NT Reporter | Panaji
Uzbekistan’s Konstantin Belousov and United Kingdom’s Ellie Garrett claimed top honours at the IRONMAN 70.3 held in
Panaji on Sunday.
While Belousov stormed to victory in the men’s category, completing the race in 4:25:47, Garrett clinched the women’s title with a commanding finish
in 5:18:43.
The fifth edition of IRONMAN 70.3 began spectacularly, with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant flagging off the race from the Miramar Beach. Over 1,300 triathletes from 31 countries participated, marking yet another milestone for the event, which has now welcomed athletes from 62 nations across its five editions.
The Indian Air Force contingent dominated the relay event, sweeping all three podium positions with remarkable ease.
The course challenged athletes with a 1.9 km swim, 90 km cycling leg and a 21.1 km run, weaving through scenic coastal stretches and Goa’s heritage-lined avenues. Hundreds of supporters gathered along the route, transforming the city into a sea of cheers, energy and colour.
Women’s champion Garrett raced alongside her husband, Tom Garrett, who finished eighth overall with a time of 4:51:37. The couple, who have completed over 30 half-distance and 10 full-distance IRONMAN races worldwide, chose to forgo their World Championship qualification slots this year to experience the charm
of racing in Goa.
Tom, now a full-time triathlon coach, and Ellie, a physiotherapist, who supports Tom’s training programmes, described the event as one of their most memorable
race experiences.
“That was amazing. It was the hardest 70.3 I’ve ever done, but it was just stunning. Running along and looking at the sea took away some of the pain. It reminded me of the early races that had a family feel, that’s why we got into it. And when you cross the finish line, the pain just disappears, the world stops for five seconds. It’s an incredible feeling,”
Ellie said.
Tom added, “I didn’t have my bike today, but I managed to win my age group and finish in the top 10 overall, so I’m really happy. And I’m over the moon that Ellie won the women’s race. It’s really turned my month around. We’ve loved every part of this trip; the people, the place, the food, the weather, everything’s exceeded our expectations. We’ve wanted to race here for years, and now that we finally have, I’m sure we’ll be back. The local support was unbelievable; kids giving high-fives, people cheering all the way. It makes a huge difference when you’re pushing yourself to the limit.”
Adding to the weekend’s festivities, Olympian swimmer-turned-coach Sandeep Sejwal teamed up with his colleagues from the Inspire Institute of Sport, Rishab Chauhan and Makarand Mane, to compete in the relay category. The trio finished 140th with a time of 6:07:06.
Meanwhile, Member of Lok Sabha Tejasvi Surya conquered IRONMAN 70.3 for the second consecutive year, joined by K Annamalai, who became only the second Indian politician to earn the coveted title of IRONMAN. The spirit of the event extended beyond the main race, as more than 900 young participants took part in the Policybazaar IRONKIDS race on Saturday.
