Only a week to go, then the starting gun for the anniversary competition will be fired. 10 years Triathlon #intheheartofthecity and for the fifth time the race is held as Challenge Heilbronn. The triathlon will again be honored this year by hosting the German Championship on the middle distance.
In the anniversary year, the Heilbronn Triathlon is also embedded in a whole event weekend: In addition to the main races over three different distances, a program for the whole family is offered. It starts on Saturday with the Junior Challenge. For the first time as a swim-run and aquathlon in 2019, children and teenagers of the age groups 2013 to 2002 are allowed to compete in the competition organized by the Tri-Team Heuchelberg. First start is for the youngest at 10:30 am in the swimming pool Neckarhalde.
Also on Saturday starts at 4:30 pm the Women’s Challenge run. Under the leadership of the Soroptimist International Club Heilbronn, a 5 km running or walking competition is offered. The race will be followed by the legendary „Swabian Noodle“ Party with a race meeting in the Kolbenschmidt Arena. The day before the main race is closed traditionally with the presentation of the professional athletes and some fine live music on the Neckar stage.
The pro race field in the anniversary year is a bit like a family reunion. Defending champions, former winners and many athletes who have already been in Heilbronn several times have registered. Among them Daniela Bleymehl and Sebastian Kienle, the winners in 2018. Or Laura Philipp and Andreas Dreitz, winners from previous years, both of whom just started the new season with a brilliant victory over a middle distance race. With Maurice Clavel from the team of the title sponsor hep, the Darmstadt boy Horst Reichel or Katharina Wolff other well-known athletes will be at the start. But new faces will also be on display at the starting line, for example, new local hero Florian Angert, who is aiming for a podium finish at his home race.
The first swim start will be on Sunday morning at 7:45 am for the Olympic Distance athletes. At 8:20 am, the professional men and five minutes later the professional ladies will enter the Neckar river then the remaining starters and the athletes of the Middle Distance race. Finally at 9:30 am the start to the short sprint distance will follow. The grand final with the winners of the middle Distance race is expected at 12:00 on the market place in Heilbronn, when #intheheartofthecity the German champions 2019 are chosen.
