Photo by Ingo Kutsche

The beautiful Spanish island of Mallorca is a popular playground for triathletes year round, so when Ironman announced it would be staging a 70.3 there, athletes from across Europe started hastily signing up. This would be the first European 70.3 of the season which guaranteed one thing: scores of Lycra clad multisporters eager to put all that winter training to the test and blow away the cobwebs on what promised to be a challenging course.

Set in the popular tourist spot of Alcudia in the north of the island, as race day approached the number of triathletes on the beach sussing out the swim course gradually started to outweigh those there for the sun and sangria. The calm waters of Alcudia Bay looked like an inviting place for a 1.9k swim and, sure enough, there wasn’t so much as a gentle wave for athletes to contend with. On race day, fast swim splits ensued, with German Horst Reichel reaching dry land first in a little over 23 minutes. Not far behind were the likes of 2010 Kona runner-up Andreas Raelert; former Ironman World Champion Faris Al-Sultan; Britain’s Phil Graves; Jonas Djurback of Sweden, and rookie Frenchman Bertrand Billard—about to make a 70.3 debut most newcomers can only dream about.

“So they swim then bike then run?! Are they mad?”

As the male and female pros had all started together (in the same coloured swim caps), it was impossible to know whether I was leading or not. I’d been fortunate enough to get clear water right from the off and was soon enjoying getting into my stroke. As I ran up the beach I heard someone shout “first female” and then again later in T1, so I headed out onto the bike course (with a 24:55 swim on the clock) knowing the race was well and truly on.

In the men’s race, the fresh-faced Billard showed just what raw talent he has, pulling away from Raelert early on. The first 20k or so of this bike route is flat and fast, winding its way through the pretty resorts of Puerto Pollenca and Pollenca (where Spaniards lined the streets shouting “Vamos! Vamos!”). Expend too much energy here, though, and it could cost you dear later on in this ride, because soon after passing through Pollenca, athletes begin the 20k climb up to the monastery at Lluc.

It’s no accident that many a pro cycling team—and hundreds of triathletes—come to train here through the winter and spring. Not only are the roads almost always well surfaced, but motorists are courteous and the scenery is absolutely stunning. On any day other than race day I’d have been gazing at the rugged mountains and enjoying the beautiful views, but once that gun goes you can ill afford to take time out for sightseeing. But then I soon had some sightseeing of an all together different kind …

In the early stages of the climb up to Lluc I saw what looked like a pro female ahead of me: “Huh? Where did she come from?” Even the motorbike police escort riding alongside me looked confused. The athlete was Johanna Daumas, of France, who had posted a swim split of 23:39 and was making light work of this climb. This, combined with an update from a photographer telling me there were several girls just a kilometre down the road, meant the race was suddenly ON!

After cresting the climb at Lluc, athletes enjoyed some fast and furious descending through some hairpin corners and on into the quintessentially Spanish villages of Caimari, Selva and Inca. This was no time to hit the brakes—Johanna was still ahead of me and who knows who was catching behind, so I was definitely getting my “Vamos!” on at this stage.

I knew the final 40k home would suit me: it was a relatively flat TT style ride through Sa Pobla, Muro and the Albufera National Park. In the men’s race, Billard had still kept some impressive daylight between himself and Raelert. In fact, by the time he reached T2 he had a good couple of minutes on the German. Billard later admitted he was wondering where everyone had got to, but then 10k into the run he soon found out when a fast-charging Raelert pulled out his trump card and ran his way to a lightning quick 1:11 half marathon to take the victory three minutes ahead of the young Frenchman. Sylvain Sudrie, also of France, was third, a little over two minutes behind his fellow countryman.

The women’s race was much closer, with the top three women all finishing within a minute of each other. I’d taken the lead from about 60k into the bike course and by T2 had a 2:30 buffer on the girls chasing behind. Johanna was still in second with German Silvia Felt—fourth at Ironman South Africa in April—third to rack her bike. With seasoned Ironman champ and fleet-footed runner Erika Csomor also in contention, I knew that my work would be cut out for me on the four-lap run course which worked its way along the beach before cutting back through Alcudia town. The crowds lining the run route were superb—a great mix of triathletes’ families and friends as well as tourists saying “So they swim then bike then run?! Are they mad?”

It was fabulous to be able to take so much energy from these supporters, especially as the race was fast developing into a cliffhanger: would the Brit few have heard of hang on to take her first Ironman 70.3 title? Would the experienced Csomor chase her down?

Typing this with a heart rate at least 100 beats per minute lower than it was back then, I can now quite happily report that I held on for the win with just enough time to enjoy a few high-fives as I made my way down the finish chute. Relief, joy, excitement and elation all rushed through me. My first Ironman 70.3 title—and it felt every bit as good as I’d always imagined it would.

_______________________

Emma-Kate Lidbury is a triathlete and journalist who combines her passion for multisport training and racing with a flair for writing, researching and reporting. After enjoying great success as an amateur triathlete (she is 2008 European Age Group Champion and World Age Group Silver Medallist) she is now a full-time athlete, focusing on Ironman 70.3 and Olympic distance triathlon. Visit her blog here.