Ironman 70.3 Goa: Athletes from 33 countries will test endurance on Sunday

1,450 athletes would be participating in the eight-hour triathlon

“Why do it?” Hanumant Khanna asks, repeating a question just put to him. “Hmmm, well, it’s a physical challenge unlike any other, it’s a mental challenge too, and if you are inclined towards sports, adventure and addicted to that adrenaline rush, then why not?” Fair, but unclear and therefore the question is worth rephrasing. 

What makes the Ironman event a draw? “Yup, that’s a better question,” Khanna laughs. And perhaps the only question worth asking of the 1450 athletes from 33 countries who will line up at the start line at Miramar beach in Goa to kickstart the first leg — 1.9 kilometres of swimming — of a triathlon, on a Sunday when a majority of the Indian workforce is asleep.

By the time you, the reader, have showered and perhaps made a plan for some Sunday brunch, many will be on their cycles, tackling the 90-km course, while others will already be running the 21 km that fulfils the final leg of this brutal triathlon — called the Ironman 70.3, signifying the total distance covered by competitors in miles, or colloquially as the ‘Half Ironman’.

So, again, why do it? Why put your body through roughly eight hours of hell? “Because it's fun.”

First held in Goa in 2019 — two subsequent editions were cancelled because of the pandemic — this year’s event puts the Ironman 70.3 front and centre as one of those few pro-am events that seeks to make a footprint in India, encouraged by a young community of enthusiasts and athletes seeking more. Ironman is also a brand and conducts multiple such triathlons across the world.

Jeff Edwards, CEO of Ironman Asia, sees the event as a culmination and starting point of something bigger for the community in India.

"I think it’s really exciting to see the development of athletes from India,” he says. “Indian athletes are now travelling all over the world, qualifying for our world championship events (Ironman 70.3 Goa will serve as a qualifier for the World Championships to be held in Finland in August next year) and showcasing their great passion for Ironman. There’s so much possibility here..."

Among the Indians who have completed the Ironman Triathlon in the past are former national level swimmers Arunaabh Shah and Kaustubh Radkar (who has completed 25 and famously did one alone during the height of the pandemic), Railways officer Shreyas G Hosur and the actor-model Milind Soman. 

Khanna, a graphic designer, himself has completed multiple triathlons before, although this will be his first Ironman event.

Ranjeet Singh Rathore, a businessman, 44, completed his first Ironman in June at West-Friesland in the Netherlands. He’s pushed himself to Goa in the hope of improving his personal best (07:38:43), but, more than anything else, to support the event at home. “For years I’ve seen friends and young athletes I know forced abroad to compete in an event like this. Now it's at home, and maybe, just maybe, this will create opportunities for more people.”

On race day, 700 volunteers will be deployed through the course, which also includes eight aid stations and a fully equipped medical station.

Deepak Raj, race director of Ironman 70.3 Goa, says that increased participation has meant the organisers (Yoska, a fitness company founded by Raj) have had to redesign and expand the course capacity. 

“This year, we have promoted women in sports initiative with more than 20 all-women relay teams taking part,” he says. “Also for the first time, we have invited more than 90 participants from the army, the navy and the police to participate.”

A significant footfall from participants for a state that will very soon anyway become tourism central, thanks to the holiday season, is an obvious boon.

Goa struggled hugely during and in the aftermath of the pandemic, its tourism-dependent economy devastated by travel restrictions and guidelines.

Speaking at a press event, the state’s tourism minister, Rohan Khaunte, expressed hope that an event like Ironman 70.3 would help open a new pathway for Goan tourism. Goa Tourism is the principal partner of the event. “Going forward, we are keen to project Goa as a sports tourism destination,” Khaunte said. While one swallow does not a summer make, in the case of this massive event, there is hope and excitement unchained. 

“If you think about it logically, there is no reason why an idyllic destination needs to be marketed differently from a sports destination,” Rathore says, his face slowly dissolving into a smile. “After that gruelling race, everyone needs a beer.”

Ironman participant or not, Sunday evenings are common for all. And on the following Monday, a sore muscle or two is worth the residual adrenaline and a lifetime’s memory.   

The three-legged race

Triathlons are multi-sport (swimming, cycling and running) races conducted over different distances and courses. The World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), a private entity, sanctions the Ironman and Ironman 70.3 races across the world. Distances for different triathlon events are below:

Olympic Triathlon 

• Swim: 1.5 km 
• Cycle: 40 km
• Run: 10 km

Ironman 70.3

• Swim: 1.9 km
• Cycle: 90 km
• Run: 21.1 km

Ironman 

• Swim: 3.9 km
• Cycle: 181 km
• Run: 42.2 km