Ironman

Having contemplated doing an Ironman for a while, and after plenty of encouragement and support from his mother, Ann, Dave took the plunge and entered this year. Last Summer he was knocked off his bike and was rescued by a kindly passerby who wasted no time in driving Dave (and his bike) home. That Good Samaritan worked for The Christie and Dave was prompted to dedicate his Ironman to raising money for that great cause. “The race actually went pretty well for me. I finished in 10:49:33 – 37th overall and 8th in my age group, which qualified me for the world championships in Kona, Hawaii. This came as a huge shock as I originally just wanted to finish, but it’s the chance of a lifetime. Due to the pandemic the Kona race has been pushed back to February 2022 – fingers crossed I’ll be able to go, although the climate in Manchester is a touch different to Hawaii so that will be a shock to the system!”

Martyn was delighted to come back ‘up North’ to compete in Ironman UK on 4th July. The route involved cycling past Bolton School four times and running past it eight times – Martyn was thankful to have some happy memories of his time there to distract him from the physical effort! “I was delighted to complete the event spurred on by the fantastic crowds. Of course, I would expect nothing less from my friendly home town! Everyone I spoke to after the event said how impressed they were with the beautiful scenery around Bolton – as well as noting the steepness of the hills. The whole event was really well run and even the rain didn’t dampen spirits!”

Max was inspired to train for the Ironman challenge by his Dad, the late philanthropist and fundraiser Nick Hopkinson. Twelve months of sacrifice (no alcohol) and working out (including the discovery that he does not really like cycling!) paid off – Max completed the course and raised over £15k for The Bursary Foundation which tutors and

mentors disadvantaged primary school pupils to connect them with the best educational opportunities, and with which Bolton School is proud to partner. “I completed the Ironman in 14 hours and 46 minutes. I failed to achieve my 12-hour Dave passes the Park Road goal. But it was a great failure Boys’ Junior School and one I’m proud of. And if I hadn’t shot for 12 I’d probably be writing about 16 hours something. I also managed to raise a load of money for underprivileged kids – over £15k, which I can’t get my head around!”

Pete first completed the UK Ironman in 2012 and entered the 2019 race; after a skiing accident in which he dislocated his shoulder, and the cancellation in 2020 due to you-know-what, he finally made the start line in 2021. His training went well: a typical week would involve a swim session (both pool and open water), a long bike ride (40-70 miles) on a Sunday and a long run (8-16 miles). Other training included commuting to work (cycling or running), a bit of strength work and some yoga/stretching. “The day itself was amazing. The start at Pennington Flash was electric. You can smell and taste all that nervous energy and anticipation of 1,800 people waiting to get started. The swim and bike section both went well. Even the heavy rain on the bike ride didn’t faze me and actually cooled me down. However, the run was a different story. My legs were heavy as I made my way into Bolton town centre for the first lap of the run and I soon felt the cramp and dehydration set in. I thought I had my nutrition plan perfected for this race – in hindsight the warm temperatures and fast-ish bike section had taken their toll. I had no choice but to adopt a walk/run strategy. “I eventually finished in a time slightly quicker than I had done in 2012 which I was extremely pleased about. The support on the day was tremendous and the people of Bolton most certainly help you around the course and deserve the accolade as one of the best supported races in Europe. Would I do it again? Yes – I’ve already entered for 2022!”

Martyn crosses the finishing line with a mixture of joy and relief Max punches the air as he completes the challenge

The swim section went very well for Pete