>>> How to conquer any open-water challenge

The three siblings Jack, Calum and Robbie Hudson took nine days to complete the challenge and finished last Sunday (23 August) in the Solway Firth, just south of Whitehaven. 

It wasn’t all smiles though – middle brother Calum, 25, picked up an ear infection in the latter stages of the challenge and struggled. “I thought the hardest thing was getting up early and putting on a cold wetsuit. But then I got a really bad ear infection about two days ago. So I found out that the combination of earache and spending 10 hours a day in cold river water were my two least favourite things.”

Berlin-based eldest brother Robbie, 27, added that the swim had been “a challenge”. Youngest brother Jack, 23, said it was an “incredible achievement”. The three siblings were on home territory though – they grew up in the Cumbrian village of Langwathby, mere metres from the River Eden.

“From its bubbling source in the mountains of Mallerstang, through the steep gorges and cascades of Hell Gill, past our old family home at Langwathby, the deep sandstone ravines and rapids of Armathwaite, to the wide floodplains of Carlisle and out into the mud flats, estuary and sands of the Solway Firth and the Irish Sea, we swam, scrambled, crawled, walked, jumped, climbed and floated every single inch,” said the brothers afterwards.

Their exploits have already raised £2,200 for The Swimming Trust, and are aiming for a total of £2,500 (donate here). Every penny of the money raised will be put back into swimming through setting up a bursary scheme in Cumbria to help more swimming teachers gain their level 2 qualification.

Three key takeaways

For all 220 readers inspired by the Wild Swimming Brothers’ exploits, they offer three tips for planning your own river swim:

1. Trek to the source of a river, It’s fascinating, bizarre and will give you a totally different perspective on them. The Eden bubbles up from the ground at the top of a mountain, a deep dark hole belching up murky brown water which flowed through a deep soggy bog before cascading down a ravine, truly awesome!

2. Never underestimate the power of duct tape.

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3. There are adventures to be had in the places you least expect.

“We would like to say HUGE thank you’s to every single person that has helped, supported, fed, advised, housed, donated, given us fresh milk, kayaked, swam with us and been part of this adventure,” say Robbie, Calum and Jack.

“We’d like to give a special thank you to James Silson who was alongside us every single mile, we couldn’t have done it without him, an honorary brother! Also David Ronton who kayaked five full days with us and kept us motivated and supplied us with whisky.

“Also our Dad Ralph Hudson who was a crucial support car, all round fixer and cartographer. Finally our Mum Tina Wild who appeared countless times out of nowhere to rescue us when we were at our lowest points and in dire need of food and support. Truly a team effort and something we will never forget!”

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I suppose you can still include chasing a Double Gloucester down Cooper’s Hill, snorkelling a few bogs in Llanwrtyd Wells, and maybe even pulling on the oars in the lung-busting Varsity Boat Race, but to find a sport where the Corinthian ideals of amateurism still survive at the highest level is no easy task.

M-dot tattoos are just one example of the brand loyalty Ironman enjoys (image: iStockPhoto) 

Sport is now business. Big business. And in that respect, at least, you could say that Ironman is leading the way. In the USA, triathlon is Ironman, yet Ironman is also a for-profit private company – not a federation – as we are constantly reminded by countless examples of its revenue-optimising decisions.

Even so, selling bathroom scales (‘body composition monitors’) and online coaching accreditation pale against the latest example of capitalist intent, this week’s sale to Chinese corporate behemoth Dalian Wanda Group for £650million plus a mopping up of debts. It marks the bumper return former owners Providence Equity Partners (PEP) were looking for, yet is little more than chump change to the fast-diversifying Wanda Group whose assets totalled $86.6billion last year.

Leading from the front

Already the world’s largest property developer and cinema chain operator, Wanda has shown a penchant for sport in 2015, picking up a stake in Spanish football side, the 2014 Champions League finalists Atlético Madrid, and Swiss sports marketing agency Infront, which holds the broadcast rights to the next two World Cups.

