Sunday 9 June Ironman, Cairns

If you really want to test your endurance you might want to try an Ironman contest. It's triathlon for masochists; a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a marathon 26.2-mile run, raced in that order and without a break.

The shooting match came to Cairns on Friday setting up the barriers, tents and support village. The competitors drove or flew in from across the pacific rim for the events because as well as the Ironman there was also a triathlon being run over the same course just half f the distance. From the numbers of the competitors we saw and the lines of bikes in the racks we estimate there must have been in excess of 1,000 competitors from 18 years old to the over 70s and looking at the list of past winners it seems a triathlete doesn't reach their peak until they are 30. (I'm still waiting to reach my peak.)

From the marina we watched the swimmers out on the course in the bay. As one came in he commented on the strong current. As a boat we can ebb and flow currents to help us and it must be the same for swimmers; on the outbound leg they might have had 1knot carrying them but on the return it would have been a swim against the current.

After the swimmers come out of the water there are freshwater showerheads over the track to rinse the saltwater off and then a half mile run in bare feet to the transition zone where they shed wetsuits and goggles and strip to the cycle / run lycra which is worn underneath. They collect their bike from the rack but can't mount until they reach the designated area beyond the transition zone. The swim section had started in phases from 6.30am and we saw the last of the swimmers swapping to bikes just before 10.00am.

The bike section took them all the way up the coast road to Port Douglas. Ironmen doing 180kms had extra loops to complete compared to the regular triathlon. The cycling section finished north of Cairns and then after swimming almost 3 miles and cycling 112 miles they set out on a marathon. These are super fit athletes.

We were on the finishing line to see the winners, all professional athletes, cross the line but I think the heroes of the day were the amateurs who must have spent years training as an addition to their regular jobs and family lives who were just racing because they enjoy it, not for the big prizes. Some were so exhausted by the time they crossed the line they couldn't walk another step and were helped into wheel chairs and swept off to the medic tent. I take my hat off to their dedication and perseverance. I couldn't do it. By the end of the day we were exhausted from just watching.