The prestigious Ironman 70.3 Astana triathlon race has come to an end in the Kazakh capital. More than 1,200 athletes took part in the tournament, which is being held in Astana for the fourth time now. A third of the participants are representatives of 60 countries. Sporting events were held in half and full marathons. It took 12 months of intense training to prepare for the triathlon, according to athletes Andrei and Petr. This is how the spirit and willpower are tempered, runners admit.
“I will swim first, and Petr will be in the boat, next we will move into the wheelchair, and Petr will be in the back chair behind. When I run I am going to push him. We have been preparing for a whole year, last year we participated in the half marathon, which is a mandatory qualification requirement. We already swam together, without this qualification we would not have been allowed to come here together,” said Andrei Yakovlev, marathon participant.
Each race traditionally consisted of three stages, including a nearly four-kilometer swim, a 180-kilometer bike ride, and the final stage, a 42-kilometer marathon race. The half marathon includes a 1.9-kilometer swim, a 90-kilometer bike race, and a 21-kilometer run.
Along with young marathon runners, sports veterans also took part in the event. Participants’ age ranged from 18 to 76 years. As experienced triathletes note, long-distance running certainly requires tremendous endurance and careful preparation. Their participation sets an example of love to healthy lifestyle for the younger generation.
“The main goal of racing discipline for me is to fight with myself, and to reach the finish line is already a victory. I want to set an example for young people. I am turning 60 this year,” a local athlete said.
“I’ve been leading a healthy lifestyle since childhood. Now I am retired and I have plenty of free time, so I try not to miss any of the races. When I heard that the competition would be held in Kazakhstan, I immediately decided to participate and see the beauty of your country,” an athlete from Spain said.
The first thirty race winners will take part in the next VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon competition in Finland on August 26-27. It bears noting that the last tournament held in the capital attracted thousands of tourists from such countries as the U.S., UK, India, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, and Poland.
