Bonaqua Triathlone Cup explodes

THE 2024 edition of the Bonaqua Africa Triathlon Cup Troutbeck — an annual international swim-sprint-bike contest and a flagship sporting event for Manicaland Province in both prominence and eminence — gets underway today (Friday) in the serene environs of Troutbeck Resort in Nyanga.

Triathletes from different parts of the world including Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Japan and Ireland among many others started arriving in the country early this week, and media interviews with participants which are set for lunchtime today (Friday), marks the start of the proceedings which will culminate into actual competitions tomorrow (Saturday) morning.

The global sporting event is where elite athletes compete to get world ranking points for the International Triathlon Union (ITU) ranking system as well as Olympics qualification.

According to Triathlon Zimbabwe website, among the events participants compete in include the standard 1500m swim, 40km bike and a 10km run as well as the sprint 750m swim, 20km bike and the 5km run

There is also the supersprint 375m swim, 10km bike and 2.5km run.

Some participants are also set to partake in the iGOcorporate team challenge which includes the triathlon supersprint of 200m swim, 12km bike and 2.5km run or duathlon supersprint of 2.5km run, 12km bike and 2.5km run

There is also the duathlon of 5km run, 20km bike and 2.5km run as well as the aquabike comprising 1500m swim and 40km bike.

The youth mini triathlon has 100m swim, 1.2km bike and 800m run. Eight to 12-year-olds only and must be competent swimmers.

Swim is in deep open water, bike and run are steep hills

Minimum age for entry is eight years old.

For the aquathlon event that is also 1.25km run, 375m swim and 1.25km run while open water swim has 5000m, 3000m, 1500m, 750m, as well as four by 500m relay.

Mountain bike (MTB) event has 14km with marked GPS Navigation and minimum age for entry is 12 years old.

For the 28km marked GPS Navigation, minimum age for entry is 16 years old.

Off-road triathlon has sprint 750m swim, 28km bike and 7km run. Minimum age for entry is 16 years old while supersprint has 375m swim, 14km bike and 3km run with minimum age for entry being 12 years old.

For the 2024 event, there is a new event — the Troutbeck Trial Run whose 10km contest has a minimum age for entry at 14-years-old, while the 20km contest has a minimum age for entry at 18-years-old.

GPS and self-contained hydration fluids are mandatory

All entries for the Bonaqua Africa Triathlon Cup Troutbeck were made through the World Triathlon Entries System.