Mariental triathlon attracts record number, as foreigners take titles

THE annual First National Bank (FNB) Mariental Triathlon saw a record number of 220 athletes participating on Saturday.

Organiser Mariete Grobler was very pleased with the turnout and said most athletes indicated that they would be coming back next year. FNB sponsored the event for the second year with an amount of N$50 000.Grobler told Nampa Sunday that a sponsorship has already been secured for the next event.This year, two newcomers to the Mariental Triathlon won the elite men’s and women’s races.Samer Ali Saad Guardia from Spain won the men’s race in a time of two hours, one minute and 46 seconds while Claire Kinsley from South Africa won the women’s competition in 02:18:31.The elite race consisted of a 1,5-kilometre swim, 40-km bike ride and 10-km run.Guardia used his running skills to end first in the race and the elite category overall.The second-fastest man was Kent Horner from South Africa, who clocked in at 02:04:12.Horner was the first out of the water, while Bobby Behan from Ireland and Namibia’s Paddy Murphy finished the cycling race in joint first place.Behan ended third overall and Murphy, the first Namibian over the line, finished fourth.The second-fastest woman on the day was Caroline Koll, who recorded 02:19:11.The South African is a regular at the event, which she won in 2003.Cordula Moller from Swakopmund ended third while the first Namibian across the line was Charmaine Shannon.The competition started at 06h00 on Saturday with the swimming leg at the Hardap Dam.Grobler said the weather was very cold at the start but it became warmer as the race proceeded.During the cycling leg, the athletes had to work extra hard against a strong southerly wind and the run back to Mariental was a rough and hard one, said Grobler.-NampaFNB sponsored the event for the second year with an amount of N$50 000.Grobler told Nampa Sunday that a sponsorship has already been secured for the next event.This year, two newcomers to the Mariental Triathlon won the elite men’s and women’s races.Samer Ali Saad Guardia from Spain won the men’s race in a time of two hours, one minute and 46 seconds while Claire Kinsley from South Africa won the women’s competition in 02:18:31.The elite race consisted of a 1,5-kilometre swim, 40-km bike ride and 10-km run.Guardia used his running skills to end first in the race and the elite category overall.The second-fastest man was Kent Horner from South Africa, who clocked in at 02:04:12.Horner was the first out of the water, while Bobby Behan from Ireland and Namibia’s Paddy Murphy finished the cycling race in joint first place.Behan ended third overall and Murphy, the first Namibian over the line, finished fourth.The second-fastest woman on the day was Caroline Koll, who recorded 02:19:11.The South African is a regular at the event, which she won in 2003.Cordula Moller from Swakopmund ended third while the first Namibian across the line was Charmaine Shannon.The competition started at 06h00 on Saturday with the swimming leg at the Hardap Dam.Grobler said the weather was very cold at the start but it became warmer as the race proceeded.During the cycling leg, the athletes had to work extra hard against a strong southerly wind and the run back to Mariental was a rough and hard one, said Grobler.-Nampa