Cooke romps to victory
Keegan Cooke took advantage of ideal conditions as he stormed to victory in the Nelson Mandela Bay Triathlon on Saturday morning.
The race, which featured three triathlon distances — standard, sprint and supersprint — saw triathletes test their skills on the picturesque Summerstrand course.
The event also featured duathlon and aquathlon disciplines, catering for athletes of all ages and skill levels.
Racing in the standard distance triathlon, Cooke was too strong for his opponents as he sped home to cross the finish line in one hour, 57 mins and 56 secs.
In the women ’ s race, it was Connie Clarence who took top honours collecting the win in a time of 2:38.33.
Cooke said on Sunday it had been a perfect day for a triathlon in the Bay.
“Conditions were perfect for swimming,” he said.
“Even on the bike, it was almost as if there was no wind.
“On the run, I could feel that my legs had been through a decent training block.
“My plan was to have a smooth run.
“I didn’t need to overdo it. I just wanted to get into a good rhythm and made sure I was running pretty steadily.
“This was not an A race for me so I didn ’ t taper going into it. “I am racing the Challenge Cape Town race in November so this was like a test run for me to see where I am at in terms of my training.”
Cooke said he was feeling in good nick with just over three weeks to go before the race in Cape Town.
“This was a really good test to see where the form is at.
“I knew I would be a little bit tired and the legs would be a bit sore but the main aim was to practise a few things in all three disciplines ahead of the half-distance race next month,” he said.