Whether the new boss, 60-year-old Wian Jianlin, will lead from the front and have a go himself as CEO Andrew Messick did remains to be seen, but given Jianlin spent 17 years in the People’s Liberation Army, I cannot imagine an Ironman holding too many fears. Whether it also paves the way for 50 professional women in Kona is perhaps more of a hot topic for discussion, and an anomaly where the new owners could score quick public relations success by rectifying.

Chrissie Wellington racing in Kona

On social forums there has been some agitation at the prospect of Far Eastern governance dragging premier long distance triathlon still further from its spiritual home in Hawaii. But this is a changing world. In our own capital city, foreign investment has stampeded at every opportunity.

Look around you. From Arsenal Football Club’s stadium to The ExCel convention centre in Docklands – home to the biggest triathlon in the world. Wanda itself is already financing a five-star hotel next to the Thames costing $1.1billion and has bought up a UK-based maker of luxury yachts used in Bond movies.

What do these examples have in common? First class service and a few quibbles over the price to the consumer… Pretty much on par with what the PEP version of Ironman delivered, then.

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose?

Ironman has changed hands for money before and the rumour mill was in overdrive with takeover talk, fed by Messick’s constant referencing of global growth as a carrot for suitors every time he stood behind a microphone. In the USA, the triathlon market is flatlining, in Western Europe and Australasia it is mature, but in the Far East, South America, Eastern Europe and even the Middle East – as we know from the stirrings in Bahrain – there is strong appetite. 

As these societies develop and become increasingly cash-rich and diet-poor, the bucket-list goal of Ironman looks a tempting prospect. Without rapid expansion it will take a few years to retrieve the initial investment, so expect more race choice in exotic locations that will see pasty Brits struggle with heat acclimatisation and become neurotic over the local cuisine.

Racing along Tenby harbour at Ironman Wales

For the average UK age-grouper, devoted to the backstreets of Bolton or the extended transitions of Tenby, it’s unlikely much will differ, at least in the short term. Perhaps the new owners will want to put down a marker, but when you have a brand that customers are prepared to tattoo on to their calves, it would be foolish to test that loyalty. Prices will be dictated by demand and even with Ironman’s aggressive business tactics there is no shortage of non-WTC events available to keep soaraway entry fees in check.

If you are of the calibre to line up in Hawaii though, you might find qualifying becoming a little trickier. With further expansion of the 250 or so races the Word Triathlon Corporation runs, it will be increasingly difficult to win a spot on the hallowed Kona pier.

(Main image: Paul Phillips)

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In the women’s race, reigning champ and Swiss star Daniela Ryf went into the race as the favourite and was dominant throughout, leading on the bike leg and run to cross the line in 4:11:34 (and 30th overall) to maintain her grip on the 70.3 world title.

IRONMAN ROYALTY

Under blue skies and in increasingly oppressive heat, the World Championship race kicked-off at 10:45am in the crystal blue Zell-Am-See lake, flanked by mountainous peaks, thousands of local and international spectators and Ironman Hawaii royalty Paula Newby-Fraser and Heather Fuhr on the starting pontoon, and 48-year-old Natascha Badmann on the race course. 

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The men’s field had the biggest strength in depth, with 2008 Olympic champion and the current Ironman Europe title holder, Germany’s 194cm Jan Frodeno, towering over his race rivals on the lakeside starting ramp. Alongside him were two fellow former ITU stars, the reigning 70.3 world champ Javier Gomez and Britain’s great hope for the men’s title, Tim Don. After five wins from six middle-distance races in 2015, Don was looking to go better than his 70.3 worlds bronze in 2014, but his prep was disrupted by a nasty bike crash in Boulder last week which left him with 30 stitches in his face and a thumb split in two.

Don, nonetheless, exited the 1.9km lake swim on the coattails of Gomez and Frodeno, with the reigning Ironman world champion Sebastian Kienle a couple of minutes in arrears. Onto the bike, however, and the Germany’s two-wheel tri dominance was asserted, with the top six spots halfway through the 90km bike leg all occupied by the nation (Andi Bocherer leading Frodeno, Andreas Drietz, Nils Frommhold, Michael Raelert and Kienle). 

