FROM CASTLE TO COAST
“The focus is on the event being an inclusive sportif rather than a race...”
After what feels like an eternity with my hands on my knees, I reach the final aid station of the day. I’ve been climbing a seemingly never-ending flight of stairs in the South Downs while the midday sun hounds me relentlessly. After the downpours of this morning it should be welcome, but it’s making every step feel that little bit harder.
“It’s all downhill to the finish from here and the next competitor is 15 minutes behind you,” the steward tells me. It’s information that seems too good to be true given my current state of delirium, but it’s no lie. Somehow, I’ve managed to establish quite the lead, but it’s not over until it’s over.
I’m Ben, an enthusiastic age-group triathlete, running coach and co-founder of an online running coaching business called).I first got into the sport of triathlon in 2018 when I decided to challenge myself with a debut Ironman for charity. At the time I was just 22 and had spent the past six years lifting weights to be as big and strong as possible. Weighing 97kg and being just shy of six foot, I certainly didn’t look like a typical Ironman on the start line.
