Garry tests his mettle in Hawaii Ironman
A FEW weeks from now Garry Hall will set off from his home in Sráid Bhaile bound for Hawaii, drawn there not by the allure of sun, sand and surf but the promise of pain that goes with competing in the Ironman World Championship.
The event, which is a kind of agony nirvana for endurance athletes, includes a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike race and a full 22.6-mile marathon. About 2,000 competitors from across the globe will take part in the event on October 13, among them Garry who qualified by finishing fourth in the 4549 years age category in the UK Ironman in July.
Garry completed the UK Ironman in 9 hours 30 minutes - the record time in the Hawaii Ironman stands at just over eight hours so he doesn’t expect to be first across the line but he says his goal is to improve on his own achievements rather than to beat others.
“I’d be happy to have a good time on the day,” said Garry. Meanwhile, he can be seen training on the roads around Sráid Bhaile and in the sea at the Maharees where he takes a three or four kilometre swim a few times a week, regardless of the weather as he prepares what they describe in Hawaii as “the ultimate test of body, mind and spirit”.