TO complete an Ironman race just once is an achievement, but come this Saturday Bathurst triathlete Terry Roberts will test the limits of his endurance for the 35th time.
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His 35th start will come in the most iconic Ironman race as well – the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.
Roberts will face a 3.86 kilometre swim, 180.25km cycle and 42.2km run to make it to the finish line, something he has done six times in Kona already.
He will race along the Kona coast where black lava rock dominates the panorama, where crosswinds can gust up to 72km/hr and where the mercury often hits 35 degrees.
“It will be Ironman number 35, yes I am getting too old for this, but at my age I am trying to outlast my opposition,” Roberts joked.
“Why I do this is still a question I can’t answer.”
Roberts qualified for Hawaii in April after a strong performance at the Ironman African Championship at Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa.
Over the same distance he will face this Saturday, he placed second in his 55-59 years male category in a time of 10 hours, 33 minutes and 45 seconds. His run leg was especially impressive as he clocked a 3:51.26 effort, one which lifted him from fourth into a podium.
Last year Roberts ranked in the top 100 in his age group at Hawaii.
Roberts will use Saturday’s race to help raise funds for the John Maclean Foundation. You can donate at https://jmf-challenges.everydayhero.com/au/terry-roberts-im-35-k07
