This is an English version of an article that will be
printed in the July edition of Bicycle and Life magazine.
The Inaugural Ironman
China
Haikou
April 20th 2008
By Craig Johns
Race day dawned calm with a beautiful oriental glow lighting
up the sky. Fishing boats flowed across the
South China Sea as 476 competitors anxiously waited the long day ahead. Little did they know,
as the mercury was rising and humidity zapping their energy and strength, how
long of a day it would be!
What a contrast to the nerve racking days leading up to the race?
Two days before the race; flights were delayed, palm trees where blown over,
and seas where rough as the outer edge of a Typhoon played havoc with the
athletes and organizers minds.
The race had been postponed the previous two years due to
problems permits. Now with these obstacles out of the way, race organizers must
have had a sigh of relief when they woke up on race morning to the excellent
conditions that were being presented in Haikou.
Haikou, the host
city of the 2008 Ironman China,
is the capital of Hainan Island.
This island has long been the exquisite holiday destination of the Chinese
people, and is known as the Hawaii of Asia. The city is very clean with lots of
space, beautiful 21st century architecture, tropical plantations and
lots of farm land. The city is very vibrant with friendly people who provide a
special welcoming feeling.
The skies were clear and at 7am the temperature was already above 30 degrees Celsius and the humidity at 90%.
The athletes were in for a scorcher and with wetsuits being allowed the body’s
internal cooling systems where already working at full capacity.
Thirty top professional athlete’s donned white caps had a
20m head start on the rest of the athletes. With a beach start and a short wade
this gap was short-lived as the sea of red caps of the amateurs quickly swarmed
in. The ocean was still with a lake-like appearance that had the potential for
fast swim times. But once on their way the athletes quickly found the going a
little tougher than expected as tidal currents disorientated the athlete’s
navigation. From land the athletes looked like a drunken sea snake weaving its
way towards the swimming buoys.
Mathieu O’Halloran of Canada led a breakaway group of four athletes including Australia’s,
Mathew Clark and USA’s
Tim Marr. A group of ten athletes followed in pursuit. Mathieu lead the field
out of the two lap swim in a time of 48.02. Craig Johns was the leading amateur
(5th overall) out of the water with Ute Muekel of Germany the first
female hot on his heels. Olaf Sabastchus, known as one of the super bikers on
the Ironman circuit, was also in the group starting the bike six minutes in
arrears. Belinda Granger, the pre-race favorite, also found herself with a six
minute deficit on Muekel to make up after a just sneaking under the hour mark
for the 3.8km swim.
The course is designed to take in the vast scenery that Hainan has to offer. The run from the swim finish through to transition was nothing
short of stunning. The run through the Sheraton Hotel was along a winding narrow
path surrounded by Palm trees and other tropical plants. It could have been
easy for the athletes to think they were there in holiday mode. Transition was
intimately set out in the main car park, with all athletes having easy
accessibility to their transition bags, their bikes and the exit on to stage two
of the Ironman.
The two lap bike course was designed as a relatively fast
course that would use the smooth open roads of the new main highways as well as
quaint farm roads that weaved their way through small villages and hundreds
excited spectators. Athletes were treated to buffalo’s grazing and pulling old
wooden carts, home made tractors, vibrant rice paddy fields, duck ponds and mud
brick villages as they experienced the old and new China. The steeper section
through the tiny Village of Shi Shan was lined with awestruck locals who cheered and
willed the lycra-clad athletes to the top of the climb. With over 3000
uniformed police on the course it was a strictly traffic free course. Even the
buffalo where tied up and buffalo trail entrances guarded.
In the men’s race Clark took the lead
early on in the 180km cycle. He had McDonald, Marr and Sabastchus playing
catch-up. McDonald looked strong until a flat tire and leaky CO2 canister cost
him more than ten minutes. He quickly resumed his powerful presence and was
soon back in race contention. Marr and Sabastchus were playing the waiting game
and slowly they were edging their way to the lead. Sizeable gaps were already
forming as the athletes headed out on the second lap. The wind, heat and
humidity were starting to take there toll and you could sense that to won the
event on this day it would take great physical and mental prowess. The aid
stations were world class with Gatorade, water, bananas and PowerBar products
readily available through the enthusiastic aid station volunteers.
The course was much tougher than it looked on paper. The
false flats were deceptive and the increasing strength of the wind seemed to
come from every angle. These obstacles weren’t much of a challenge for Granger
as she unleashed her world-renowned cycle strength and by the end of the first
lap had overtaken the lead from Muekel. Donna Phelan, new to Team TBB, was
enjoying a great return to Ironman after being sidelined for 5 years with
injury. Phelan has relished under her new coach, Brett Sutton and her Team TBB
mates. Their recent training camp in the Philippines was paying off. Along with Abigail
Bailey, and former World ITU champion Joanne King, Phelan was in chase of the slowing
Muekel and flying Granger.
