Flora Duffy has said she would not miss defending her Xterra South Africa Championship title “for the world.”

The Bermuda triathlete won last year’s race comfortably, finishing almost nine minutes ahead of her nearest rival in the 1.5-kilometre swim, 27K mountain bike ride and 11K trail run.

Duffy finished in a time of 2hr 57min 7sec, with Carina Wasle, of Austria, clocking 3:05:49, and South Africa’s Carla van Huyssteen third in 3:06:03.

Duffy believes tomorrow’s race, which takes place in Grabouw in the Western Cape, is the best Xterra on the circuit.

“There are so many things that make Grabouw a special race,” she said. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world, and my goal is to successfully defend my title.”

Duffy’s boyfriend Dan Hugo won the men’s race in 2014, but having retired from the Xterra scene this year’s race is wide open with Bradley Weiss, the South African who won in the Philippines alongside Duffy two weeks ago, expected to be among the contenders.

“My passion for Xterra and Triathlon began at this venue,” Weiss said. “Being a home race, Xterra Grabouw couldn’t be more special to me. My goal is most definitely to win my first Xterra SA Championship title.”