Ocean Lava Malta set to welcome eight nations for annual triathlon

The eleventh edition of the Ocean Lava Malta 113 kilometre Triathlon will take place on Sunday 20th May on the Salina Coast Road.

The Race Hub will be based in the Salina Bay area, where race transition will be setup. The race will kick off with a 1.9km swim in the bay, consisting of two loops after which athletes will head towards the 90km cycle leg. The cycling route will take place along the Coast Road – heading towards Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq from Transition before heading back to the roundabout at the bottom of Alla w Ommu hill for 11 laps. The 21km run route will see athletes undertake 3 laps in the direction of Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq.

“When organising long distance races, there are many factors that need to be taken into consideration before working on attracting people the race – first and foremost is athlete safety – this race attracts some very fast athletes, so choosing a route which is safe is imperative. Combining this with a scenic route is also important as we want athletes to enjoy the ride! “ Charlie Demanuele, Race Founder and Director. “Whilst we thorougly enjoy welcoming back familiar faces, it is great to see athletes from abroad – this year hailing from Germany, Denmark, Uk, Ukraine, Russia and the US, come and race in Malta”.

The Race will welcome back to the start line current Middle Distance Champion Rudolph Agius, who won the race three times and will be fighting off competition from the likes of National Triathlon Champion Graham Borg and veteran David Galea.

Rudolph Agius, crossing the 2017 Ocean Lava Malta finish line

Interestingly, this year will see the largest amount of females taking part – Hannah Pace, National Triathlon Champion and winner of the2016 race will be back and will be on course in an attempt to claim a second title. Good solid performances are expected from Felicienne Mercieca, Suzanne Farrugia and Karen Amato. A number of international athletes will also be taking part so it will be interesting to see how the race will develop.

The Race will also welcome twenty one relay teams, which over the years have become very popular with athletes who do not necessarily pratice all three disciplines but want to be part of the buzz.

Race logistics on the day will be managed by the experienced team from Birkirkara St. Joseph Sports Club who are considered pioneers in the organisation of triathlon races.

Throughout the duration of the cycle leg, the southbound route of the coast road – traffic from Buġibba towards pembroke will be closed and traffic diverted towards Alla w Ommu hill. Northbound traffic will not be affected. Organisers thank the general public, in advance for the co-operation in ensuring a safe and pleasurable race experience to all the athletes taking part.

Ocean Lava Malta is sponsored by Go Sports Malta, Gatorade, San Michel, emvigee pr & marketing, The Cyclist and Saracino’s cafe. Birkirkara St. Joseph Sports Club and Agones SFC are providing logistical and race timing support. The organisers would like to thank Naxxar Local Council for their unwavering support, Transport Malta and the Police Force for their support.

For further information please contact the team on [email protected] or visit www.oceanlavamalta.com

Malta 113k Triathlon – Ocean Lava Malta Hall of Fame