Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 115, February 2019 | Page 48

MULTISPORT
Tri Friends
The team category at the XTERRA South Africa triathlon allows specialist
swimmers, mountain bikers and trail runners to team up and experience the action
and fun of the event, and so friends Tommie Kruger, Ryal de Waal and Francois
Groenewald will once again take on the largest XTERRA in the world this February.
– BY JACKY MCCLEAN & SEAN FALCONER
The event will kick off with the Lite race on Saturday the 23 rd (400m swim, 14km MTB,
6.5km trail run), followed by the full XTERRA on Sunday the 24 th (1.5km swim, 25.6km
SWIM
MTB, 12.4km trail run), and the event is known not only for its superb organisation and
vibe, but also for offering some of the best technical trails in the country.
Not all athletes are comfortable doing all three legs in a triathlon, especially with
massed open water swims or taking on such technical trails, but the team category
allows specialist swimmers, bikers and runners to combine their skills and still be
part of the event, as Grabouw locals Tommie Kruger and Francois Groenewald, and
Ryal de Waal of Stellenbosch have been doing for several years.
RIDE
RUN
The Swimmer The Biker The Runner
“I started swimming in high school at Paarl Boys
High, but I am not much of a cyclist or a runner,”
says Tommie. “By entering as part of a team, I can
be part of XTERRA, while doing something that I like.
I especially love the absolute madness at the start
of the swim. We once came second in the men’s
team category, so we’d like to improve on that, and
personally, I’d like to improve my time for the swim.
I will also take part in the Sanlam Cape Mile, held at
the same venue the weekend before XTERRA, which
definitely makes it good practice for XTERRA.” “I like XTERRA because I enjoy the off-road stuff. The
single tracks in Grabouw are always in good shape and
great fun, and this course is always challenging, because
the relatively short distance means it is always flat-box
from the start, which makes it a hard but rewarding ride.
Our goal will be to finish Top 10 overall and to podium in
the men’s team category. My personal goal will be to try
and set up a good position for the team when Francois
starts the run. I know he can only improve our position,
as he is always one of the fastest runners on the day.” “Entering as part of a team definitely adds
excitement to the race, while sharing the
experience with friends just makes it extra special.
Our team’s combined age speaks for itself in
experience. Tommie is an exceptionally strong
swimmer, while Ryal just does not know how to
give up, and my goal will be to run the fastest time
on the day.”
Tommie (59) will start the race with the 1.5km swim,
and he brings an impressive swimming pedigree
to the team: In recent years, he has been on the
podium three times in the 50 years and older
category in the SA Champs 3km Open Water event,
finishing first in 2015 and second in both 2013 and
2016.
Tommie will hand the baton over to Ryal (53) for the
25.6km MTB leg, and Ryal explains how their team was
born a few years ago. “I got to know Tommie when I
started spear-fishing off of his boat. I knew that he was
a good swimmer and suggested that we should enter
XTERRA as a team. He said that he knew someone
in Grabouw who was a good runner, and the rest is
history.”
Francois (32) will take on the final run leg with a
bit of an advantage, as he trains regularly in this
area and thus knows the trails well. “No one should
miss out on a world class event, especially if it is in
your home town,” he says, adding that these trails
require some technical skill. “The XTERRA’s trail
run course is tough, but rewarding. When aiming
to run four-minute kilometres, the terrain awakens
in front of you, full of quick turns, sharp climbs and
soft sand.”
For more info on XTERRA South Africa and online entries (closing 15 February), go to www.stillwatersports.com/event/xterra-grabouw.
48
ISSUE 115 FEBRUARY 2019 / www.modernathlete.co.za
T
he Beatles said it best in their 1967 hit song, “I get by with a little help
from my friends,” and that really rings true when it comes to relay events,
especially in an off-road triathlon such as the upcoming XTERRA South
Africa, taking place on the last weekend of February at the Elgin Grabouw Country
Club in the Western Cape.