INFECTIOUS AMBIENCE

QWhat is unique about the Cairns Ironman that you do not see in other places around the world when you race?

AI have got so much to say about the whole course, I love it all. The swim at Palm Cove on race morning, you look around and think to yourself “there is no more beautiful places to start an Ironman”. That is a start. The ride up to Port Douglas and you are looking at a world heritage-listed area and having that road closed for us is a really unique thing. I just love it. I am a Queenslander and the climate is great. Even on a bad day in Cairns it is not going to be cold, which I really like. The huge drawcard for me about Cairns is that they have the 70.3 going at the same time. In normal Ironman’s we are leading and we are out there alone and it can be a little lonely. With this one, you still have 70.3 athletes running and when they finish, they fill all the pubs and restaurants along the Esplanade. It is the most vocal, active, excitable run course that you will ever come across in Ironman. It is an incredible feeling running down that Esplanade on the way to the finish line. I said to someone the other day that it is like running in Kona, Hawaii, you cannot say that about many races. I absolutely love it. I would love to race this year but I will need to make those tactical decisions soon. Because I have raced three-straight years, I have started to see the big tri community that is up in Cairns and they get behind the race and love it. I have gotten to know a lot of those people and I sort of felt like I was a local the last time I was there.