Seawork Cares beach series sets new participation record

Aquathlon
The Seawork Cares Beach Series Valentine’s Edition attracted record participation at the Swakopmund Mole, as organisers confirmed the coastal event has grown into its largest field since the launch of Teamflippy Sports Events.
Adam Hartman
  • 9 Hours Ago

The Seawork Cares Beach Series 2 – Valentine’s Edition drew a record field to the Swakopmund Mole on Saturday, with organisers confirming 190 entries.

Teamflippy Sports Events CEO Phillip Seidler described the race as the most successful event since the company’s launch last year.

“The Valentine’s Edition truly raised the bar for us,” he said, adding that the Teamflippy crew delivered across all operational areas, with mascots, kids’ categories and spectator engagement contributing to the atmosphere.

Cold weather presented the main challenge on the day, particularly for spectators. Seidler said the team adapted by expanding its coffee stall offering, turning the conditions into an opportunity to enhance the event environment.

A highlight was the children’s swim categories, where young participants completed 50-metre and 100-metre swims with support from parents and guardians. Each child received a participation medal, with one participant awarded a Teamflippy shark mascot.

Participation numbers marked a significant increase from previous editions. Seidler confirmed that official entries closed at 156, but late registrations pushed the final tally to 190 athletes, more than double the biggest Beach Series event held last year.

Competition across the swim, run and aquathlon categories produced a wide range of winners. In the 2.5 km beach run, Robert English secured overall first place, while Merica Rabie claimed victory in the senior women’s 5 km category and Karl-Heinz Beukes led the men’s masters 5 km division. Over 10 km, Abed Thikameni Namukwambi and Esti Fox took the senior men’s and women’s titles respectively, with Donatus Aihuki and Natalie Visagie winning the senior 15 km races.

Aquathlon winners included Strauss Chelius in the senior 2.5 km event and Jonas Nghinanamunhu in the senior 5 km category, while Gerlinde Luhl led the senior women’s 5 km aquathlon field. In the swim-only races, Nadine Alberts finished first overall in the 500-metre swim, with Wessel Oosthuizen and Klara Ida Schweigmann winning the senior men’s and women’s 1 km categories.

Looking ahead, organisers confirmed that the next Seawork Cares Beach Series event is scheduled for 28 March. Teamflippy is also preparing to launch TimeTracka, a platform combining registration, professional timing and athlete communication, which Seidler said forms part of the company’s move towards becoming a full-service sports event solutions provider.