Julia Amels-Westerkamp (from left). Head of Communication and Marketing at Stadtwerke Ratingen, organizer Georg Mantyk and Stadtwerke Ratingen Managing Director Jens Schmidt. (Photo: Achim Blazy)
Ratingen. Just in time for the 16th edition, the Stadtwerke Ratingen Triathlon has exceeded the 1,600 participants mark for the first time. On Sunday, September 15, the Angerbad will once again experience a sporting competition that is unrivaled nationwide. Children, young people, families and companies are taking part, as are new triathletes, amateur athletes, relay participants, ambitious triathlon specialists and well-known names in the triathlon scene.
“The organization has of course become more and more of a routine in recent years, although there are always surprises here every year,” says organization manager Georg Mantyk.
The first starting shot traditionally takes place at 8:45 a.m., accompanied by the proven moderator trio Wolfgang Embacher, Dirk Froberg, and Hartwig Thöne. The morning is dedicated to sports for the schoolchildren, the family relay teams, and the newcomers, who will complete short distances. After the youngest perform in the “Swim & Run” over 50 meters of swimming and 200 meters of running, the performance-oriented athletes follow.
The North Rhine-Westphalia Triathlon Association has awarded no fewer than five league final races to Ratingen: In the senior league, the Southern Association League, the women’s regional and premier league and the Southern State League, the participating clubs will fight for daily victories, championships and promotions and relegations. The “76.2” is still popular at the Stadtwerke Ratingen Triathlon, the longest distance of the day over 1200 meters in the pool, 60 kilometers in the saddle and 15 kilometers in running shoes. The Olympic short distance, popular distance races for everyone and the company cup round off the sports day on Lintorfer Strasse.
The race director is particularly pleased that he can support “Team Rynkeby”. This is a Europe-wide cycling charity project that supports seriously ill children. In Germany, 100 percent of these donations go to the German Childhood Cancer Foundation.
The Rynkeby RheinRuhr team will take part in the Stadtwerke Ratingen Triathlon with a short-distance relay and will operate an information stand on the event site. “We were extremely pleased to receive the request from Team Rynkeby,” Mantyk was immediately enthusiastic. “We have given the registered athletes free starts.”
