The day dawned cloudy and misty with a threat of heavy rain as over 1,000 competitors readied themselves for the 2011 Asia-Pacific Ironman 70.3 Championship race at the Laguna Resort in Phuket, Thailand.
The race started on the beach at 6:30 a.m. with a 1.9 km swim, followed immediately by a 90.1 km bike ride and finishing with a 21.1 km run.
Prior to the race, Melissa Rollison, the 2011 Ironman 70.3 women's world champion told the Phuket Gazette, “This course is one of the toughest along with Las Vegas.” It was the only course that she had raced in that she hadn’t won (in 2010 she came in 2nd). But that was about to change.
At the transition area runners from 18-80 years of age quickly changed from swimwear to bike gear and exited the idyllic confines of the resort onto the winding, hilly roads of Phuket. Just as the final cyclists were mounting their bikes the heavens opened with a torrential downpour, making an already difficult course, treacherous.
Ironman - a Thrilling Spectator Event
The excitement built while spectators watched the switch from biking to running. Some racers came through the transition area bloody and muddied yet with fierce looks of determination on their faces.
“Since its inception in 2006, the Ironman 70.3 series has become the fastest growing triathlon series in the world. Events around the world qualify athletes for the Ironman World Championship 70.3,” according to the official Ironman website.
The original Ironman competitions started long before 2006, founded by John and Judy Collins in 1978. According to interviews they have done over the years, they had no idea it would become such a worldwide phenomenon. The first races were held in the US, which is the reason the number 70.3 appears in the race name. It represents the total number of miles the competition covers (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride and 13.1 mile run, which equals a total of 70.3 miles).
The 2011 event had its share of heartbreaks as well as mega-triumphs. Front-runner, American Chris Lieto, dropped out of the race at the early part of the bike course while Michael Raelert of Germany pulled off a spectacular first-place win, beating the record by more than seven minutes.
The results of the 2011 Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship pro line-up:
Men’s Pro
1st Michael Raelert, Germany
2nd Richie Cunningham, USA
3rd Paul Matthews, USA
Women’s Pro
1st Melissa Rollison, Australia
2nd Nathasha Badmann, Switzerland
3rd Radka Vodickova, Czech Republic
Anne O'Connell - Anne O’Connell has been a public relations professional since 1990 and has been working as a freelance writer and trainer since ...
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