By Jarred Bradley and Refuwe Letsooa

In the words of Terri Guillements: “Weather is a great metaphor for life - sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad and there’s nothing much one can do but carry an umbrella.” This was more than a metaphor for the participants of the Vodacom Corporate Triathlon Challenge. The sky wore a grey and gloomy blanket, but even this failed to dampen the wave of excitement that surged through the athletes and their supporters.

This year has marked the largest entry of athletes standing at a record total of 1441. The morning started off with the individual men, who attempted the 380m swim at 8am. The first male exited the water in under seven minutes with the second male following closely. According to some athletes the water was surprisingly not cold.

Rikus van Eeden, an Industrial Engineer student at NMMU, took part in his first Corporate Triathlon Challenge, saying the water was calmer than yesterday and that he was looking forward to the swim. Van Eeden was joined by a professor and an older student. He aims to compete in the individual category next year.

Rudolf Naude was the first individual male to cross the finish line in a time of 00:49:13. “The cycling was the toughest. We had to cycle against the wind on the way back. I felt very confident with the running,” he said. Naude is training for the All Africa Championships on the 8th May. The second male, Pavel Muzicek, crossed the line with an overall race time of 00:51:46. The third male to step on the red carpet was Adrian Clarke, with a time of 00:53:09. Matthew Scott, a thirteen year old who is coached by South African Ironman hero, Raynard Tissink, had a great performance and managed to finish 6^th. “I have been doing the sport for four years now. Friday is the only day we don’t train.” His brother, Keegan Scott, finished in 10^th position.

In the individual women’s category Lauren Dance walked away as the overall winner in a time of 00:53:12. Liza Bright finished in second position in time of 00:56:07 and Jita Simakova coming third in 00:56:53.

The team division comprised of both companies and schools. Harry Snyman Printers held the lead, with Team Electric – a combined school effort from D.F Malherbe and Framesby taking second place. Grey College took third position. On the business side, the Vodacom PROs came in first with a time of 00:46:06. Team Vodashop finished in second position in a time of 00:46:13 and Mike Bosch Properties in third place. Charlton Tobias from Algoa FM, alongside Carol Hall, MD of Vodacom, presented the awards and Volkswagen won the Fittest Team award. Provisional results will be available soon.

Algoa FM Corporate Challenge team give a taste of what to expect.

By Jarred Bradley

Algoa FM has decided to take their relationship with their listeners, and Spec-Savers Ironman South Africa, to the next level. The station has decided to enter a team, consisting of three members, to take part in the Vodacom Corporate Triathlon Challenge taking place this Saturday, 24 April. The Corporate Triathlon Challenge offers the opportunity for people to enter teams, each person completing a different discipline of the triathlon. These disciplines include swimming, cycling and running.

Andy, who will be doing the 380m swim for the team, seemed confident and was satisfied with his training program. “I am 'amped'. I have been doing my laps at the local gym,” he said. Lance DuPlessis, who will be doing the 18km cycle, was not quite as optimistic as his fellow team mate. His training mainly consists of what he calls, “visualisation,” which basically eliminates the tedious effort of cycling. His plan is to enjoy the scenery and clear his head while cycling to his final comrade, Jason. Jason is doing the last discipline for the team. His training mainly consists of a technique he labels, “socialising.” This requires intense 'carbo-loading', which plays a major role in the training program. His goal is to finish the race for his team in a total time of less than 2 hours and 45 minutes. “I am feeling rather uneasy. I have not had much training,” says Jason, in an honest, yet calm voice.

The team members agree that there has always been a drive in the station with regard to the Spec-Savers Ironman and that they were the unlucky ones, who against their will, decided to take on the challenge. Lance believes that, not only does their taking part encourage listeners to join them, but can be seen as the station returning the favour to their listeners. “I think it is one of our strong points at the station, we try and connect with the listeners. It is good to change the roles, be in the eye of the public and show them that we are normal people as well.”