By the end of the cycle section Marr had a two minute lead
over Sabastchus, while McDonald who looked very strong had succumbed to his
second flat tire. With no spare and ten kilometers to go he lost valuable time
as he rode into transition with the flat tire. Meanwhile Granger was dominating
the women’s race with a sizeable lead on Muekel, Phelan, Bailey and another
Australian, Belinda Harrison. Athletes were quicker through transition than
they expected as the run across the tarmac was similar to walking on hot coals.
The Inaugural Ironman China event was turning into a war of attrition as the athletes headed out onto the
42.2km run section. The athletes would complete an out and back 21.1km section
along the beautiful waterfront of Bin Hai Avenue before following the same stretch to the turnaround, but instead of turning
around they would continue through to the New Century Bridge,
the old-town area of Datong Street and into a stunning finish in East-West Lake Park.
Ironman is a long day and anything can happen. On this day the
environment was making life even longer with the temperatures soaring up to 40
degrees Celsius and the humidity hovering around 90%. But on this day Sabastchus
and Granger looked unstoppable. Sabastchus, had chosen to conserve energy on
the cycle section for the long, hot, steamy run that lay ahead. Marr was having
the race of his life and proving that he could live up to his somewhat vocal expectations.
Sabastchus overtook Marr 8km into the run, but was unable to ease up as the
fleet-footed Korean, Park Byung Hoon, was into his stride and attempting to
close the gap. Early contenders McDonald, O’Halloran, Clark and Justin Granger
(Belinda Grangers husband) faded quickly as they struggled to come to terms
with the furnace-like conditions. Granger was opening up a huge lead in the
women’s race. Phelan, Bailey and Harrison were in a great battle for second
place as Muekel and King struggled.
Aid stations spaced 2km apart were a welcome relief for
athletes as the blazing sun and suffocating humidity were adding another
dimension to an event which was dubbed “The world’s oldest civilization hosts
the world’s toughest challenge”. An abundance of water, Gatorade, fruit,
PowerBar products, ice, hoses and other goodies were readily available. The
volunteers where some of the best you could get at any race, which was very
impressive as it was the first time for many of them. Many athletes would walk
through aid stations taking on board as much fluids as possible and covering
themselves in chilled water and ice in an attempt to relieve their bodies of
the thermo-wave oven environment.
It is often said that the Ironman run is 20miles of hope and
6 miles of reality. On this day, the
20th April 2008, it was more like 6miles of hope and
20miles of reality. The reality that today was going to test them both
physically and maybe more importantly mentally than ever before. Athletes
usually try and run the tangents to ensure the shortest possible distance to
run, but there is an exception when the sun is this ferocious and you head for
any shade possible. Fortunately the picturesque run course that took you along
the tropical beach front, through parks and along pleasant streets, was two
thirds lined with palm trees. When nearing the end of the run course, the
athletes were exposed not only to the intensity of the heat but also the New Century Bridge,
which is high enough for ships to pass under, had to be summated. With only
seven kilometers to go this added another mental challenge to they already
exhausted athletes. This change in elevation was cruel to the already tight leg
muscles. A nice reprieve was the fun and historic few kilometers to the finish
taking athletes through the old town area of Datong Street.
At the end of the day Sabastchus and Granger were crowned champions
in the Inaugural Ironman China,
presented by K-Swiss. Both dominated the competition in their respective
fields, enjoying the moment of success as they ran through to the finish line
in Haikou's East West Park.
The enthusiastic and curious crowd of locals and international supporters
cheered on enthusiastically. Sabastchus finished 21 minutes clear of Park who
over took Marr, who had a breakthrough race staying inside the top 3 all day,
for second with 500m to go. Granger had a more impressive win coming across the
line just under 29 minutes in front of Phelan and the fast finishing Bailey.
Even though the conditions tested the athletes, possibly
more than any other Ironman event ever held, everyone was ecstatic about being
part of the inaugural Ironman China event. Only 86 percent of the field where able to finish under the magical
17hour cut-off mark at midnight in
what was freak weather conditions. Everyone came away with a sense of self
accomplishments as well a feeling of enhanced cultural understating of a
beautiful island. These thoughts were complimented by Haikou's
vice mayor Liu Qingsheng comments on Ironman China "improves the reputation and influence of Haikou in the international community, promoting not only sport but culture and tourism".
