Over the weekend, I was conveniently on holiday in Port Macquarie, with the Ironman 70.3 in town.
With a large contingent of NSTC (Northern Suburbs Tri Club) & members of my swim squad and friends competing I was naturally drawn to watching the race. I was ably assisted by Ben & Kylie from NSTC in cheering on the competitors.
The buzz of race start is always something special, it does feel different watching and not racing but exciting none the less.
The Swim was a mass start, with a mass of arms and legs churning up the water. On the bike we placed ourselves on Matthew Flinders drive (on the Hill), this is a great place to spectate and encourage competitors up a rather steep incline. The bike was 2 laps of undulating terrain. The run course again 2 laps and undulating terrain following the coast line. With a tough bike and run, this is clearly not your average 70.3 and challenges all competitors.
I had a great time watching, cheering and enjoyed being able to get some good photos. All competitors rose to the challenge of the course with many that I spoke to achieving PB’s on last year.
Port Macquarie is a great place to race or spectate, with the added bonus of plenty of good coffee shops near the start and finish lines to keep the spectators going. I will be planning to be back to watch the Ironman in May.
