Ironman South Africa 2026 Race Report

This was also the African Championship, bringing out the strongest athletes from all over the world! 64 different countries were represented. Everyone looked like an elite athlete, there were no casual competitors.

It was a 15 hour flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg, where I had an overnight layover. My college friend, Zakhali Tshabalala, surprised me with a wonderful group dinner! I was advised not to leave my luggage at the airport, but fortunately we were able to transport them to where I stayed overnight. The next day, the flight continued for 2 hours to Port Elizabeth. My flight arrangements were the shortest of any of the intercontinental travelers I spoke with, so no complaints from me.

I assembled my bike with no problems. What a relief!!

I traveled by myself. I was fine with that since I have raced internationally many times. Fortunately, I met Nicole Harris, who was racing out of Mississippi. We helped each other navigate the check in process, and have a workout partner. Especially the practice swim!

The second day, we checked in. The license fee was only $10! USAT isn’t doing something right. The practice swim was in choppy water, but I didn’t think it was too bad. The waves prevented me from keeping the buoys in sight. I just made note to sight more often. After a brief swim, I felt confident.

The practice bike ride was along the left side of the roads, with the left side traffic. Oddly, the race would have us bike on the right side of the road. After getting used to the hills we will climb and recognizing the wind direction, I had my strategy to conquer the bike course.

The practice run would be interesting as I have been ailing from a slew of injuries the past 6 months: sprained left ankle, sprained right calf, ski accident, plus chronic IT Band and back issues. To get to the start line healthy, I have limited any running while training. The practice runs felt great in my new Nike Vaporflys.

The athletes briefing was right after a pasta dinner and dance performance for all of the athletes and their guests. It was tasty! There was an Olympic distance race the day before the big race. I checked it out, and observed that there was a current pushing the swimmers. Hmmm. Now it’s time for me to race the following day.

The water was 64°. Perfect wetsuit temperature. Swim caps were color coded based on the self-seeded expected finish time. That was different. Nicole and I lined up with the 1:30 - 1:40 group, second to last. We noticed that the water was choppier than before, and the current was really pushing the swimmers to the right. Much worse than the practice swim and the day before. We entered the beach 4 at a time every 5 seconds.

It was a 2-loop course, exiting onto the beach for the second loop. After swimming into the deep ocean, there was a left turn against the current for a long stretch. That’s when the swim got chaotic!

My plan to swim efficiently turned into fighting the waves and the current. I got kicked across the head. Each time, I looked up and it was a big wave, not a swimmer! If it wasn’t a big wave pushing me backwards, the wave would pick me up and drop me back down, leaving me with a mouthful of salt water if I mistimed my breaths. I often got turned around, and the many African lifeguards pointed me in the right direction.

The return leg was fast with the current. I noticed many were passing me on their second loop. As I approached the beach, I saw many had the same color cap as me. That was my first clue I was in trouble with making the 2 hour, 20 min cutoff. When I got onto the beach, it seemed like 95% of the folks were finished, and only a couple were re-entering for the second loop. A decision had to be made on battling the ocean a second time or concede defeat. Really! I was beat up, tired, and my mouth was sore from all the salt water while there was no fresh water provided to rinse with.

“Don’t be a punk! Don’t suck! “, I told myself as I ran back into the ocean to complete the second Loop with extra determination. I focused on improving my form, kicking harder and sighting better. The water was definitely rougher the second loop as the winds had picked up. It was actually harder than the first loop.

I had my very own Swim Angel! A young African boy was paddle boarding alongside me as I was swimming. While that did give me comfort, it was a bad sign that I was one of the last swimmers. I kept pushing until I got back on shore for the second time. Knowing that I was pushing the cut off time I sprinted out of the water to the transition line. I checked my watch and saw that I finished with less than four and a half minutes to spare.

Time: 2:15:40

Age group: 66/67

Overall: 789/791

I took a moment to be thankful. There were no wetsuit strippers, so it took extra time to peel the wetsuit off of myself. I grabbed my bike gear, easily found my bike since there were only a few remaining, and off I went!

Time: 6:33

Bike course consisted of three loops with two very long climbs on each loop. When I first started, it was eerie since there was no one in front of me to chase and no one behind chasing me. As soon as I merged onto the main bike course, that quickly changed as I was mixed with the cyclists that had a one hour head start on me. They included the male and female pros, who all zoomed past me. I conserved my energy on the climbs, knowing that there was a long day ahead of me.

The second loop was less crowded, of course. I climbed both of the hills with a little more intensity than before. I did start to feel the wear and tear from the long grinds up each climb. By the time I hit the climbs on the third loop my legs were completely spent! I focused on executing my plan, and it worked well. I stayed on top of my nutrition and hydration and had no problems with cramping, G.I. issues, or dehydration.

The bike is my strongest leg, and that showed by moving up from the bottom ranking. I was pleased with my performance, considering the swim I survived.

Time: 7:00:26

AG: 50/67

OA: 614/791

The second transition was just as uneventful as the first. I did beat many bikes back, so that gave me motivation. Unfortunately, I did feel the strain on my back from my chronic pain. I stretched out my back, took 2 ibuprofen and 2 Tylenol, then I was off on the run leg.

Time: 13:00

The run course was four loops. Although it was relatively flat, the turnaround points on both sides of the loops were on top of a steep climb. There was amazing crowd support throughout the course making it a very exciting run. I showed appreciation to everyone that was cheering and calling my name, which was displayed on my bib. The kids were eager to pass out high-fives to everyone.

My body felt really good and comfortable running at a 12-minute pace. My back pain was preventing me from running faster, but I was able to maintain this comfortable pace throughout the run using the crowd as motivation and talking to the other athletes. I tackled the marathon 1 mile at a time. With each loop, I passed the finish line twice. It was such a relief to finally be the one heading down the red carpet, through the bright lights, and in front of the grandstand. On top of the music, I heard the announcer say “From the United States, Derrick, You Are An Ironman!”

Time: 5:59:40

AG: 61/68

OA: 736/791

 

Big thanks to all of you that sent me cheers and tracked me. To Zakhali and Fortune for hosting me in Jo’Burg. To Shawn for your support. And to Nicole and Zenzi for making sure I was OK after the race. While I was traveling alone, I never felt alone. Thanks to Team Zoot! I did see other teammates out there. No cramping all day, so Hammer Nutrition did its job. Now it’s time to rest and enjoy myself with no upcoming race on my schedule!