Triathlete hard in training for gruelling champs in Australia
EAST Londoner Jason Reed will be part of the South African team that will be competing at this year’s Cross World Triathlon Championships later this month.
Reed has been chosen to represent Triathlon South Africa in the 30 to 34 year age group category in the international showpiece, which takes place on November 18 in Australia.
Located in the heart of Australia’s High County, and starting at an altitude of 1 100m with Australia’s highest peak, Mount Kosciusko as the backdrop, the course will challenge athletes of all levels.
Triathlon Championships in Australia
The course includes some of the best fast and flowing single track mountain bike trails, and gritty off-road running trails found anywhere in Australia.
This is Reed’s second international event, having also taken part in the 2013 World Mountain Bike Championships held in Pietermaritzburg. He finished 11th in the sub-veteran category
Reed started mountain biking racing seriously at the age of 17, when he attained provincial colours in the junior age category.
“I continued to train and race at a high standard throughout my
early twenties, during which I won many of the Eastern Cape mountain biking events,” he said.
“In 2015 I took a step back from competitive mountain bike racing as it took its toll on my business and family life, but I remained highly motivated and dedicated to keeping fit. This is when I found my love for running and in particular trail running.
“I quickly adapted to the new sport and started to compete with
the top trail runners in the province. I managed a third place in the Merrel Hogsback 39km trail run, which surprised me as this is a very tough event,” Reed said.
He has quite a number of accolades under his belt, including placing second overall in the Eastern Province Triathlon Championships in January this year, first in the 30 to 35 age group Xterra, and second elite at the provincial XCO mountain biking championships in May this year.
Reed will be one of 12 South African athletes competing in Australia.
“This is the first time I will be representing the country on this platform and it is all exciting for me,” said the former Port Rex High Pupil.
“I’ve been training very hard. I have been training twice a day and seven days a week for the past 12 months. “I will give it my best,” he said.
