Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Executive Mayor, Athol Trollip, on Monday announced a festival that would precede the 2018 Isuzu Ironman 70.3 World Championships, which is set to be held for the first time in Africa on September 1 and 2 this year.
The Molo Festival of Triathlon is a combination of five events taking place prior to the 2018 Isuzu Ironman 70.3 World Championship.
In the build-up towards the Isuzu Ironman 70.3 World Championship, the festival is a strategic intervention at repositioning Nelson Mandela Bay as an iconic sports tourism destination by capitalising on the city’s hosting of the event.
“The word ‘MOLO’ is going to become synonymous with Ironman on this continent.
“And this continent is going to produce more Ironmen and women champions. We’re making the name uniquely ours,” Trollip said.
The Molo Festival of Triathlon hosted by the Metro has been designed to get everyone involved.
Schools Triathlon development clinics
The festival will kick off with the Schools Triathlon development clinics, with three sport development clinics for the young ones aged 10 to 14.
These events will happen in Uitenhage on Saturday, July 28, Motherwell Peace Park on August 4 and Walmer Sports Grounds on August 18.
Championship Swim race
The Championship Swim race will form part of the festival on September 11, where participants will get a chance to swim the 2018 Isuzu Ironman 70.3 World Championship course at Kings Beach.
Cultural Village
The Hobie Beach Cultural Village is set to showcase the unique sounds and rich art of the Eastern Cape to the world from August 23 to September 3.
Spectator Zones
The Municipality will also set up spectator zones and fan parks in Uitenhage, Motherwell, Gelvandale and Walmer to watch all the action on big screens.
Trollip also announced ‘Finisher Shirt Friday’, which will form part of the festival. Residents are urged to wear any proud finisher or event T-shirt on Fridays.
Water concerns
The Metro is still facing a water crisis and residents are urged to use water sparingly, especially during this time when a large number of visitors are expected to converge on the metro.
“Having thousands of people coming to our city for these events, is really important for us economically, but every time we have an influx of people, the water usage goes up,” Trollip said.
The Municipality will be meeting with accommodation providers to make sure that they are saving water and innovative ways will be implemented to save water during the World Championship.
