It was a cold, rainy April morning in Port Elizabeth, South Africa where 800 contestants waited for the Ironman race to begin. The start of the race was postponed and the swimming section of the race was cancelled due to inclement weather and the sea temperature, which had dipped to 16 degrees Celsius. The race was now whittled down to a 180 kilometre cycling leg and a 42.2 kilometre run.
Raghul Sankaranarayanan, India’s fastest Ironman triathlete, was amongst only eight Indians participating.
Every Ironman is a battle of the mind and body. The physical and mental strain put on the body while swimming 3.8 kilometre, cycling 180 kilometre and running 42.2 kilometre is brutal.
