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GRAHAM BAXTER RACES IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN HAWAII & LAS VEGAS
Sports Tours Graham Baxter took himself stateside in September to compete in two of the most important Triathlon races of the year, both Ironman World Championship events, Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Las Vegas and the famous Ironman World Championships Hawaii.
IRONMAN 70.3 LAS VEGAS
First up on the 11th September was the Ironman 70.3 World Championships (half Ironman distance 1.9km swim, 90km bike, 21.1km run) held on the outskirts of Las Vegas (entertainment capital of the world). All competitors had to pre-qualify to race and Graham qualified at the Ironman 70.3 South Africa in January where he won the 45-50 age group category.
The course in Las Vegas was really tough. A non-wetsuit swim in Lake Las Vegas resort started the day and this was followed by a 90km hilly bike route into the desert of Lake Mead National Recreation area and back to the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson where the race finished off with a 21.1km run. If this wasn’t enough, competitors had to endure the oppressive Nevada sun and temperatures into the 40ºC!!
Graham finished 16th in his age group out of 200+ competitors, with a total time of 4hrs 51mins 26sec (Swim 32:42, Bike 2hr 29min, Run 1hr 40min).
After the event Graham had a few days rest and spent time travelling in California before resuming training and preparation for Triathlon’s equivilant of Tour de France, the Ironman Hawaii….
IRONMAN HAWAII
The Ironman Hawaii is the pinnacle of worldwide triathlon. It’s where the Ironman started in 1978, and is Triathlon’s Tour de France & World Championship all rolled into one. It involves a 3.8km Open water swim (non-wetsuit), 180km Bike followed by a full 42.2km Marathon.
To compete in the Ironman Hawaii is the ultimate objective of all Ironman Triathletes and getting there is not easy, like Las Vegas you need to qualify by competing in an Ironman event. Graham qualified at the Ironman Lanzarote in May in his first attempt at the Ironman distance.
On September 30th Graham left California and travelled to the Big Island of Hawaii and the town of Kailua Kona, where he spent 9 days making final preparations for the event and getting used to the climate. For these days the town of Kailau Kona is transformed as Ironman comes to town, and you can feel the buzz and build-up towards the event on October 8th.
After 9 days of swimming biking and running on the course, Graham was ready to take on one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
At 7am on October 8th the Ironman World Championship started with the blast from a cannon as 2000 of the world’s best Ironman triathletes started the day with a 3.8km swim.
After 1hr 6mins Graham was out of the water and onto the bike to face 180km through the searing heat of the lava fields and brutal crosswinds.
After 4hr 54mins Graham was off the bike and facing a 42.2km run along the famous Alli’i Drive, and lava fields of the Queen K highway. Temperature sored to 36ºC and 80% humidity. It is usually the run that makes or breaks people and Graham was no exception. The first half of the marathon went well at 1hr 40min (same time as Las Vegas) but whilst entering the second half and running along the Queen K highway and through the lava field his run started to fall apart. He struggled and suffered through the last 10km of the marathon with the aim of getting from aid station to aid station (1 mile apart), but once he ended the Queen K and turned right down Palani Road and back to Kona town there was only 2km left and the finish was in sight.
The last 1km of the race along Alli’i Drive in the equivilant of the Champs Elysees in the Tour de France, the crowds are massive, cheering on all the competitors.
Graham stopped the clock at 9hr 55mis 26sec, 25th in his age group (3.8km Swim 1hr 6min, 180km Bike 4hr 54min, 42.2km Marathon 3hr 43min).
Bird flies in for 100 mile charity challenge
Chris Bird, Chief Executive of Sports Tours International and Chairman of the Bird Consultancy has set himself a challenge to run the 10 boroughs of Manchester in 10 days. That amounts to 100 miles across Greater Manchester – from town hall to town hall.
It’s all to raise £10k for the Lord Mayor of Manchester’s Charity Appeal Trust.
You can help Chris reach the total by going on his Just Giving page here: www.justgiving.com/ChrisBird3.
Baxter makes it through to Las Vegas
Graham Baxter has qualified for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Las Vegas after a terrific race at the weekend.
He came 1st in his age category and 22nd overall in the Spec-Savers Ironman 70.3 South Africa.
A massive round of applause from all of us at Sports Tours International and we’ll be watching out in September for the next challenge.
Mark Cavendish
Mark Cavendish has been shortlisted for the second year running in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year and we at Sports Tours International are backing the cycling great to pick up the title.
Read more
Sarah Storey World Champion
Congratulations from Sports Tours International and Club La Santa to Sarah Storey! She’s just won the World Championship Road Race at Baie-Comeau in Canada.
We’ve been sponsoring Sarah to assist with her training towards the London Olympics in 2012 and this is another major leap towards it…[Takes you to Club La Santa’s website].
C5 Women’s Road Race – 57 Km
Sarah Storey was competing in the C5 womens road race with 5 laps of the tough circuit to complete. After the surprise 2nd place the Polish rider Anna Harkowska achieved in the time trial, Storey new almost certainly her biggest challenge would come from the Pole and the race did not dissappoint!
As the riders pulled away from the start on a glorious day in Baie-Comeau, Harkowska attacked immediately, with all the riders in the group staying together until the first major climb. Once upon the main climb Storey then upped the pace to slim down the front group, with only Harkowska and the two Americans Neimanas and Crowley able to stay with Storey. The climb saw Storey pile on pressure each lap, until she only had Harkowska for company. Once the final lap had started Storey decided to attack Harkowska again on the main climb, but the Polish rider managed, some how! to stay with Storey after the fierce attacks. Once heading towards the finish, Storey then attacked again in the final few kilometres, but was bought back by Harkowska, then with 500metres to go launched her sprint, gapping the Polish rider straight away and as she rode down the finishing straight there was a gap between the 2 riders for the first time in the race.
Storey crossed the line to become World Road Champion!
This was a truly fantastic race to watch and certainly gave the large lively crowd great entertainment in the town of Baie-Comeau. The finish area had a huge number of spectators, which was great to see at a Paracycling event. Storey adds this Road Race Gold to the Time trial Gold to become double World Champion!
British Cycling spoke to Sarah after her fine ride:
“That was a great race to ride, as riders were attacking from the start, making it an aggressive race. At the start Anna (Harkowska) attacked and that set the tone for the race with action throughout. With it being a hard race it played into my hands, as I new I had the perfect preparation for the event, racing some pretty hard races with my team Horizon Fitness this year. As we went over the main climb each lap, I tried to push the pace and open some gaps between riders. Which went down to 4 riders to start with, then I distanced the 2 riders from USA, going into the last lap, I was determined to try and put some time between myself and Anna. She hung on to my back wheel just! and then I attacked with 3 kilometres to go, but thought it was a bit early and eased back, then sprinted away from her at 500metres to go. Once I got in the finish straight I new the World Title was mine! Its brilliant to retain the title I won last year and this now brings my tally to 14 World titles in Swimming and cycling and number 8 in cycling!”
Result
1. Sarah STOREY (GBR)
2. Anna HARKOWSKA (POL)
3. Kelly CROWLEY (USA)