After America’s Lauren Brandon broke the 70.3 Worlds swim record in 22:53mins, the women’s race saw Ryf lead throughout the bike leg, entering T2 with a wide deficit over the field. Brit hopes were pinned on Jodie Swallow, who suffered a training ride crash on Saturday while recee’ing the bike course. It was left to Holly Lawrence, Susie Cheetham, Parys Edwards and EK Lidbury to carry the Brit flag. 

KONA STATEMENTS

As the men approached Zell-Am-See after 90km of riding in the Austrian hills, Drietz and Frodeno had over a 2mins advantage over the chasers (Frodeno’s 2:09:04 bike split was 50secs faster than Kienle’s). The two loop half-marathon run hugged the Zell-Am-See lakeside for nearly all the duartion, with a brief interlude into the town. With his run speed honed from years of ITU racing, once Frodeno was in front there seemed to be only one victor, with the race compere pretty much handing Frodeno the victory 20mins before the Cologne born Olympic champ crossed the line after 3:51:19 of racing. After his Ironman Europe win over Kienle, here was another major statement from Frodo ahead of October’s Ironman worlds in Kona.

Following Frodo home were Kienle and a visibly dejected Gomez (who’d been ill during the week) in a day to remember for Germany’s middle-distance stars. The women’s race for victory also turned into something of a procession, with Ryf dominant throughout and never looking like giving up her 70.3 world title. The Swiss would cross the line in 4:11:34, some 10mins ahead of Canada’s Heather Wurtele and Anja Beranek of Germany, and again lay down a marker for Ironman worlds glory on 10 October.

For the famous Brit names it was a day to forget in Austria, with Swallow dropping out early on the bike and Tim Don suffering a puncture and two penalty cards before dropping out. How the day of woes affects their Kona preparation is unclear, but both are well-versed in getting knocked down and picking themselves up again. Top Brit male was Ritchie Nicholls in 27th. 

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Stay tuned for more results, plus any Brit AG news when we get it.

The alarm was raised after Paul Gallihawk, 34, failed to complete the swim on Saturday (29 August), and his body was recovered two days later. The cause of his death remains unclear.

The organisers said: “We are all deeply saddened by the death of a participant of Saturday’s Sprint Triathlon. Our thoughts and condolences are with the family and friends at this very difficult time.”

Ocean Lake Triathlon Club organises six sprint distance events throughout the year, with last Saturday’s race being the penultimate one in the 2015 calendar. 

British Triathlon CEO Jack Buckner said: “Tragedies are unfortunately inevitable in any sport, but the loss of a relatively young participant in triathlon, a sport often seen as an exemplar in its ability to promote physical wellbeing and fitness, is a shock to us all.”

Mr Gallihawk had been raising money for King’s College Hospital in London (JustGiving page), and donations have now passed £13,000.

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(Main image: Ocean Lake Triathlon)

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>>> South Africa’s Conrad Stoltz to retire after Xterra UK

A solid, driving rain the night prior left the trails muddy and slick, leaving those without the proper grippy tires and skills flying off their bikes left and right. However, the Sunday (31 August) proved perfect for racing, with cool temps and not a drop of rain.

Men’s race

Britain’s Richard Stannard exited Vachery Pond first with the fastest 1.5km swim, followed by Ben Allen (AUS) and Stoltz more than a minute back in 18:54. Ruzafa was almost two minutes behind at 19:35.

Allen moved past Stannard early on the bike to take the lead, and eventually Stoltz managed to catch him. Ruzafa ultimately did what he does best and moved into the front on the second lap of the bike, but couldn’t shake Stoltz.

