Last week of Ocean Racing Series season
THE 12th season of the aQuellé Ocean Racing Series, Africa’s largest family beach event, which is unique to Nelson Mandela Bay, comes to an end when round 10 kicks off at 9am on Sunday.
Drawing an average of between 400 and 500 participants on mostly alternate Sunday mornings throughout the summer, the series is a family affair with no fewer than seven simultaneously run events taking place.
The series kicks off each October and usually features between 10 and 12 race days to conclude the week before the Ironman weekend.
An ideal regular sporting outlet for swimmers, fun runners and walkers, the series this season included a 3km, 2km, 1km and 400m ocean swim together with a 5km beach walk/beach run and a children’s 1km beach run for 12 years and under.
Participants wanting to take part in the series can join at any stage of the season, with Sunday being the last chance.
Immediately after the races on Sunday, the prize-giving function for the children’s 1km beach run will take place at Hobie Beach. The series final prize-giving, to honour the overall series winners, will then be held at the News Cafe.
Sunday will also be a double points day and this could have a significant impact on the overall standings where seven out of a possible 10 race results are taken into account.
Going into the final round, a handful of participants have managed to stay undefeated and will be looking to keep a clean record come Sunday.
They include Belinda Niemand (5km women’s walk), Grobbie Grobler (5km men’s walk), Tara Sacke (5km women’s run), Tiara Finnis (400m girls’ swim), Kirstin Marriott (1km women’s swim), Ian Venter (1km men’s swim) and Amica de Jager (3km women’s swim).
One of the biggest upsets this season was Daniel Jones (2km swim) losing to Slater Black in round seven. That was the first time in several years that Jones had not won the race.
A highlight for season 12 has been the inclusion of almost 80 children from previously disadvantaged communities as part of Zsports Events NPC’s Masakhane Future Stars Development programme, backed by Caltex Eastern Cape.
These children are given the opportunity to take part in local Zsports events throughout the year.
See www.oceanracingseries.com to register for Sunday or enter at Hobie Beach from 7.30am on the day.