5150 Bela Bela Triathlon promises to dish up thrilling PRO contest

Entries have closed for the 5150 Bela Bela Triathlon and with a record number of athletes and a fantastic PRO line-up; we’re all set for exhilarating race on August 25th. This year’s race makes history being the biggest standard distance triathlon ever in South Africa and after seeing the breathtaking action at the triathlon in the Olympic Games, excitement levels amongst athletes is now higher than ever.
 
The 5150 Bela Bela Triathlon is the first qualifier to the 2013 Hy-Vee 5150 US Champs, the world’s most lucrative triathlon with a professional prize purse of US$1.5 million. Seventeen PRO athletes have entered and are ready to challenge for top honours in Bela Bela this year with some big names jumping off the page.
 
Current champ, Travis Johnston, will not be defending his title as he is focusing on the Hy-Vee 5150 US Champs in early September. However the challenge will be issued by the likes of Erhard Wolfaardt, Kent Horner, Rudolf Naude, Bradley Weiss and Wikus Weber in the men’s field.
 
Wolfaardt is a former South African and African champion and will definitely be one to watch this year. He will undoubtedly be put to the test by the likes of Kent Horner, a seasoned Ironman and Ironman 70.3 athlete having had an exceptional season thus far. Horner finished 5th at this year’s Ironman 70.3 South Africa in East London and 9th at Ironman South Africa in Port Elizabeth. It will be interesting to see how he fares in the shorter distance.
 
Bradley Weiss raced at the 5150 Bela Bela Triathlon last year as an elite age group athlete, this year making the step up to PRO. He will be confident having being crowned the U23 ITU Cross Tri World Champion earlier this year and will also be mixing it up amongst the front runners in a race that should provide some thrilling entertainment for the crowd.
 
The ladies’ title will be pursued by the likes of, Lucie (Zelenkova) Reed, Lauren Dance, Andrea Steyn, and Claire Horner. Defending champion, Reed, needs no introduction. A former Olympian, Ironman and Ironman 70.3 champion, the Czech has the experience needed to ward off the stiff competition she’ll receive from the likes of Dance, Steyn, and Horner. Dance was last year’s runner-up and will be aiming to pip Reed to the title this year but with Steyn and Horner in the mix, it could prove to be a difficult task.
 
Claire Horner, like her husband Kent, is well known in Ironman circles in South Africa. She placed 4th at Ironman 70.3 South Africa in January and was the highest South African ladies’ finisher along with her 12th place at Ironman South Africa in April.
 
Steyn will be one to watch this year having impressed locally over the past few years. She is a Joburg City Triathlon champion and BSG Energade Series champion having won seven consecutive races in the series in 2011. She also completed her first Ironman 70.3 South Africa in January this year and was the 20th woman to finish.
 
With such top triathlon talent in the PRO line up, the 5150 Bela Bela Triathlon 2012 is set to be a thrilling contest. Be sure to keep an eye on this one. It’s going to be exciting!

5150 Bela Bela Triathlon
25 August 2012
1.5km SWIM | 40km BIKE | 10km RUN
Series points for Elite/Professional triathletes
10 qualifying slots per age group for the 2013 Hy-Vee 5150 US Championships
www.5150.co.za