Amanzimtoti, a coastal town on KZN’s Sapphire Coast, is set to host the country’s first-ever Splash Tri Dash, a super triathlon, on Sunday, 25 August 2024. The event will take place at Amanzimtoti Main Beach and will feature Olympic bronze medalist Henri Schoeman and South African triathlete Bridget Theunissen. The Splash Tri Dash is a lap-racing event based on the international Super League Triathlon racing and will include a 200m ocean swim, a 3km bike ride with full road closure, and a 1km run on the promenade. Teams from across the country, including Cape Town and Johannesburg, will compete for a share of the R40 000 prize purse.

The event is presented by Splash Waterworld in association with Raging Rapids Water Slides and the Thirsty Whale Sports and Cocktail Bar. Entrants will receive a free bacon and egg roll, a goody pack, and a Day Pass for Splash Waterworld. Organizer Bridget Theunissen, a reserve Olympian, will use the event as a fundraiser for the U23 World Championships in Spain this October, with 10% of entry fees going towards Operation Bobbi Bear and SPCA Amanzimtoti.

The Splash Tri Dash aims to be inclusive, with short distances and entries open for teams and individuals. Theunissen hopes to grow the event into a league series and involve the whole community, including participants, spectators, and local roleplayers such as Sapphire Coast Tourism. The family-friendly event will include a jumping castle for children, discounted entry, and crazy food specials at Splash Waterworld. Thirsty Whale is organizing activations with giveaways by Bidfood, Heineken, and Dairymaid.

Theunissen extended thanks to all the event sponsors, including Sapphire Coast Tourism, Spur, Virgin Active, M-projects, Reclam, Clinique, 32gi, Aquelle, and Fitch and Leeds. The event will take place from 7 am to approximately 11 am, and residents are advised to exercise patience, caution, and understanding in terms of noise and road congestion. The entry fee is R450 per person or R750 per team, and entries can be made via the triseries.co.za website. For more information about the Sapphire Coast and its diverse tourism offerings, visit www.sapphirecoasttourism.co.za or the Sapphire Coast Tourism Facebook page.