Men
1. Olaf Sabastchus (GER) 8:52:14
2. Byung Hoon Park (KOR) 9:13:15
3. Timothy Marr (USA) 9:14:17
4. Chris McDonald (AUS) 9:24:17
5. Justin Hurd (USA)
9:26:35
Women
1. Belinda Granger (AUS) 10:08:37
2. Donna Phelan (CAN) 10:37:11
3. Abigail Bailey (GBR) 10:43:11
4. Belinda Harrison (AUS) 10:48:24
5. Brigitte Niederberger (SUI) 11:07:41
3 Quick Questions for
Ironman China Champion, Belinda Granger
Belinda is one of the
world’s premier long distance triathletes. She trains and competes for Team TBB
(www.teamtbb.com) under the guidance of
coach, Brett Sutton.
CJ: What strategies
were you using during the second half of the run as the
conditions starting taking their full effects?
BG: You know it is funny- I knew as soon as I began running
that I was going to be in for a long, tough day. I have been doing this sport
now for many years and I believe IM China was my 27th IM race so I know my body
pretty well. By the time I made it through to the second lap of the run it
really was all about surviving from one aid station to the next. Mentally
you change focus- I don't think about the finish line, I just think about
making it to the next lot of drinks- where I will get some relief. This is how
I made it to the finish. I would not even let myself think about stopping until
I had about three km left to run- then I knew no matter what happened I would
make it to the tape.
CJ: What was your favorite memory from
Ironman China?
BG: Well China itself is such a fascinating place. I have raced there before quite a few
year's ago so I knew what to expect but it is amazing to return to Hainan and see how much development has taken place- it is almost like a new city. I enjoy experiencing new cultures and cultures
that are so very different from my own. This is probably the main reason I try
and chose race locations that are a little different. I love the challenge of
trying to fit into a place or culture that differs so greatly to what you are
used to.
CJ: What strategies do you implement to
enhance your recovery in between Ironman
races?
BG: This is a great question and you will probably be
surprised by my response- the key is not to stop. Most athletes stop training
completely after a major race like an Ironman and believe total rest is the
key. My coach believes this is the worst thing you could do. The key is to keep
moving every day. The day after the race I will normally train three
times- a short swim, a short ride and maybe an easy jog or walk in the
afternoon- nothing longer than 30 minutes in total. This training helps
flush the muscles and also keeps them moving so that they do not stiffen
up completely. For the next week after the race I will keep to this program of
three short sessions- the reason I keep each session at 30 minutes is that it
does not put a strain on the immune system. After a big race your
immune system is compromised and it needs time to repair. I usually get back
into full swim sessions by the end of this first week but keep the
running and riding to a minimum. During the second week I will start increasing
the running and riding but I still go by feel and do not push it unless I feel
good. After two weeks- well I am ready to go again! I also make sure that
I eat really well after an Ironman and get plenty of sleep- but really I
do this anyway!
Taiwan Based Athlete Qualifies for Kona
Many athletes compete in Ironman for the challenge and to
say they are an Ironman. Others also compete to get an elusive slot at the
World Ironman Triathlon Championships which are held in Kona, Hawaii each year. This is the Holy Grail of
triathlon, as it is the event with the most history and prestige of all
triathlon races. The Hawaii Ironman is the event that put triathlon on the map
and in recent times at the Olympic Games.
Taiwan has only had a handful of athletes who have competed in Kona. Three Taiwanese
athletes that I am aware of who competed in 1995 are 汪士林 (WANG, Shih-lin), 李愛華( LEE, Ai-hua), and 李健雄( LEE, Chien-shong). 汪士林 and李健雄
performed very well finishing the Ironman, which consisted of strong winds that
blew some athletes off their bikes. 李愛華
wasn’t so fortunate as she missed the bike cut-off after finding the tough
conditions tough to handle. She had completed her first Ironman in June that
year and wasn’t fully recovered. 余嘉和(
YU, Cha-ho, Charlie) an American born Chinese, who won the first two
Uni-Presidents Cup triathlons in Taiwan (1991-1992) has also competed in Kona. (Appologies if anyone was missed out)
This is my account of Ironman China as a competitor. I got back into triathlons when I moved to Taiwan three and a half years ago. Since this time I have competed in three Ironman distance
events. This race I was finally able to qualify for Kona. Shane Dennison of New Zealand, was the first Taiwan based athlete to qualify for this prestigious event. Shane decided not to take
up the slot as he qualified at Ironman
Canada which is only 6 weeks prior to Kona and didn’t allow enough time for recovery.
