Chase sets new sprint record

Nathan Chase smashed his own record by more than four minutes to win the RMB Off-road Triathlon at Lake Oanob Resort on Sunday. 

Junior triathlete Chase, who is still only 15-years-old, was the overall winner of the sprint category (600m swim, 15km bike, 4km run) in a time of one hour four minutes 10 seconds (1:04:10), to finish more than five minutes ahead of Petrus Human, who won the elite category in 1:09:28.

Ethan Brinkmann came third overall and second in the elite category in 1:10:02, while Konrad Marais came fourth overall and third in the elite category in 1:11:46.

Chase exited the water with the leading group just behind Andrew Rowles and Jan Louis Mostert, but by the time they reached the transition he had taken the lead and never looked back. 

“I really enjoyed the race. The course is super fun, especially the bike, with some nice, twisty single track and fast jeep track. The run is really tough, with a long section up a river. The whole race was very hard, and from the swim, where I came out with the front guys, I pushed the pace to grow my gap to about six minutes in the end,” he said.

Second in the u16 category was Nathan’s younger brother, 12-year-old Micah in 1:15:51, while Niels Knoetze came third in 1:33:14.

In the male veteran category, Andrew Rowles came first in 1:13:48, followed by Johan du Plessis (1:35:19) and Hilko Marschall (1:35:31). 

Phillip Sonntag won the master male category in 1:25:24, followed by Axel Theissen (1:32:15) and Joe Lewis (1:40:52). 

The first female overall in the sprint category was Benita Windisch, a seasoned triathlete who has won both the Enduro RMB Off-Road Triathlon and the Ultra at the FNB Sandman Triathlon multiple times.  

Windisch was second out of the water after last year’s sprint winner Laura Voss.  Windisch had a good cycle and excellent run,  finishing in 1:21:03. 

Overall second and winner of the veteran category was Sonja Obholzer in 1:25:14, while Hannah Winter was third overall and second in the veteran category (1:33:54), with Charmaine Shannon the third veteran in 1:45:44.

Lara Voss and Bronwyn Heigan were second and third in the elite category in 1:35:59 and 1:50:20 respectively.

In the master female category, Gudrun Marschall, Vera de Cauwer and Nicole Botha took first, second and third place in 1:43:22, 1:45:50 and 1:52:19 respectively.

EmmaBrinkmann was the overall winner of the Super Sprint (300m swim, 6km cycle, 2km run) in a new record time of 36:38, while she also won the 13 and under category. 

Second overall, and second in the junior category was Danica Bombosch in 43:54, while Kyra Marschall was the third junior in 45:43.

Tristan Buttner won the 13 and under category in 45:36 and was also the third overall male. Adriaan Graf and Aiden Diehl were second and third in the 13 and under category in 45:45 and 48:03 respectively.

The open female category was won by Iona Sickel in 44:21 and the open male category by Bas Rijnen in 43:39.

OTB Sport thanked RMB for its generous and invaluable support of triathlon in Namibia, and for the sponsorship of the RMB Off Road Triathlon specifically, which it has sponsored for the past four years. OTB Sport also thanked OCNAM and E.M.A Medical for their support and sponsorship over the years.