Conrad Stoltz going hard on the bike at Xterra UK 2015

“I couldn’t pull away,” said Ruzafa, a three-time Xterra world champ who has now won 15 straight Xterra majors since winning the Worlds in October of 2013. “I took speed and tried to pull away but he didn’t drop, he stayed on my wheel.” Ruzafa and Stoltz came into T2 practically together, and then it became a foot race. 

“I thought back after my first Xterra in Richmond where it was all about the experience and not about the result and I just wanted to enjoy the race and I did,” said Stoltz. “The bike course was so much fun, it was slippery and challenging and it was pretty crazy.”

Stoltz started suffering leg cramps on the run though, and couldn’t keep up with the Frenchman, eventually crossing the line a little under 30secs behind for second place. “Of course I wanted to win my last Xterra,” he said afterwards. “Winning is important, but enjoying it all is important too, so I’m not going to be too hard on myself.” 

Third place was taken by Ben Allen, who posted the fastest run split of the day, and Britain’s Henry Sleight rounded out the top-ten.

Women’s race

In the women’s race, Christine Jeffrey (CAN) was first female out of the water but Jacqui Slack (GBR) was close behind and had an incredible bike, putting more and more time on the rest of the field.

Women’s podium, left-right: Renata Bucher (SUI), Lesley Paterson (GBR), Jacqui Slack (GBR)

“I had an amazing swim, came out with Ruben,” said Slack. “I’ve been working so hard and I felt like it paid off today. I spent so much time training, working on corners, and was really confident, and I like the mud, and the longer the girls didn’t catch me the more I was motivated.

Switzerland’s Renata Bucher caught Slack with about 4km to go on the bike, and led into T2. Eventual winner Lesley Paterson (GBR) caught both early on in the run, and kept pushing to finish over 1min ahead of Bucher, with Slack taking bronze. 

“I was pretty down on myself after the first lap because I couldn’t stay upright, but I talked myself into staying positive,” said Paterson afterwards. “I got to the run though and I’m comfortable with that. Ironically, I’m Scottish and it was like I’ve never been in the mud before. I live out in San Diego where it’s sandy and rocky and the mud out there, today was just something else.”

Age-group races

Among the age-groupers, Geert Lauryssen (BEL) and Louise Hanley (GBR) captured the overall amateur championship titles, with British names peppering this year’s list of age-group Xterra European Champions:

Ages 15-19: Molly Campbell, 04:00:01
Ages 15-19: Harry Leleu, 03:01:01
Ages 25-29: Sam Begg, 02:53:44
Ages 25-29: Samantha Aplin, 03:37:28
Ages 30-34: Ruth Owen-Evans, 03:44:50
Ages 45-49: Louise Hanley, 03:29:33
Ages 50-54: Rob Moore, 03:13:43
Ages 55-59: Simon Osborne, 03:19:18
Ages 65-69: Ray Haines, 04:34:46

Complete results / photos.

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>>> Frodeno and Ryf take Ironman 70.3 Worlds

Among the pros, Susie Cheetham placed highest Brit in seventh position, followed by Holly Lawrence in 11th. Ritchie Nicholls was top male British pro in 27th place. Tim Don and Jodie Swallow both posted DNFs.

Women

Onto the age-groupers, and the women grabbed an impressive six top-five finishes in Austria, including two golds, one silver and one bronze. 

Lucy Charles (F18-24) and Gill Fullen (F50-54) were the standout performers, grabbing the only golds for GB:

1st. Lucy Charles (F18-24) – 4:46:00
2nd. Alison Rowatt (F30-34) – 4:47:37
3rd. Jane Hansom (F45-49) – 5:08:06
1st. Gill Fullen (F50-54) – 5:09:28
5th. Jane Leslie (F65-69) – 7:08:59
3rd. Peggy Crome (F70-74) – 8:26:15

Amongst the men, there were three top-five finishes, with Ed Nicholl (M50-54) taking bronze:

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5th. Ross Simpson (M30-34) – 4:22:37
3rd. Ed Nicoll (M50-54) – 4:38:46
5th. Richard Hobson (M50-54) – 4:41:29

Check out the full results.

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