Search
shop

Alistair Brownlee kicks off 2023 campaign at IRONMAN African Championship

Triathlon legend poised for early-season test in Nelson Mandela Bay while Philipp and Langridge lock horns in women's race.
News Director
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

Alistair Brownlee and Laura Philipp will both start their 2023 seasons at the IRONMAN African Championship on March 5th.

Double Olympic champion Brownlee is currently halfway through a big training block in La Nucia in Spain and this will be the second time the Brit has raced in Nelson Mandela Bay after a superb performance in 2018 which saw him narrowly lose to Jan Frodeno in a classic IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.

Germany’s Philipp meanwhile will face a small but select women’s field, which includes Britain’s Fenella Langridge.

Advertisement

Brownlee aiming to seal Nice spot

Last season was blighted by injury and illness for Brownlee but he still managed to clock the fastest-ever IRONMAN time by a Briton when winning in Kalmar and ended the year in the top 10 of the PTO rankings.

That booked his IRONMAN World Championship slot in Kona but he was unable to take part owing to a stress fracture in his femur.

He’ll be looking to tick the IMWC qualification box early this season in South Africa, for what will be a first-ever showdown in Nice for the men in 2023.

“Excited to kick off the 2023 season and return to Port Elizabeth in a few weeks time to race IRONMAN South Africa,” he said on his social channels. “I’ve got great memories from the last time I raced there, it’s a beautiful course!”

Alistair Brownlee Swansea 2022 photo credit Nigel Roddis and Getty Images for IRONMAN
Alistair Brownlee is looking to start the season in style (Photo by Nigel Roddis/Getty Images for IRONMAN)

The 24-strong professional men’s field will also feature French duo Leon Chevalier and Clément Mignon as well as Aussie pro cyclist Cameron Wurf.

In the absence of defending champion Kyle Buckingham, fellow South Africans Bradley Weiss and Matt Trautman, who took second and third places respectively last year, will be aiming for a home win this year.

Langridge lines up against Philipp

Heading the women’s field in South Africa will be Germany’s Laura Philipp, who last year set the second-best time ever for a full-distance event when winning IRONMAN Hamburg in 8:18:20.

She’ll face 13 rivals, including 2022 Challenge Roth runner-up Fenella Langridge who will be looking to continue the fine run of British athletes after wins for Lucy Charles-Barclay (2018 and 2019) and Ruth Astle (2021)

The event returns to the original swim course venue, where athletes will take on a 3.8km swim at Hobie Beach, followed by a 180.2km bike on arguably one of the most spectacular courses on the IRONMAN world circuit. The run will take athletes along the beach fronts of Summerstrand and Humewood to Flat Rocks.

Jonathan Turner
Written by
Jonathan Turner
Jonathan Turner is News Director for both TRI247 and RUN247, and is accustomed to big-name interviews, breaking news stories and providing unrivalled coverage for endurance sports.  
Discover more
Dave Ellis / Luke Pollard - World Para Triathlon Championships Pontevedra 2023
Golden opportunity – British Triathlon launches search for LA2028 paratriathlon guides
IRONMAN Lanzarote 2024 - Anne Haug on run course
Best marathon shoes for Ironman – the ‘legal’ super shoes you CAN wear to level up your run split
Challenge Sanremo 2024 - Photo: Jose Luis Hourcade
How to fuel your triathlon training: Expert nutritionist tips to help you nail every session
swim start IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2024 photo credit Tony Svensson IRONMAN
Level up your Ironman swim split – must-read tips from an expert swim coach
Ironman gear guide – everything you need to get to the finish line of a full distance triathlon
latest News
Taylor Knibb 2024 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship Taupo New Zealand
US triathlon phenom Taylor Knibb hails great rival Kat Matthews for record-breaking IRONMAN Texas win
Richard Varga Jonny Brownlee Arzachena
Triathlon legend Jonny Brownlee reveals ‘Last Dance’ motivation behind latest challenge
IRONMAN Kona 2022 Age Group Results
How will “re-imagined” IRONMAN World Championship at Kona actually look for Age Groupers?
Lucy Charles-Barclay IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2023 Finish
IRONMAN World Championship goes ALL IN on Kona again with men and women to race on same day from 2026
Laura Philipp and Kat Matthews on the run at the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship
Nice gets consolation prize of 70.3 Worlds after IRONMAN World Championships return to Kona
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

Share to...