After months of preparation, the biggest event on the Cayman multisport calendar happens this weekend. The Turtle Tri makes its return to Seven Mile Beach on Sunday.
Acker is the reigning champ. Photo: Eugene Bonthuys |
As always the local contenders have been keeping an eye on one another over the last couple of months, with Marius Acker, Jasper Mikkelsen and Dave Walker emerging as favourites.
However, with each one downplaying his chances and talking up his opponents, it’s difficult to point out a clear favourite.
Acker should have the edge in the swim, followed by Walker and Mikkelsen.
On the bike leg the order is likely to be reversed, with the much improved Mikkelsen expected to set the best time on the course, with strong cyclist Walker likely to make Acker work for his position.
It is all likely to come down to the run, where Acker, the fastest of the three, is likely to have a tough chase to catch his rivals who are likely to have put some daylight between themselves and the South African banker on the bike leg.
Acker beat Walker by just over a minute last year and Mikkelsen was around sixth. But Acker’s preparations were temporarily hampered by injury, Walker has been in storming form and Mikkelsen is much stronger and fitter than last time, so it’s too close to call.
It will take more than mere physical strength to win, as the stress of being in the lead can prey on the mind of an athlete, as can the enormity of the task before them should they be faced with a chase.
The locals will also have to contend with the X-factor – unknown visiting athletes who could end up throwing a spanner in the works.
One of these athletes is Ben Adam, the 2004 Triathlon Canada Junior Athlete of the Year.
As winner of the Lake Chaparral Triathlon he won an all-expenses paid trip to race the Turtle Tri.
Adam had to overcome professional triathlete Felipe Bastos to take the Lake Chaparral title, and with such a pedigree he could certainly make life difficult for the locals.
Among the women there are a number of athletes who have recently completed Ironman events this year, including Justine Plenkiewicz and Nicola Moore.
They are likely to have a fight too if they hope to overcome uber-athlete Marlene West, who was the first individual competitor, male or female, home in the third and final of the build-up races last week.
Yet once again the top podium step could fall to an international competitor, with the current World Champion in the 35-39 age group, Kristina Schultz, also scheduled to take the start.
Schultz won the women’s division in the Lake Chaparral Triathlon and in so doing booked her ticket to the Turtle Tri.
With a 2:03:15 at the World Championships, Schultz may well give some of the top male competitors a run for their money.
Schultz’s time for the Lake Chaparral triathlon was 2:14:33, which not only indicates the difficulty of the race, but puts Adam’s 2:06:25 in quite a different light as well.
Over the last couple of years the most competitive division of the race has been the teams, with top swimmers, cyclists and runners linking up to create blazingly fast combinations.
The young local swimmers like Seiji Groome have traditionally lead the way out of the water, with local cyclists like Jerome Ameline and Sheldon Anderson setting the course on fire and handing over to speedsters like Scott Brittain, Russell Coleman and Beth Schreader to complete the final leg.
The event race will feature two distances, a sprint distance race featuring a 750m swim, a 20km bike and a 5km run, or an Olympic distance race featuring a 1500m swim, a 40km bike and a 10km run. This year the event will even feature a 10km run for those not interested in swimming or cycling.
Late entries can still be taken at race registration which will take place at Comfort Suites on West Bay Road from 6pm to 9pm today and from 10am to 5pm tomorrow.
The transition area at Public Beach will open at 5:30am on Sunday for athletes to check-in and body marking and close at 6:30am.
The first swim wave will start at 6:45am, with a second wave should it be needed.
The first Olympic distance swimmer is expected to be in under 20 minutes, with the top cyclists finishing the bike course in well under an hour.
With the top athletes looking for a total race time of around two hours, the first finishers could cross the line around 8:45am.
The Turtle 10k run will start at 8am, just ahead of the first Olympic distance athletes making their return from the bike course.
Of course there is a powerful motivator for all athletes to complete the challenge in the post-race barbeque and awards ceremony at Calico Jack’s on Public Beach.
For more information on the event, including entry fees, visit www.turtletricayman.com
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