Athletes compete during the IRONMAN African Championship at Nelson Mandela Bay, Port Elizabeth South Africa.
The race consists of a 3.8km swim, a 180km cycle and finishes with a 42.2 km marathon.
It’s an event that is so big, so popular and so special, that the entire word is capitalised. And while the word iconic is overused and has become hopelessly clichéd, it’s surely permissible, just this once, to use it to describe IRONMAN South Africa.
I am sure that when the organisers of the first IM event on African soil first sat down to plan their inaugural race, way back in 2005, they fully expected it to be a success and to still be an annual event ten years later. I’m also pretty certain that in their wildest and most ambitious dreams, they didn’t have a clue how massive IMSA would become. Massive not only in the number of competitors entered but also how big the M-dot brand and sport of long distance triathlon would become in our country.
Check the IM website for more information on how to get involved. Click Here.
I also have a portfolio page with shots from my many trips to shoot Ironman. See it here: Ironman
