Enter South Africa’s first inner city Duathlon with Discovery

Shrey Viranna, Chief Executive Officer of Vitality.

On 24 and 25 October, the streets of Sandton will be filled with runners and cyclists competing in South Africa’s first urban Duathlon, sanctioned by Triathlon South Africa (TSA) and the International Triathlon Union (ITU). The event, the first of its kind in South Africa, is also one of the qualifying races for the South African Duathlon Championships.

South Africa’s first inner city Duathlon, the Discovery Duathlon Sandton, gives you the opportunity to experience Sandton as you never have before. Enter here www.discoveryduathlon.com.

The Discovery Duathlon Sandton will run over two days with Saturday 24 October dedicated to children between the ages of 5 and 11. Adults can choose to participate in any one of three race categories on Sunday 25 October, alongside international duathletes who will be competing in the invitational category on the Standard route.

Standard: 10km run, 40km cycle, 5km run

Sprint: 5km run, 20km cycle, 2.5km run

Super Sprint: 2.5km run, 12km cycle, 2.5km run

Shrey Viranna, Chief Executive Officer of Vitality, emphasises that events like the Discovery Duathlon Sandton give people the opportunity to experience the benefits of health in a whole new way. “We are committed to making it easier and more rewarding to get healthy, and getting people moving is an important component of this. We are looking forward to seeing how the population takes on this challenge and finds new and fun ways to engage with healthy activities in their urban surroundings.”

Bringing focus to the ability to use urban spaces to encourage healthier living, the Discovery Duathlon Sandton will be the first major sporting event to be hosted in the Sandton CBD. With various distances to choose from, the Discovery Duathlon Sandton caters for athletes of all levels, from experienced duathletes to families and people of all ages. The benefit of a race that involves running and cycling is the ease with which newcomers can get involved.

Speaking at the launch event, City of Johannesburg Executive Mayor, Cllr. Parks Tau warned: “The reality is that if we fail to intervene and change our behaviour – with the current levels of congestion in the city – key business areas like Sandton will remain at risk of becoming giant parking lots. By giving preference to public transport, bicycles, and pedestrians during the EcoMobility World Festival in the Transport Month of October this year, the benefits of embracing alternative and even healthier modes of transport for people and the planet will be highlighted.”