CHRISSIE’S GREATEST

IT’S 10 YEARS SINCE CHRISSIE WELLINGTON PRODUCED HER FINAL KONA VICTORY. HERE THE STAR OPENS UP ON THAT EPIC SHOWING

This year marks 10 years since Chrissie Wellington’s fourth, final and most formidable Kona victory, a battle that saw the unbeaten Brit experience a serious bike crash weeks before the event, arriving in Kona visibly battered and bruised. The race soon became Chrissie’s gritty and glorious masterpiece, holding off Mirinda Carfrae on the run to cross the line just shy of her Kona course record.

Here Chrissie, now the global lead for health and wellbeing at parkrun and the author of two new children’s books, reflects on that epic day.

“It still feels like yesterday, and I still have the scars on my legs today to remind me of the pain I went through. But it was my perfect race because I finally answered the question that I’d been asking myself as an athlete, which was how good can you be? That race forced me to dig to the very depths physically, emotionally and mentally, and in doing so I answered that question.

“I don’t think I’d ever challenged myself to the fullest extent possible. That’s not to say I’d found the previous victories easy, but I didn’t ever feel like I’d crossed that finish line annihilated. In a masochistic way, that’s what I craved. That battle with my competitors, that battle with myself. Having that race was so gratifying, but also liberating because I was no longer searching.”

Don’t miss next issue when Chrissie goes into more detail about that incredible race, what it took to stay at the top for so long and shares her secrets for age-group success.

Chrissie’s new books You’re So Strong and You’re so Amazing are available now on Amazon for £6.99.