After spending 5 hours next to the road supporting the Ironman competitors on the cycle leg and popping home to do a couple of things like mow the lawn, we headed down to the beachfront after sunset to cheer on the runners. My mouth just hangs open year after year watching people who have already swum 3,8 km and cycled 180 km still run 42,2 km as if its just a jog around the block. You can see some of the athletes are struggling along and won't give in, but then you get those who still give the supporters next to the road a smile and wave. The best part last night was when I overheard a female runner at about 9pm tell the people next to the coarse, "You guys are awesome. You've been here supporting us all day." I tell you, on a day like this everybody is an Ironman doesn't matter if you're competing, organising, working at the event or supporting.
This truly is an event Port Elizabeth can't afford to loose so let me add my voice in objecting to the proposed fish farm that government wants to put up off Hobie Beach. I hope these idiotic government officials wanting to do this came and saw what an event like this means to the city and realize what a loss it will be if they put up the fish farm and events like Ironman starts pulling out.
Congratulations to our friend Pieter Klinkenberg who did (and completed) his first Ironman yesterday.
Pieter, I applauded. You truly are an IRONMAN!!!
Well done Pieter, ons is almal baie trots op jou!!
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