NMB forging champions
Wednesday, 16th April 2025
Article by Marguerite Smit
Blog and photo credits: Marguerite Smit & Dirk Erasmus
If you’re an athlete or outdoor activity-mad, where’s the place to be? Nelson Mandela Bay (aka PE, Gqebs, GQ, the Bay) is the place to swim, bike, run, and hike. One of those at a time, three at a time if you have iron in your veins, a different one every day, one in the morning, one in the evening… you choose, but it’s certainly the place to test your pace, stretch those limbs, and immerse yourself into the Bay’s natural beauty.
It may not have been the answer that immediately hit your mind front and centre. You may still think of NMB as the windy city, the friendly city that loves its penguins and dolphins, the city with elephants on its doorstep and whales in its backyard. And you wouldn’t be wrong, but it’s not the full picture! This is the place where champions are made, and records are broken. And once bitten, you come back again and again. When Gqebs is in your blood, it’s in your blood…
Think it through. Where is Africa’s toughest open-water swim? It’s the 5 km Bell Buoy swim that starts at Pollok Beach (home to Something Good roadhouse), heads out to sea through some pretty intense surf, and then around a shipping navigational buoy (as in where ships sail) and back again. This year it took place on Sunday 16 March (Saturday having been totally blown out) and it wasn’t a picnic, 120 plus swimmers took to the water with several being pulled after a sudden change in the wind and having to beat the white horses back to shore. It’s labelled the “toughest” because it is the toughest, but what an awesome experience. Check out Z-Sports https://www.zsports.co.za/events for next year’s event.
Where is South Africa’s/Africa’s gnarliest and most stunning Ironman event? Two weeks after the Bell Buoy it was the turn of the people who have iron running through their veins and rocks in their head (according to some family members, grumpy from the 4am training wakeup’s). Saturday 29 March warmed up the course with the 5150 triathlon: a 1,5 km swim, 40 km cycle, and 10 km run, for those testing out the sport and not quite crazy enough. And then Sunday 30 March the big one, the manne-met-kanne, the grit-girls, over 900 people registered for the 3,8 km sea swim, 180 km bike race, and an easy-peasy-are-you-insane 42 km run to top it off. And once again PE delivered, the bike run along the Wild Side must be one of world’s most jaw-dropping backdrops, with crashing waves on rocky shores lining the way in. Check out https://www.ironman.com/races/im-south-africa for next year’s details (19 April 2026).
Where is the African and South African Triathlon Champs held? Yep, you guessed it: GQ - we love you baby!! Can you believe it, some IronMan folk couldn’t get enough, so a week later on Saturday 05 and 06 April, they put on the wetsuit, clipped in their shoes, packed their running kit into transition bags, phoned their psychologist for a discount, waved their family goodbye (promise, promise, never again) and headed back down to Hobie Beach, for the next endorphin rush. But this time, they were amongst the racing snakes, with the shorter course, Africa’s best weren’t stopping for selfies. Check out https://easyentry.africa/africatri for the deets.
And where was the 10 km SA road race record shattered this year? On the money, honey, Adriaan Wildschutt did it on Sunday 13 April 2025 in die Baai, on the streets where everyone knows your name, in the ABSA Run your City Gqberha 2025 version. Known for its speed, the 10 km had thousands pounding the pavement and painting the city red. Check out https://runyourcityseries.com/gqeberha-10k/ for how the race went down and to inspire you for next year.
And then because those folk who look after you when you swim in our waters feel the need for speed, but enjoy it so much they can’t be done in a day, so instead spend the week, guess where they choose their champions? If you said Hobie Beach, you’d be wrong. But if you said Kings Beach from the 26 April to the 03 May 2025 you’d be on the money and likely heading for another of Nelson Mandela Bay’s Blue Flag beaches. Yep, head to where the sun rises in PE, where the waves pound the GQ shores and that’s where you’ll find Lifesaving SA’s National Championships. Check it out at https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifesavingsouthafrica but also, check those kids doing a speed version of pick up sticks, and round the buoys on paddleboards, wearing bright coloured skull caps and with screaming banshee parents on the sidelines.
And the 2025 February – April season of champions also included the Herald Cycle Tour (road and mountain biking), the NMB open water sea-mile, the Three Beaches swim-run event, the aQuelle Ocean Racing series and the Festival of Running on Easter weekend. You want to be a champion, or you just wanna have fun?
If you’re looking for quality assured accommodation for any of these spectacular events go to pembba.co.za where friendly hosts are waiting to help/welcome you.
Why would you want to be anywhere else? Get your butt out of the rut, your cozzie out of the clossie (err closet) and head for the sun, and beach, and swim/run/ride of your life in Nelson Mandela Bay – the place where champions are forged in SA’s most beautiful outdoors.
