GQEBERHA – US athlete Matthew Marquardt conquered the 21st ISUZU Ironman African Championship, proudly taking first place on Sunday afternoon, 19 April in Nelson Mandela Bay.

It was a gruelling task to complete the 3.8km swim, 180km cycling and 42.2km run. The athletes came prepared to push beyond their limits in the race for a podium spot.

Marquardt beat the previous record by two seconds for a final time of 07:42:57. He described the Ironman as a “very honest course” that is very challenging and ensures the very best athlete comes out on top.

He now looks forward to seeing more of South Africa before heading back home.

Home favourite Jamie Riddle set a strong pace in the early stages and was the first male athlete to transition to the 180km cycling leg. He closely followed Marquardt in getting off the bike and transitioning to the running stage.

Riddle finished 38th overall out of a total of 822 athletes.

In the men’s division, Marquardt was followed by Joe Skipper in second place and Tristan Olij in third.

In the women’s division, Daisy Davies crossed the finish line first, followed by Katrine Christensen in second and Daniela Bleymehl in third.

Davies was very happy to have finished first and hoped to continue this momentum forward to other events. It was her first time in South Africa and she described the community as very welcoming.

“The course was great and the support on the course really kept me going,” she said.

The roaring crowds enjoyed two days of Ironman action in Nelson Mandela Bay. The opening day of the ISUZU IRONMAN African Championship, Saturday, 18 April at Hobie Beach, featured the ISUZU 5150 Triathlon, the ISUZU Corporate Triathlon Challenge powered by Algoa FM, and the IRONKIDS race.

For more info and race results, visit the Ironman website and keep an eye on their Facebook page.