LETTERKENNY 24/7 TRIATHLON CLUB’S Aidan Callaghan managed a top 20 finish at the Ironman UK in Bolton on Sunday.
Callaghan finished in 20th place in a time of nine hours, 53 minutes and 58 seconds in his first ever attempt over the distance.
[adrotate group=”37″]Yesterday’s raced offered 40 qualifying slots for the 2016 edition of the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, which takes place in October.
The 33-year-old finished the 3.8km swim in 51 minutes and 54 seconds, the 180km cycle two-loop journey from Pennington Flash in five hours, 30 minutes and 41 seconds and then the marathon in three hours and 21 minutes finishing in Le Mans Crescent in the shadow of the Albert Hall.
“The swim went really well,” Callaghan said from Bolton last night. “I felt great and I was the first amateur out of the water. The bike went steady and the run was tough.
[adrotate group=”38”]“It was very hilly but I managed to hold it together and to take third in the Age Group and then 20th overall and secure a World Championship spot in Hawaii, in October, well I’m delighted that the hard work as paid off. It made up for the disappointment of France earlier this year.”
Callaghan took part in the Aix-en-Provence 70.3 in May but was disappointed to learn that his favourite discipline – the swim – had been cancelled.
The Letterkenny native was last year’s Triathlon Ireland Super Series winner. Callaghan’s column on Bolton will be available on Donegal Sport Hub later this week.
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