’SPECIAL’ EVENT

TRIATHLON A FAMILY AFFAIR FOR CHRISTIAN CLAN

THERE is a friendly rivalry on course but for Hobart’s Adrian Christian, tackling the gruelling Ironman 70.3 Tasmania at Hobart next Sunday with his sons will be as much a bonding experience as a challenge.

The 53-year-old and his boys Matt, 30 and Will, 28, made a pact to attack the 1.9km ocean swim, 90km ride and 21.1km run a year ago when the new event was announced.

Adrian did his first and only full ironman event at Busselton, in WA, in 2018 and completed it in 13 hours, about an hour behind Will, who had not raced a long distance event previously.

He has completed four half ironmans since, and now Matt wants a piece of the action. He warmed up by outsprinting his dad in the closing stages of his first Olympic distance triathlon, about half the distance of a 70.3, at Seven Mile Beach recently.

“There’s be a lot of dads who would give their back teeth to do a significant challenge like this not just for themselves, but with their kids. That’s special,” Adrian said.

“The thing I thought was nice about our story is none of us are natural athletes. We didn’t have any of the innate skills but we trained up.

“If you set a goal and stick to it, a lot of people can do it.

“The big thing at the start for all three of us was we have to learn how to swim, and it’s a long way to swim.

“The big thing is sticking to the training which is why it’s good to do it with others, to make a joint commitment to do it together, because then you can keep each other accountable.”

The trio conquered the Point to Pinnacle last year, renowned as the world’s toughest half marathon from Wrest Point to the summit of Mount Wellington.

“To stand at the start line with your two adult sons and think, ‘we’re all having a crack’, (was nice),” he said.

“There’s a bit of friendly rivalry. The first triathlon Matt has ever done was two weeks ago and he caught me with about 50m to go on a 10k run.

“It’s a mental challenge and that’s why people do it. It’s a challenge to finish, it doesn’t matter where you finish in my view.”

Will stepped away from the sport after Busselton, but started training when news of the Tasmania event – which has been locked in for the next five years – came through last year.

“There was a conversation between the three of us, we’d all do it,” he said.

“We always talk about our training and it’s pretty cool to do it with them. You see each other out on course and try to hold them off or catch them, it’s a bit of fun.

“The first ironman was a challenge and I thought I’d get the fitness back up and train for this Hobart one.

“The run (at Busselton) was real difficult. The bike was all right but not having run a marathon and trying to do it after being on the bike for 180k is pretty difficult, but I slogged through it.”

The bike leg in Hobart, which boasts the biggest ascent of any race in Oceania, is a daunting one.

“It is a tough course and the bike, in particular, it’s got 1000m of climbing in it,” Adrian said.

“It’s an odd course the way they’ve laid it out. It’s quite technical with a lot of hairpin turn points, so you lose momentum and have to build it back up.”

Matt’s goal in his debut Ironman 70.3 is simple – finish.

“It’s certainly a challenge but that’s the excitement of it,” he said.

“The main thing is to finish it. I’d like to be able to run the run as opposed to walk, but we’ll see how it goes after the bike ride.”

Races start at Brooke St Pier on Sunday, February 5, at 6.25am.