Leading into this race I had a pretty good build-up, though
the death of a friend and work commitments put a strain on my body and focus. I
had an outstanding swim to be placed fifth overall out of the water and first
amateur. Feeling relaxed and comfortable I settled into my rhythm on the bike.
I was still inside the top ten athletes after 70km of the bike and then
everything started to go wrong. I felt the power go out of my legs and slowly
began to fall back. With the intensity of the heat and humidity I wasn’t even
sure whether I would be able to finish. So I went into damage control, making
sure I consumed enough food and fluids. It was going to be a very long day and
was content just to finish no matter how long it was going to take. A puncture
with only 10km to go on the bike, put a further damper on my day, though I
stayed calm and relaxed and was on my way quickly.
I came into transition two in 141st place. I took
my time through transition to make sure I had everything I needed, including
sunscreen, to prepare for the final battle ahead. I noticed other athletes
looked in worse shape than I did. I took one look at the sky and said “is that
all you’ve got?” and headed out on the run. I took the gamble of going out at
my pre-determined run pace. I was surprised at how easy it was to pass other
athletes. Many athletes were walking, but I felt stronger. I focused on passing
one athlete at a time.
Every aid station was being like a child in a candy store.
Whatever they were selling I was buying. With the heat and humidity being so
oppressive it was important that you got enough supplies at each aid station to
get yourself to the next one 2km away. I was grabbing bottles of Gatorade,
Water and chunks of ice. I would rinse sponges out over my head. For the whole
run I only walked aid stations after 10km and it was only to make sure I got
everything I needed. One mistake and could have been deadly. The chunks of ice
I placed in my back pockets were melting in less than two minutes but it was
enough to keep my kidneys from over-heating.
I had a rough patch between 25 and 29km where I had to walk
to regain my composure. It was becoming more of a mental game than I could ever
imagine. With 14km to go I decided I wouldn’t walk again. I was able to achieve
this as I continued to pass many more athletes. Only one person passed me
during the run as I had the 15th fastest run split of the day to
move up to 35th overall. I was absolutely ecstatic to just finish
and not make it to the medical tent as I had done in the previous two Ironman
races. It wasn’t until I returned to watch the last finishes at midnight that I found out that I had finished 3rd
place in my age group and qualified for Kona. I was only ten minutes away from
the first two competitors in my age group. It certainly wasn’t the way I would
have imagined qualifying for Kona. The Hawaii Ironman in Kona takes place on October 11th 2008.
First for Ironman
Not only was this event the first official Ironman event
held in China it was also the first time an Ironman and Ironman 70.3 events were held on the
same day. Those skeptical about the combination of both events would have eaten
their words, myself included, as the organizing team at Ironman China pulled of both events in perfect harmony.
The 70.3, presented by CLSA, event is raced over half the
distance of an Ironman. Competitors were able to watch the Ironman athletes
begin their long day before starting their event two hours later.
The athletes competed on the same course as the Ironman
athletes with the exception that they only did one lap of the swim and bike
course and did the second run leg straight through to East West Park.
To rid confusion about who was competing in which event, the organizers came up
with the idea of two separate finish lines. The idea worked a treat.
The 70.3 race was a non-professional event that attracted
approximately 300 competitors. Australia’s
Steven Waite had a consistent race to out-perform Shanghai based Swede Fredrik Cronenberg, who showed a quick pair of heels on the hot and
steamy run. Great Britain’s,
Colin Hill rounded out the top three in the men’s division. In the women’s
event, Renee Lane of Australia set a blistering pace to finish 9th overall and 13 minutes in front
of second place getter Hiromi Toda of Japan.
Claire Murray of Great Britain finished 3rd.
Three athletes based in Taiwan competed very well in this event. Pangwen Chang a Taiwanese local outclassed
all the other competitors in his age group (60-64 years old) by 53 minutes. Julie Strait a Hawaiian citizen, who
works in Taiwanas a Physical Education teacher at Taipei American School,
finished second in the 50-54 year age group in her first attempt at the 70.3
distance. Bill Bryson a lawyer based in Taipei,
also competing in his first 70.3 event, finished in just over six hours, which
is a fantastic achievement taking into consideration the race conditions.
There was also a team relay event for the 70.3 race. Adam
and Candice Moss, based in Taipei working for race sponsors CLSA, finished in 8th place.
Ironman China 2009
After successful first Ironman China and 70.3 events, planning and organization is well under way to providing an
even greater experience for athletes in 2009. Registrations are already being
taken at www.ironmanchina.com in
preparation for the race on April 19th
2009. You won’t be disappointed, unless you register too late!
Photos Courtesy of www.marathon-photos.com
