The UK 70.3 Half-Ironman took place at Wimbleball over thedistances of:
swim 1.2 miles - 1 lap in the lake, starting 20 metres offshore in deep
water.
bike 56 miles - 2 laps on closed roads, with 5905 feet of climbing
including 3 steep hills (one straight out of transition) and some steep
descents.
run 13.1 miles - 3 laps including 1323 feet of climbing on mixed
terrain.
5 PACTRACers took part, with 4 finishing. 130 athletes completed the
swim but not the race, which gives an indication of just how brutal
this course is. With over fifty 70.3 races (that's an official half-
ironman over the total distance of 1.2, 56 + 13.1) worldwide,
Wimbleball in Exmoor is considered to be one of the toughest globally.
1650 athletes entered from 27 countries. With some not starting due to
subsequent injuries, and others starting but not finishing, there were
1105 finishers.
This event had 50 slots spread over the various age groups for the
prestigious 70.3 World Championships in Vegas in September.
PACTRACs Roger Canham who has already qualified for the full Ironman
World Championships in Hawaii in October for the 4th successive year,
turned his hand to the half distance and finished 4th in his Age Group
on this tough course. With 5 places in his Age Group, Roger has
qualified for Vegas.
PACTRACs Robin Brookes finished 3rd in his Age Group, and with 3
qualifying slots, he too has qualified for Vegas.
Results:
61. Roger Canham 33:31 3:07:45 1:34:05 = 5.15.18 AG 4th.
162. Robin Brookes 38:30 3:10:43 1:44:14 = 5.39.48 AG 3rd.
330. Gary Cooper 37:17 3:34:00 1:54:59 = 6.06.14 AG 56.
617. Sam Fielding 47:36 3:47:28 2:00:31 = 6.35.33 AG 13.
Robin writes:
"I have now qualified for the 70.3 World Championship's in Las
Vegas on the 11th September. The bike and run course's at Wimbleball
are extremely hilly. Tough course is an understatement".
Roger writes:
"Immediately post Utah (Roger did the Ironman in Utah in May), I was
struggling for motivation other than focussing solely on commencing my
training block for the race on October 8th in Hawaii. Wimbleball is
widely regarded as being the toughest 70.3 race on the circuit and the
prospect of competing there had little appeal. However, having got
three weeks of training under my belt, I started to look upon
Wimbleball as an opportunity to have a hard swim/bike workout with a
resolution to run easy so as not to disrupt my pattern of training.
The two days prior to the race were remarkable only in as much as it
poured with rain and blew a gale. Much to my relief, race day morning
greeted us with a light breeze and no rain. Not the balmy conditions of
previous years but a good temperature to race in.
The well tested pre-race routine went very smoothly and we arrived at
the water’s edge without any dramas. The horn sounded, we were off and
I quickly found some comparatively clear water as I got into my stroke.
Apart from a little hustle and bustle at the turns I was soon running
up the 500m path into transition to collect my T1 bag, change and jump
onto my bike to tackle the infamous bike course. The two lap 56 mile
course took in a total of 5000ft of climbing coupled with fast, winding
descents, made all the more technical with the debris and water on the
roads. I worked hard up the hills and was conservative on the downs as
my objective was to have a strong bike workout, not end up in the
hedge! I hopped off the bike bang on my target of 3hrs, feeling pleased
with the effort I had made.
The run course garners as much attention by commentators as the bike
course, somehow managing to cram in 1000ft of climbing over the half
marathon. The uphill sections were pretty long and quad sapping but
actually, the one significant downhill, was insane, the most
experienced athletes managing only a crab like shuffle as they
descended. The course was composed of three laps and after the first I
somehow managed to find my rhythm, completing laps two and three
progressively quicker. Ultimately i crossed the finish line with
perhaps my best running form of the race, a very satisfying end to a
wonderful race. I can say without reservation that it is a VERY testing
course, but very honest and set in beautiful countryside. I would
unquestionably recommend it to anyone but not perhaps as their first
attempt at the distance!
My finish time and position were way better than I had set out to
achieve and had in fact earned me a qualification slot for the IM70.3
World Championships in Las Vegas. This was a real confidence boost for
my preparation for Kona IM in October and a race experience I am
pleased I didn’t miss."