Champs to battle it out
Competition doesn’t get much closerthan this, with just seconds set to determine who will take out this weekend’s men’s category of the Market Creations Endure Batavia Triathlon.
The last time internationally-acclaimed triathletes Courtney Ogden and Guy Crawford went head-to-head at the state championships, it was a mere 24 seconds separating the pair, with Ogden taking home the win.
Defending his title from last year’s Endure Batavia Triathlon, Ogden, the Western Australian Ironman Champion, is hoping to again trump Crawford at the finish line to reclaim number one position on the podium.
“I’m feeling fairly confident about this weekend’s race,” said Ogden.
“Having just come off the back of two races in three weekends though, I’m hoping to recover and pull up fresh for Sunday, ready to give it my all and go for the win.”
Crawford, a first-time competitor at the Endure Batavia Triathlon, said although Ogden has had back-to-back races, he’ll still be tough competition on the day.
“Courtney is always in good shape,” Crawford said.
“I know Courtney is running really well at the moment, so I think it will come down to that run.”
While Ogden and Crawford are big favourites to take out a podium finish, Perth-based professional triathlete Eric Watson also looks like a close contender for the Odgen-Crawford spectacle.
With rivalry set to be tight throughout the whole race, Crawford said it will come down to the last leg of the race — the run.
“The last two or three kilometres of the run — that’s where the competition will really unfold,” he said.
“After the State Championships, I think we’ll see who’s coming out on top right in the final stages of the race.
“It will be a fantastic race and I’m looking forward to heading to Geraldton this weekend — I’ve heard great rapts about the Endure Batavia race.”
The Market Creations Endure Batavia Triathlon is set to be an intriguing contest between arguably Western Australia’s best triathletes.
A solid crowd is expected to watch the triathletes battle it out over a 1.5km swim, 44km bike ride and 10km run this Sunday at the Geraldton Foreshore, with the race kicking off at 7am.
