Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 54, January 2014

unly Fun ily F i m unFaun am n amily F y F y Fun Fmily Fun miilly Fu F Fa il Fa n am am Family Fu F F Race Reports Fun mily Fa The Spur Adventure Duo & Sprint events form a funﬁlled series for the whole family, so if you haven’t tried one of these entry-level AR events yet, make this a New Year’s Resolution. – BY SEAN FALCONER I For the ﬁtter or more experienced multisporters, the 2013-2014 series has seen the introduction of the Spur Adventure Duo long course option, where athletes compete individually over a 20 to 25km MTB leg, followed by a 10 to 12km trail run leg. The next events in the series take place on 19 January (Lourensford, Somerset West), 9 February (Grabouw Country Club), and 16 March (Paul Cluver, Grabouw). For more info, go to www.quantumadventures.co.za. Advertorial FIELD CITY TTLE A ALO B BUFF It’s the biggest race of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and it takes place in East London, Buffalo City, on 26 January. The sold-out IRONMAN 70.3 South Africa promises to dish out some exciting tussles with returning champions and the title hopefuls looking to be number one. The race will feature two previous winners, with current champ Bart Aernouts being joined by Fraser Cartmell, who returns for the ﬁrst time since his win here in 2010. The big twist in the 2013 race was the last-minute withdrawal of local favourite James Cunnama, but he is fresh off his fourth place ﬁnish at the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Hawaii – the best ever ﬁnish for a South African – and has shown some good form in the latter part of the 2013 season with a win at IRONMAN 70.3 Cozumel, so the South African will be hoping to break his duck on local soil! The introduction of new blood on the pro scene will also add excitement to the event, notably with SA’s Kyle Buckingham making his professional debut at IRONMAN 70.3 South Africa. Strong challenges can also be expected from the likes of Britain’s Will Clarke and Frenchman Cyril Viennot, while SA’s Kent Horner is no stranger to the top ﬁve! 38 ISSUE 54 JANUARY 2014 / www.modernathlete.co.za Women’s Way Britain’s Jodie Swallow made this race her own by winning a hat-trick of titles between 2011 and 2013, and it will be a brave person to bet against the former IRONMAN 70.3 world champ. She had an impressive 2013, which included second at IRONMAN South Africa – her ﬁrst ever full distance IRONMAN race – as well as a maiden IRONMAN win at IRONMAN Sweden. The women’s pro ﬁeld is further strengthened by the likes of 2009 champion Lucie Reed, 2013 runner-up Susie Hignett and Switzerland’s Simone Braendli. The only South African woman to win IRONMAN 70.3 South Africa is Mari Rabie, a feat she achieved in 2010. This year local hopes fall on Claire Horner and Dianne McEwan. Both athletes did not have a particularly smooth 2013 due to a combination of injuries, so they will be looking to use IRONMAN 70.3 South Africa as a springboard for a successful 2014! Image: Craig Muller Images: Jacques Marais f a mountain-bike ride of between 10 and 15km, followed by a trail run of around 3 to 5km including a fun water obstacle crossing on a pleasant summer’s day sounds like fun to you, then get yourself down to the Spur Adventure Sprint Series events in the Western Cape. These events are designed to be fun and family-oriented, with emphasis placed on team entries of family or friends, and it is terriﬁc to see so many kids taking part.

Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 54, January 2014 | Page 38