Charl Parkin out to defend title in Sundays River race
NELSON Mandela Bay disabled triathlete Charl Parkin is ready to defend his title when he tackles the River Mile in Cannonville on Sunday.
Although the day will be more about finishing the race in the Sundays River, Parkin said there was still that competitive edge which pushed athletes to go for the win.
“My preparations have been going fairly well. I have been training for the Midmar Mile – and I think that has helped me stay in shape going into this race,” he said. “We also have the Ocean Racing Series to stay in shape.”
Parkin, who will be competing in the Oracle Media Disabled Mile, said the field was usually quite small in his category and was all about having fun and, most importantly, enjoying the race.
“Normally we are a small group, so it’s more fun for us, and it doesn’t really matter who wins.
“Our group starts just before the tide changes, so the water is not too easy to navigate.”
Now in its 94th year, the River Mile will feature some of Nelson Mandela Bay’s best swimmers.
While the men’s and women’s miles are the main attraction for onlookers, other races include the Wimpy 5km Family Fun Run, About IT MTB triathlons, Kids Across the River races for U6, U8, U10, U12 and special needs, the Blu Smooth Wetsuit and the Disabled Mile.
According to Michael Zoetmulder, of ZSports Events, preparations for the weekend’s festival of swimming were on track.
“I think there are many competitors who have a good chance of taking the title,” he said.
Meanwhile, 40 residents of Colchester will form part of the day’s work force on a number of duties, including race marshals.
Zoetmulder said: “Ultimately what we want to see is the locals running the events with us. “We want to leave a positive legacy.” Getting township children involved, a total of 100 children from the Masakhane Future Stars programme will participate in some of the races.
Participants can still enter online.