Australian triathlete Edward Archibald has maintained a stranglehold on the 23.3 Kilometre (km) TNM Cape Maclear Triathlon title after fluffing off 82 contestants at Golden Sands on the shores of Lake Malawi in Mangochi on Saturday.
The 41-year-old crossed the finish line of the three-sporting-code race in 1:21:07 hours, over three minutes ahead of his runner-up Brian Frantz and seven minutes in front of third-placed Jimmy Scavenius.
His continuous and sequential endurance in 0.7 km swim, 18 km cycling and 4.5km run was quite exceptional; he completed swimming race as runner-up but he pulled up his socks and engaged an extra-gear to finish first in both cycling and athletics.
Nevertheless, his excitement for the glory did not reach his expected 100 percent mark as he failed to beat his last-year’s record by almost six minutes.
“I expected to beat my record but things did not happen according to plan because last year I did it in one hour 15 minutes,” Archibald said. “Today, I was in my best shape but the wind was too harsh for a better finish.”
13-year-old Ben Thomas, who was the best swimmer of the contest, emerged overall champion in the Under-16 category after clocking 1:27:28. Kyman Dutoit took the second place with 1:33:23.
In the ladies’ section, Katie Simon made her first participation count when she outshone a field of 34 contestants in 1:36:56, just two seconds better than her runner-up Michelle Montondon. Lauren Hersek crossed the finish line four minutes later to take the third slot.
TNM chief commercial officer Dan Makata said they felt duty-bound to sponsor the event to the tune of K11 million for the second year in a row, because not only help uplift lives of the less privileged but also market the country to the outside world.
“As a truly Malawian network, we go beyond providing mobile network services to touch the lives of people in the communities and put the country on the international map. We will always be with you,” said Makata during prize presentation.
Mizu Foundation co-director Peter Thompson, whose body organised the triathlon in partnership with the Ministry of Sports and Culture and the Ministry of Information, Tourism and Civic Education, said this year’s event was meant to help raise funds for the area’s Mango School, Chembe Water Project and Billy Riordan Clinic.
