Newcastle, NSW MARCH 24TH, 2014 – He’s done it. Not only has Olympic triathlete Courtney Atkinson survived his first full-length ironman on the streets of Melbourne but the 34-year-old has exceeded even his own expectations by covering the 226km distance in just over 8.5 hours.
Photo | © Trent Mitchell/Red Bull Content Pool
Yep, his debut ironman has seen him smash the competitor average and finish just 20 minutes outside of the top-10.
Better yet, the result gains him automatic qualification for the mother of all ironmans, the Hawaiian Ironman later this year.
Whether he was playing it cool or just trying to lower expectations, Courtney decreed pre-race that he’d be happy just to finish the distance after succumbing to fatigue over the half-distance last month. He succeeded in both lowering expectations and proving himself and his supporters right – he is an ironman of the highest order and with a few months more training there’s no reason to suggest he can’t go even better in his first, of what we’re to be many, Hawaiian Ironman races.
In fact, for the first half of the race Courtney was comfortably inside the top-10 as the sun beat down in Melbourne. He’d never raced over this distance so pacing was always going to be a guestimation and that’s one of the biggest assets he’ll take away from the torturous event.
The Melbourne Ironman was a survey event if you will, Courtney learning the ropes first-hand so he can apply his new-found knowledge next time around in North Queensland, where he will contest his second ironman in coming months.
He’s conquered triathlon and adventure racing, and now Courtney has proved himself capable of becoming the triple-threat and adding ironman champion as another string to his bow.
Long sleep the king!