By JARROD POTTER
SHANNON Cox’s single race on Sunday started at 7.20am… and finished 10 hours later.
A member of the Casey Cardinia Triathlon Club – Cox, 20, from Beaconsfield, is one of the rare breed of super-endurance triathletes that slogged their way across Melbourne on Sunday as part of the Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship.
The distance traversed in an Ironman race is staggering – Cox managed to knock off the 3.8 kilometre swim, 180 kilometre bike ride and a marathon length 42.2 kilometre run in a finishing time of 10.08.33 hours – with a sub-10 hour Ironman time considered an elite finish.
“Pretty happy with how I went – sixth in the age group – overall time of 10 hours, eight minutes – it would be minus four minutes but I got done for blocking in the first 40km of the bike,” Cox said.
“I started my run a bit quicker than I probably should have – but just finished it was a big thing for me.
In only his first attempt at an Ironman, Cox finished sixth in the 18 to 24-year-old division and 367th overall.
“I was happy with how I went,” Cox said.
“Just to finish I expected myself to do around 11 hours and to do the time I did and to take an hour off that is incredible.
“The last kilometres the atmosphere is amazing – you run up and run down the red carpet and there are people everywhere and probably one of the best feelings you’ll ever have – just the noise and taking it all in is pretty impressive and I was thinking I’ve just done something I never thought I’d be able to finish.”
His time is pretty close to the best in Australia for his age group and has put his name up as a future contender to represent the country at the Hawaiian Ironman World Championship in Kona.
“To come sixth in the age group, which I wasn’t really expecting to be up there at all it’s pretty good,” Cox said.
“I think I might give it a go again next year – I’ve caught the bug – and I’ll do all the training properly next year and hopefully get a spot for Kona.
“In my age group there are two spots available and it’s on percentage of how many people enter – and that would be a pretty big thing if I could do that.”
Less than a day after completing his first Ironman, Cox had his mind on his second Ironman and was keen to enter the race next year.
“After doing this one I just want to do another one,” Cox said.
“Feeling a lot better than I was this morning (Monday) and thinking ‘yeah I could do this again’.”
