro rack.
Marino Vanhoenacker’s Scott is lined up next to Raynard Tissink’s number-one Trek.
Shannon is a lifeguard in Port Elizabeth. Note: to fake a drowning is bad karma (and it doesn’t work).
Triathlete Newsletter
Train smarter, race faster, and crush your tri goals.
