Race2Hermanus Triathlon

After a few cold drinks & warm meals in the sun watching the last athletes cross the line triumphantly, the stage was set to celebrate the good times.

For age group & overall category winners in the Sprint, Standard and Ultra distances to Aquabikers & teams, there were medals, whale tail trophies and a few very special awards.

For the rest of the fabulous finishers there were some awesome prizes awarded to the fast witted and by audience votes.

There were moments of laughter and some sentimental tears shed as we remembered friends lost too soon and celebrated both the fastest and the bravest. Some emotional stories reminded us how fortunate & privileged we are 🌈

As the wind started to blow for the first time all day we paid respects to the weather gods and handed out nearly 300 special SA Tri Series medals to those who finished all 3 races.

Congratulations to the winners & thanks to Bouchard Finlayson wine, Sailfish wetsuits, SleepSport pillows, GoodR sunglasses, Racefood Fastbars, Prime cleaning and Bamboo guesthouse for the lekker prizes.

What a wonderful weekend. Thank you everyone for supporting South African. Home made is best 🇿🇦🏁🥳🦩🐳

For months you trained, often when you didn’t feel like it, with a focus on 1 single meter of the course. The finish line 🏁

It was hard but that’s why you dug deep. It wasn’t supposed to be easy. If it was everyone would be doing it.

You made it to the start. You swam in the open ocean, you biked along the shore and then ran along the cliffs to the crowds & music that beckoned all day in the distance as you fought through highs & lows.

With salty kit, tired legs & a happy heart you finally entered the pumping finish chute and to loud applause & a high 5 you soaked up that rare moment of elation when you conquer your inner demons. You slayed the dragon, job done.

Yeah baby, gimme that medal. I did it!!! 👏🏽🥳🏁🇿🇦🏅

It’s quite rare to find a triathlon course that’s both scenic and safe. Extremely rare for all 3 legs to be courses you’d love to train on every day.

It’s taken 9 years of fine tuning but we have really carved out a gem at R2H with what athletes are calling a superb swim, bike and run course 🇿🇦🏁🥳

On this unique run route theres a great balance of fast & open, then technical and interesting. Enough to inspire you to keep moving as you switch from open road to winding cliff paths on each lap. Some small hills to activate different muscle groups and force you to dig deep, but nothing that you truly need to walk.

This run takes careful pacing and offers visual rewards on every bend.

Did you leave enough in the tank off the bike to relish the run or did you arrive in T2 empty and suffer a shuffle in silence?

Let’s take a look at who was whale watching on the fly and who was grimace grinding their way to the end zone.

🏁🇿🇦🏃‍♀️🏃🏽‍♂️

While the sea swim is frightening for some and exhilarating for everyone, the leg of a triathlon that pretty much everyone looks forward to is the solo bike time trial.

It’s fast, it’s challenging, it’s fun - and with aero bikes, helmets and kit, it’s super sexy 😍

Add a fast flowing, super scenic course that hugs the cliff path overlooking the open ocean down below, with salt water still dripping from your pumping legs, then blasts out towards the bird filled lagoon and Stanford with the mountains rising above and flowers lining the road.

You have a bike course that begs you to smile as you smash it.

The police, think bikers and marshals did a great job keeping the route safe so you could focus on the job of either making up ground on swimmers or building a lead for the run.

Let’s take a look back at the beautiful bike ride on a blissful Sunday in triathlon heaven.

🌻🦩👌🏽🏁🇿🇦🚴🏽‍♂️🚴‍♀️🚴

Wow the weather gods heard our prayers and overdeliverd!

What a magnificent morning we awoke to after a windy week. The water was clear and warm at 17 degrees and the swell predicted was calm. No wind meant a smooth glassy surface too. Some swimmers saw fish, one even marvelled at a jellyfish dancing with the kelp 🪼💙

As the sun rose over the mountains the light illuminated the swimmers splash and whale spray outside the harbour.

It was almost surreal. Conditions we could not have imagined better - what a way to start a very special day!

🏁🇿🇦🦩🐳

📷

Wow the weather gods heard our prayers and overdeliverd!

What a magnificent morning we awoke to after a windy week. The water was clear and warm at 17 degrees and the swell predicted was calm. No wind meant a smooth glassy surface too. Some swimmers saw fish, one even marvelled at a jellyfish dancing with the kelp 🪼💙

As the sun rose over the mountains the light illuminated the swimmers splash and whale spray outside the harbour.

It was almost surreal. Conditions we could not have imagined better - what a way to start a very special day!

🏁🇿🇦🦩🐳

What a wonderful day 🇿🇦👏🏽

Thank you South Africans and those that made it from all over the world.

A day we will never forget.

🕺🏽💃🐝🦩🐳🥳