Race History

Our event has been running in Groomsport for the last few years but the proud history of the Ireman event goes all the way back to 2000 when the Triangle Club hosted Ireland's first long distance triathlon at Benone on the beautiful north coast. Below is a report of that event carried at slowtwitch.com.

Ireman -- a different sort of Ironman-distance race

August 4 2000, Limavady, Northern Ireland (www.slowtwitch.com):
 
The Ironman-distance appeals to many, but not everyone can gain entry to the
Ironman of their choice -- especially the ones that end up qualifying athletes
for the Hawaii Ironman via the World Triathlon Corp. family of races.
  
There are as many non-WTC Ironman-distance races worldwide as there are actual
WTC-sanctioned Ironmans. Last Saturday, race director Peter Jack staged an
Ironman event, called "Ireman," and drew 41 starters. Because every
Ironman race has its intrigues, and every Ironman racer has a story to tell, we
asked Peter to share his tale of the kind of Ironman that most people never do.
He wrote the following:
 
Benone Beach -- the Blue Flag resort and the jewel in the crown of Limavady
Borough Council -- had surely never witnessed such a spectacle at 6.15 a.m. on
Saturday, 29th July. Out of 55 entries, 41 potential Iremen and women started.
There were triathletes from all over the British Isles, USA and Malta, and they
gazed at the big crowd of spectators on the beach, and the mirror-like sea in
equal astonishment.
 
Chris McFeely, one of the sponsors, sounded the klaxon and the lemming-like
posse sprinted under the 12ft-high swim start structure into the 14-degree (C)
water. The three-lap course was marked by 6 x 8ft-high buoys. Both conditions
and visibility was perfect as the Dogleap Canoe Club and Foyle Search and
Rescue personnel watched.
 
Exiting first was James Leitch of Glasgow in a super-fast 52:41, five minutes
clear of Jon Pursey, the Gwent policeman who was, in turn, two minutes clear of
Malta's Nicky Farrugia. Farrugia has swum the English Channel, and was doing
his 11th Ironman-distance race.
 
In the women's race, Scotland's Mary Rose Cross was out first in 1:11, two
minutes in front of the Royal Navy's Jeanette Beaton. Third was Catherine
Marshall, a GP from Belfast who had only done one triathlon before -- the 3-Day
Race organised by the Triangle Club. But she had been persuaded to race for
Ireland to fill out her country's Home Nations team.
 
The cycle course took in the delights of Downhill (which was actually a massive
uphill) and Castlerock, before the three loops of the Coleraine, Garvagh and
Kilrea triangle. There were enthusiastic marshalls and spectators all over the
30-mile loop. Moving through the field were those renowned bike specialists,
England's Clive Middleton -- organiser of The Longest Day (also an
Ironman-distance event) in Wolverhampton, and Scotland's Stan Stewart.
 
Thanks to his good swimming and cycling, however, Farrugia returned first into
the second transition after a 5:21 ride. Middleton was only minutes behind with
a 5:18, and Stewart third with a 5:20. Adrian Devine of the Irish team had a 5:31
and, at that stage, was in fourth, while Scotland's Leitch was now back in
fifth after a 5:38.
 
Moving into sixth was Michael Brown of Portadown, Northern Ireland, and seventh
back in was Scotland's Jason Smith. Brown had intended to race Ironman Europe
on July 9, but had damaged his ribs in a Go-Karting accident and couldn't
sneeze -- let alone train -- for four weeks. Brown had a corker of a race here,
eventually finishing third overall in 10:25:48.
 
At the head of the race, Middleton had very quickly overtaken the tiring
Maltese champion, and actually led the marathon for 22 miles. But Smith was on
fire: He had taken two minutes to stretch before he started running, and
managed another minute-long stretch at one of the turns on the run course. He was
very confident of catching all six ahead of him.

Smith -- racing only his second-ever Ironman-distance -- managed the fastest run
split (3:21:35) for an overall winning time of 10:12:20. Next came England's
Middleton (10:19:59) and Ireland's Brown. Fourth was Scotland's Stewart
(10:39:11), and fifth was Garrie Prosser (10:46:25), England's second
points-scorer. Malta's Farrugia, who had been looking forward to racing in a
cool climate, didn't drink enough on the bike course and suffered big time on
the run: After a 4:21 marathon he finished sixth overall in 10:49:32.
 
For the women, Scotland's Cross had extended her lead on the bike by 10
minutes. But on the run, Beaton's petite frame and synchronised rhythm meant
that she overtook her rival to come home first in 11:24:00, some 30 mins ahead
of Cross (11:56:04).
 
Meanwhile, ploughing a lonely furrow in third place, was Ireland's Marshall.
Everything was going swimmingly until she had a tumble off the bike near the
transition area. Despite having trouble with her shoulder, she bravely started
the run, where she ran down many of the men. She carried her left arm very
stiffly, but still finished the marathon in 4:06 (and the race in 12:37:24).
When she went to the casualty department of Coleraine Hospital later, she was
told (although she probably knew already, as she is a doctor), that she had a
fractured collarbone ...
 
Wales' Terry Edwards completed his 23rd Ironman-distance race proudly waving
his Welsh flag. He presented the organisers with a momento from his home
country, as did Malta's Farrugia. At the prize giving, Edwards also gave all
the kids in the hotel sticks of Welsh rock. It's people like these two
gentlemen who make the sport of triathlon what it is -- not the political
bureaucrats in suits.
 
Edwards was third from last in 14:02:40. Then there was Ballymena lawyer Terry
McAllister (14:20:58) who was determined to finish -- although suffering from
dehydration in the 25-degree C temperature.
 
In last place (14:29:50) came American John Allario. He had travelled over from
Texas with his training and racing buddy Michael Pentland, originally from
Bangor, Northern Ireland. Pentland (12:58:57) was able to compare and contrast
the Northern Ireland he knew and loved, with the "N'orn Irn" he saw on
the TV screens of the world.
 
Race organisers Peter Jack, Claire Wheeldon and Geoffrey Warke were delighted
with the response from the athletes, and the enthusiasm and sheer dedication of
their 100-strong team of marshalls.
 
There were flowers for the winners, flags for the internationals, fervour from
the crowd and fulfilment for the athletes, as they completed this unique event
-- which will not take place again.
 
It couldn't ever be as perfect as this in the future -- so why spoil it? It
certainly was "A Day Of Pain For A Lifetime Of Pride".