Andy sees it as a good opportunity for non-athletic people to have fun and test their personal capabilities. Even though they were very sure that they would not participate in the full Ironman, I believe it all comes down to personal achievement. Jason's goal is to experience the satisfaction of running more than he think he could, while Andy would like to finish his swim without a pause. They both agree that finishing before the rival team would not do any harm to their ego's at the station and Jason added that “As long as we can avoid the ridicule of our friends and not give them ammunition, I am happy.”

“Eye of the Tiger,” “The Final Countdown” and “Chariots of Fire” seem to be the team's primary motivation - that, and the good friendships and healthy competition that go hand-in-hand with such an event. The team believes that they are as ready as they personally can be, and we wish them all of the best for Saturday's event.

See all the CTC action on Super Sport

All the thrills and spills of the 2010 Vodacom Corporate Triathlon Challenge will be on Super Sport. Don’t miss a minute of the action, tune in and see what all the hype is about.

These are the provisional times and are subject to change. Check the website regularly for updated times.

Vodacom Corporate Triathlon Challenge:

3 June 2010 21:30 – 22:00 Super Sport 5 Premier

4 June 2010 12:00 – 12:30 Super Sport 7 Repeat

7 June 2010 19:00 – 19:30 Super Sport 5 Repeat

8 June 2010 04:30 – 05:00 Super Sport 1 Repeat

8 June 2010 23:30 – 00:00 Super Sport 1 Repeat

Anything is possible with Vodacom as the new Communications Partner for IMSA

By Michael Flanagan

2010 is a year of big things for Nelson Mandela Bay and things don’t get much bigger than the Spec-Savers Ironman South Africa. All the main ingredients are in place for the triathlon feast with the course, the athletes and the spectators ready for the action. One major development in this year’s event is new communications partner, South African telecommunications giant, Vodacom. In addition to being the official communications partner for the Spec-Savers Ironman South Africa, Vodacom is also the title sponsor for the Vodacom Corporate Triathlon Challenge powered by Algoa FM.

This year’s Corporate Triathlon Challenge promises to exceed expectations with Vodacom’s firm backing and commitment to the support of sports and sport development in South Africa. Vodacom promotes grassroots development of various sporting codes and the Corporate Triathlon Challenge is a starting block for many enthusiastic triathletes who aspire to eventually test their abilities at the full Ironman. “Vodacom’s sponsorship of the Corporate Triathlon Challenge and Ironman South Africa is an extension of our support for sports,” says Carol Hall, Vodacom Managing Executive: Eastern Region.

The name Vodacom is synonymous with a host of major sporting events in South Africa and the Spec-Savers Ironman South Africa is yet another feather in their already colourful cap. “This is the first time that Vodacom has sponsored an event of this nature. As a pan African company, we’re excited about being part of the only Ironman on the African continent,” says Hall.

As the official communications partner of the Spec-Savers Ironman South Africa, Vodacom will ensure that communications run smoothly throughout the event therefore making an already professionally run, world class event even more efficient. Vodacom will be providing first class communications solutions by supplying the equipment and services necessary to access the internet and to relay information to the public as well as the athletes through newsletters and websites via the internet. Vodacom will also provide technical support in the form of a Vodacom technician who will be on standby to resolve any challenges that may arise.

Not only can spectators expect to be treated to a world class display of triathlon skill and endurance from the athletes, but thanks to Vodacom, spectators are closer to the action as they can keep track of their favourite athlete using Vodacom’s Track an Athlete feature. Spectators can SMS an athlete’s race number and receive updates as to where they are on the course. “As a proud supporter of South African supporters, the event offers a unique opportunity to connect with a customer base which follows triathlon passionately,” adds Hall.

Both the Spec-Savers Ironman South Africa and Vodacom Corporate Triathlon Challenge promises to excite spectators and athletes alike and Vodacom will be there all the way to ensure that this year’s event is one that will linger on the lips of all those present for a long time to come. Vodacom wishes all the participants the best of luck as they test their endurance in this gruelling race. “I hope they’re up for the challenge as we are,” adds Hall.