Saba to host 2020 triathlon

The Bottom, Saba – Fifty starters, and over 70 participants in total, from Saba, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius, Aruba, the United States, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom will be competing this Saturday, January 18 for the most mountainous triathlon in the Dutch Kingdom, the Saba Triathlon.

The triathlon battles the rough Saba seas for 800m, and then descends up the side of the mountain with nearly 700 meters of elevation gain during the 7km bike before running 7km through Saba’s National Park along the famous Bottom Mountain and Sandy Cruz trails.

The Saba Triathlon is hosted by the Saba Triathlon Foundation whose mission it is to promote sport and fitness Saba. The race first started in 1999, when a team from St. Maarten, featuring current competitors Frits Bus and Juan Pablo Piscione, helped create the Saba Triathlon course. The creation of the race helped transform Saba, where cycling was previously considered as something that was too extreme due to the steep hills.

The Triathlon Foundation, headed by Peter Johnson and Koen Hulshof, is inviting everyone to view the race in Windwardside from 8am onwards to around noon when the prize awarding ceremony takes place. The first participants will finish in front of Bizzy B around 9:00am.

Spectators can also witness the start of the race at Fort Bay from 7:30am to 8:30am where the swimming part takes place. However, for safety reasons of the triathlon participants, drivers will have to remain at the Fort Bay until the last biker gets up the Fort Bay hill.

“It’s a very special race. You swim with turtles, bike up mountains, and run through the jungle. We’re proud to show off Saba and her beauty to the world,” said organizer Peter Johnson.