By Michael Owora
Published April 18, 2024
The second edition of the Karen Open Triathlon went down on April 14, 2024 at Karen Country Club. Hosted by Joyriders Kenya, Karen Country Club and Team Tri Fit, the event saw more than 150 athletes drawn from individuals and teams of three tackle a 750m pool swim, 18KM muddy off road cycle followed by a flat, fast and fun 5.5KM run.
It is safe to say that this year’s event was a resounding success as the triathletes smiled, grinned and sweated in equal measure through the beautiful terrain of Karen and the larger Oloolua Forest. It was great to hear the ‘war stories’ from the triathletes on their adventures and challenges.
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The event kicked off with the women’s sprint triathlon where 30 athletes went head to head with the following taking top honors:
- First Position – Rosaline Parr – 1hr 52min
- Second Position – Harriet Bell – 1hr 59min
- Third Position – Jacobsen Lena – 2hr 1min 22sec
- Fourth Position – Joey Richard – Holi – 2hr 1min 34sec
In this category the technical team took time to review the results following queries raised by respective triathletes.
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In the men’s category, it was a ‘race to the line’ as the triathletes were separated by sheer minutes. With more than 66 participants, the following took top honors on the day:-
- First Position – Martin Montbarbon – 1hr 33min
- Second Position – Mauricio Zambrano – 1hr 36min
- Third Position – Joseph Kuria – 1hr 38min
The team challenge saw a surge in entries as compared to last year. With 28 teams registering for the event, competition was stiff with everyone putting their best foot forward.
- First Position – Joy Riders Kenya (Team B) – 1hr 24min 7sec
- Second Position – Joyriders Kenya (Team A) – 1hr 24min 38 sec
- Third Position – Van Hoek’s – 1hrs 48min 45sec
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The event closed off with a fun and engaging award ceremony at the race village that was supported and setup by our partners Infinite Planners, Lee Construction and Discmen Entertainment. Led by DJ Kyeembo and MC Dennis Muchai, participants, partners and supporters came together to ‘replenish lost calories’ and recount their adventures from the day. It is without a doubt that the bike segment of the race was the biggest conversation starter.
The Karen Open Triathlon marks the start of Team Tri Fit (TTF)’s event calendar for the year with the following local events set to take place: –
- Kilifi Gold Triathlon – September – Open water swim and off road, bike and run
- Mugie Triathlon – October – Pool swim, off road bike and run
- 113 Shujaa Triathlon – December – Open water swim, road, bike and run
We would like to thank all the participants who braved the elements and ‘dug deep’ to finish what is now dubbed ‘Nairobi’s only off road triathlon’.
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