Musing of a Social Triathlon by Steve Burnett

When running clubs that put on an ASA sanctioned road event, the big week is beautifully chaotic. There are a lot of moving parts, with everyone from volunteers, racers, sponsors, suppliers, supporters, officials and more doing their thing. When it all happens, and there are no big issues everyone can take a deep breath and a sigh of relief.

So when Fish Hoek AC recently pulled off their Timbercity Red Hill Marathon, Classic and Challenge, they took the not boring option of putting on a (social) club triathlon the next weekend. Yup, with the actual TCRH Races looking down before the sun had even come up, a whole bunch of silly runners had donned speedos and goggles ready to kick off the first annual social triathlon.

The task sounds simple, find two mates and work out who swims, who bikes and who runs. No mates? Do it all yourself. The idea was so good, that word got around beyond just the club confines.

Long Beach Simonstown is a great little spot, nice sand, nice water, no danger, ample parking. The secret is out, so I won’t say anymore. Swim a few laps in the bay for about a mile. Jump on a bike and head south towards Cape Point on a bike, turning around when you’ve had enough of the pesky headwind. Drop the helmet swap shoes and head north until you’re closer to Fish Hoek than your car so head back. Signed up for the short course? do about half.

Everyone got around the course without a hitch and the lifesavers were pleasantly bored by the lack of emergencies. The only drama was the queue at the coffee shack, but good things are always worth waiting for. There were no prize winners, but the competitive nature meant those who got in before others in their category knew it.

It’s the sign of a good club where things just “seem to happen”. People pitch in and volunteer their time and expertise on the expectation that they get a smile in return. There’s milling around afterwards as stories are shared and new connections made.

See you at the next one!