HE battled wind gusts of up to 27 kilometres an hour, temperatures nudging 30 degrees, sapping humidity and huge blisters on his feet, but Terry Roberts proved his mettle by reaching the finish at the Ironman World Championships.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Staged in Kona, Hawaii, the event has a reputation as not only the most iconic triathlon in the world, but the most brutal. The testing weather conditions combined with the distance competitors have to tackle – a 3.86 kilometre swim, 180.25km cycle and 42.2km – make it a challenge just to finish.
And that’s just what Bathurst’s Ironman Roberts did. He finished.
It was the seventh time he has made it to the finish line at Kona and the 35th Ironman of his career.
Racing in the 55-59 years male division, Roberts placed 114th after a gruelling 14 hours, 10 minutes and five seconds. He was 36th after a 1:08.51 swim leg and averaged 29.75km/hr on his cycle leg for a 6:03.28 split. While forced to walk at times during the final leg, he covered it in 6:43.14.