30 Aug The intriguing stories of IRONMAN 70.3 Bintan
Sunday 20th August 2017 saw the 3rd edition of IRONMAN 70.3 Bintan held under clear blue skies and with an island full of enthusiastic supporters and participants. We welcomed over 350 first-timers to the IRONMAN 70.3 distance, heard the chants of high-spirited teams and watched in amazement as the competitive athletes strove for finish line success.
Some stories caught our attention and we thought we would share them with you. Don’t forget to read the full race report and check out the photo gallery at the end!
Photo from FinisherPix
It’s in the blood: Family of champs
When athletes register for the race, we ask them to share with us their stories. Chloe Leger, who joined us in the 2015 edition reveled to us her excitement of coming back to the island and sharing the course with her family, “I am competing with my parents, Nathalie and Christophe Leger. Bintan is one of my favorite places to race, which is why I’m back again; and hopefully the whole family gets a spot for 2018 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships” And that they did!
Talk about a grand slam for the Legers, who all got a slot for the 2018 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in South Africa!
We wish them all the best!
The first time is the sweetest
Meet Rob Kelly, a first-time qualifier for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships! Impressed by the swim and run course this year, he told the team that the race was probably the best he had ever competed in and that the IRONMAN 70.3 Bintan is one of the premier events in the region and one of the best IRONMAN 70.3 locations in the world.
His qualification means missing the race next year though, “qualifying for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in South Africa in 2018 will mean I will miss out on Bintan next year but I hope to be back in 2019.” And when asked about his training plan, he said that starting in February he will start to build his training for the following 6 months to peak for South Africa in September and “I will use the local Singapore short course events as training days” he added.
We look forward to seeing you back on the island in 2019 and good luck at the World Champs!
SUPER COUPLE WITH THEIR BABY IN THE RACE
Proving that “Anything is Possible” in IRONMAN racing, super couple Niels and Sandy forming “Team Jade” didn’t let a baby and the absence of a babysitter get in the way of finish line glory! With Donna our resourceful Transition Manager at the ready, the couple handed over the baby when completing the relay changeovers. A little over six hours later, Niels had swum 1.9km and biked 90kms, Sandy had ran 21.2kms, and they proudly made it to the finish line to place 5th in the Mixed Team Relay competition. And Donna got to enjoy a little cuddle of baby!
Finish line proposal
When athlete Ben Joseph asked the team to help him with his marriage proposal plan, we were all in. Everything was planned for–the engagement ring, the confetti poppers, champagne, even the DJ was on cue. Ben’s sweet girlfriend had no idea what was about to happen. So when Ben crossed the finish line and (tried) to kneel down with Bruno Mars’ “I think I Wanna Marry You” playing on the background, the carefully planned marriage proposal was successfully executed. Onlookers cheered on as she said the big ‘YES’. For the next 15 minutes, the finish line was filled with cheers and smiles, and a lot of happy photos!
Kiwi domination in Bintan with record-breaking times on the island course
Our 2017 IRONMAN 70.3 Bintan champions from New Zealand, Mike Philips and Amelia Watkinson, each broke course records as they raced to the top spots on the podium. The thrill of watching the pro races unfold was inspiring, with numerous strong contenders battling for the top spot.
Read more about the Pro and Age-Group races in the full race report.
