Shanavas Abdul Hakkim, alias Machu, moved to Oman from Alappuzha almost two decades ago in search of prosperity and a better life. There he became an athlete “by chance”.
At 50, the Malayalee expat won his third Ironman 70.3 title in a long-distance triathlon held at Muscat in Oman on February 17, 2024. Machu, who works in the media industry in the Gulf country, completed a 1.9-km ocean swim, a 90-km cycling, and a 21-km run in seven hours and 23 minutes (7:23:01) as against the mandatory cut-off time of eight hours. This victory in Muscat follows his previous Ironman 70.3 wins at Salalah in 2022, which he completed in 7:35:39, and in 2023, the latter in the team event (7:11:55).
Machu says he never participated in a competitive athletics or swimming event during his younger days. “I used to run a bit, but it was nothing out of the ordinary. I did not even know how to swim until a few months before competing in Ironman 70.3 Salalah in 2022,” he says.
A hand injury that he suffered during a gym workout in 2019 became a pivotal point. “I had to stop going to the gym. At that time, a few of my friends registered for a 10-km marathon in Muscat and I too joined them. I discovered that I enjoy endurance running. Afterwards, I began cycling as well, but unfortunately had to discontinue it after an accident. Once my wounds healed, I resumed cycling again and even participated in some trail runs. In preparation for the 2022 Ironman race, I also learned how to swim,” says Machu.
Ironman 70.3, also known as Half Ironman, triathlon races are organised jointly by the World Triathlon Corporation and Ironman. “Swimming in the deep sea was difficult, but what I found arduous during the Ironman 70.3 Muscat was cycling due to elevation and hot conditions,” says Machu. He, nowadays, trains two to three days every week.
While he registered a hat-trick of victories in Ironman 70.3, his dream is to complete a full Ironman event, considered one of the most difficult one-day sporting competitions in the world, consisting of a 3.86-km swim, a 180.25-km bicycle ride, and a 42.2-km run within the time limit of 16-17 hours depending on the course.
