The MetaSprint Aquathlon 2018

A friendly three part race event series that welcomes both beginners and experienced triathletes, the MetaSprint Series Singapore is marketed as a “fun way to be a triathlete”

Click here to view the MetaSprint Aquathlon 2018 photos.

First part took place last Sunday morning

The first part of the MetaSprint Series, the Aquathlon event, took place at Palawan Beach, Sentosa, last Sunday morning with the main event being the Sprint distance Aquathlon – this was a 750m swim which was then followed by a 5km run.

The other two upcoming events are the Duathlon in March and the Triathlon in April.

Participants had lots of fun and thought the event was well organised

Participants had plenty of fun at the Aquathlon event. Said Joshua Li, 31, a family doctor, “The swim was very good. It was well organised and the buoys were placed very close and very prominent. The run was also flat and fast.”

He added, “Overall it was a very well organised event and the organisers knew what the athletes wanted and they catered to our needs well.”

22-year-old Valerie Yong also shared Joshua’s sentiments. Said Valerie, a Microbiology PhD student at the Nanyang Technological University, “The event was very good. When we came out of the swim, it was easy to get our stuff and quite straightforward to go out for the run. The run also consisted of one loop and not a lot of turning so it wasn’t confusing. Everything was very neat and the location was great, too.”

She added, “I drank a lot of water in the swim though because this was my first time in the Elite wave and it was really competitive. The water was calm though with no undercurrent. But the race was really competitive and we were swimming body to body.”

Swim was not choppy and there was not much undercurrent

Also finding the swim to be easy had been Nina Donovan, 40, a financial communications consultant. She said, “The swim was okay actually. The water was not too choppy and there wasn’t much undercurrent so it was not too bad. I am generally more comfortable swimming. But the swim also makes me quite nervous though, because of the “washing machine” at the beginning – that is never fun.”

And agreed Ravindran Retnam, 58, an Assistant Manager in Assets & Facilities at the Ministry of Defence, “The swim was wonderful compared to East Coast Park. I always love coming to Sentosa for the race because the swim is so lovely. I am also not a strong swimmer so I can empathise with the weak swimmers at East Coast Park, with can be quite intimidating. The water here is much calmer and there is no current.”

He continued, “The run was wonderful too. It was 5km only but it was shaded well and there was sufficient water points on the way.

A welcoming event for both beginners and seasoned triathletes

Ravindran added that he finds that the MetaSprint Aquathlon to be a very welcoming event. He said, “The organisers are so friendly and accommodating and the camaraderie of the athletes is also welcoming. This is also the only event where they let you start gradually.”

He added, “Everything had been done really well right up to the race pack collection process. Even if you register for the event at the last minute, they will still accommodate you if there is enough lead time. Also, the route is really well tested and because of that, they can iron out any hiccups each year so regular participants like me find that the event is only getting better and better.”

Ravindran’s views had been also shared by Nina. She said, “It is a great atmosphere and a friendly way to compete and challenge yourself. This is the third time I have done the MetaSprint Aquathlon and I love it. The support and the people around us is great and I love the way that the organisers have it all set up.”

Added Nina, “It is also great that they have a big area covered for family and friends. Having this event at Sentosa also makes it feel very cosy too.”

Some Small improvements

But Joshua, however, had some slight improvements. He had felt that the starting gantry could have been slightly wider.

He said, “Everything lived up to my expectation and it is all great, but when you first begin with the swim, I thought the start line was a little narrow. But then again, this is just the nature of the sport, though.”

Valerie also had some small improvements too.

She said, “Maybe the marshals should voice out to tell runners to for example, turn in to finish or you have 100m left to go. But I think that everything else was quite good and that the event had been very well organised.”