WHO TO WATCH
Paul Ingpen shares his predictions for the BIG5 Sport Challenge field . �eep an eye on these guys �and girls��
Stuart Marais
Stuart Marais , the sensational runner turned pro triathlete who has won many Ironman titles , is the undisputed ‘ King Of Knysna ’. He ’ s won the last three events and will be coming off the back of a big training block , so barring injury he is odds on favourite to defend his BIG5 crown for a fourth time .
Stuart is now racing Ironman 70.3 globally so we ’ re lucky to have him here again mid-season , just weeks after he defends his 70.3 title in Durban . His pure run speed , mixed with mental and physical toughness makes him close to unbeatable in the cold , muddy and hilly forest battlegrounds .
Should this tough father of two boys from George fail to dominate for 10 days straight , professional athlete Theo Blignaut will be the most notable threat .
Theo may closely resemble an innocent version of Matthew McConaughey , but the ex-sprint triathlete and uber swimmer has taken to the dirt in a huge way . If his MTB race goes well , expect him to lead the rankings after the first weekend .
That said , every year we see surprises when athletes have bad days or mechanical issues as the week-long event unfolds . A bunch of pedigreed fast , hungry piranhas are snapping at their heels if they show signs of weakness .
The following young amateurs , in no particular order , should make up the top five and will all be jostling for a space on the final podium on the Saturday night after the Forest Marathon .
Dean Hopf is a talented amateur who now has BIG5 experience and will have done his homework to give Theo a proper challenge . Mike Cannon is possibly the strongest runner ( 2:44 marathon ), so if the cold water doesn ’ t get to him again and he can last a week , he is a great bet for a top five finisher .
Aidan Nugent is a supertalented LLB student from KZN who has represented SA at Junior ITU Cup races and made the Top 10 in a stacked field at �terra Champs – another big threat if he lasts all week .
Andrea Steyn
Unlike the men , the ladies field has a much tighter and mouthwatering battle lined up since World Duathlon championship runner-up Andrea Steyn unseated the threetime defending Champion Carla Van Huysteen last year . The old rivals will once again come down to the wire as Carla ’ s well-known mountain-bike skills – which are important on Knysna ’ s muddy and wet trails – are matched by Andrea ’ s legendary run speed . You will battle to meet more likeable and professional athletes who represent all that ’ s healthy about multisport ; they ’ re modest , gentle and good friends off the bike but expect war on the trails !
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