Cape Town Set To Host World’s Best On 10 February 2019
The City of Cape Town is once again set to host the world’s best triathletes on Sunday, 10 February 2019, when the Discovery Triathlon World Cup officially opens the 2019 ITU (International Triathlon Union) global race calendar.
The event is the only ITU race that takes place on African soil. It forms part of the Discovery Get Active Weekend, which sees world class triathletes competing for world ranking and Olympic qualification points, as well as multisport enthusiasts and novices enjoying an exciting day of swimming, cycling and running along the picturesque Atlantic Seaboard and iconic city landmarks. Participants are invited to enter their choice of the sprint or standard triathlon (SWIM-CYCLE-RUN), or the super sprint, sprint or standard duathlon (RUN-CYCLE-RUN) events.
The family-friendly 5km & 8km Discovery Retro Run will open proceedings on Saturday, 9 February. This fun run will see more than 7 000 runners taking to the streets of Cape Town and the promenade, to enjoy a sunset run in a Retro theme!
Entries are open.
“Cape Town is South Africa’s most active city according to research Discovery released this year called Road to a Healthier South Africa 2018 in which we measured six major cities across the country for how active they are by steps tracked, gym workouts and outdoor activities completed," says Iona Maclean, Head of Sponsorships and Experiential Marketing at Discovery.
"For that reason, we are excited to be hosting the Discovery Get Active Weekend in Cape Town. "Discovery also aims to make communities healthier and get everyone more active because heart disease, strokes, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease are collectively responsible for almost 70% of all deaths worldwide," adds Ms Maclean.
"Getting regular exercise, stopping smoking and eating healthier makes a significant difference in bringing these stats down and managing these diseases. Road to a Healthier South Africa 2018 also shows that 50% of South Africans lead sedentary lifestyles, more than double that of the global average of 23%.
"While in the latest Healthy Active Kids Report Card 2016, a joint research initiative between the Sports Science Institute of South Africa and Discovery Vitality, South African children scored an F for sedentary behaviour and a D for obesity so our aim with this weekend is to get everyone moving from young to old and super fit to fit or just starting out, we want everyone to take part in some way."
RICHARD MURRAY SET TO DEFEND HIS TITLE
Defending champion Richard Murray will return to defend his title on 10 February. Fresh off the back of a sizzling 2018 season, the 29-year-old triathlete has his sights firmly set on qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
“I had a great 2018 ITU racing season, bagging my first-ever World Triathlon Series win in the Olympic distance, and finishing 4th in the overall world rankings following the Grand Finals in Australia. With my new coach, I feel that my overall condition is getting better and better as I build up to the Tokyo 2020 games,” reflects Murray.
“I look forward to defending my title in February and am confident that 2019’s World Cup event in Cape Town will give me a solid start to the year. I absolutely love racing in Cape Town and in front of my home crowd!”
ADDITION OF AFRICAN JUNIOR CHALLENGE
2019 will be an auspicious year for the Discovery Triathlon World Cup Cape Town, with the inclusion of the African Junior Challenge.
“I am excited to confirm that Cape Town and the Triathlon World Cup event will host Junior athletes from 10 different African countries, who will visit the Mother City to participate in the Sprint Distance event on 10 February,” says event director Gary Marescia.
“By hosting an annual ITU event in Africa, the addition of the African Junior Challenge illustrates the positive effect that the event has had on the growth of triathlon in other African countries. We look forward to hosting these up and coming stars, who may be the next generation Olympic games medal winners.”