We would like to extend our congratulations to our Biology Technician, Mr Neil Dighton, for taking on the rather brutal challenge of completing an Ironman the weekend before last and, if that wasn’t impressive enough, placing first in his age category. What an incredible achievement!
From Mr Dighton:
“On July 3rd I took on the challenge of Ironman UK set in Bolton. This was my 4th full distance Ironman so I already knew what this entailed and how challenging it would be. Back in 2019 I finished Ironman Wales as 9th in my age group, narrowly missing out on a place in the Ironman World Championships.
Just getting to the start line can be a challenge and there’s always a feeling of huge responsibility, after making all the sacrifices that the intense training involves. For those who don’t know what is required in a full distance Ironman, here are the distances: the first part is a two-lap swim, a distance of 2.5 miles (4km) in the lake at Pennington Flash; the second part is the cycle ride of 112 miles (180km) with 9500 ft of climbing; and finally a full marathon run of 26.2 miles (42 km).
So, at 6 am I began the swim, exactly as the rain started – typical British weather. I completed the swim in 1 hour and then I was through transition and onto the bike course, which was challenging not only in light of the amount of climbing but also due to some poor road conditions and technical turns. I had to stay focused throughout and, once out onto the moors around Bolton, I also had to contend with the wind. However, I managed to complete the bike in under 6 hours.
As I entered transition 2, I had a feeling I was in a good place as I could only count a few bikes, but I still had a marathon to go, and felt that it could still all go wrong. Fortunately, the support out on the course was amazing, and it filled me with new energy. I stuck to the plan and manage to complete the run in 3 hours 21 minutes, giving me a completed time of 10 hours and 35 minutes including transition.
Running down the finishing shute as the first in my age group and 20th overall felt amazing, and now I have the opportunity later this year to race the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii, the birthplace of Ironman. So, I’ll have a week’s rest and then start training again, but this time my training will focus on getting my body ready for the heat.”
