Six local triathletes will be taking their fitness to the border of Queensland and New South Wales this weekend to compete in a long course triathlon in Goondiwindi.
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The Hell of the West triathlon claims to be Queensland’s toughest tri.
The triathlon is almost 30 years old having been founded in 1990.
Initially it was run as a November Olympic distance event comprising a 1.5k swim, 40k cycle and a 10k run and a few years later it was moved to the start of the year as a 2k swim in the Macintyre River, an 80k cycle and a 20k run.
It quickly gained a reputation for its heat, headwinds and soupy water – a bit like Julia Creek’s Dirt N Dust.
It’s tough for all competitors but with no break in the hot and dry Mount Isa summer, our North West Queensland athletes are well conditioned for the course.
The group have spent the last four months battling the heat of the North West, training for the swim, cycle and run.
For majority of the group the distances are nothing new, with five half ironmans and countless shorter distance triathlons clocked up between them in the last twelve months.
However, it’ll be a first for local Clare Lehmann, who is using the race as a comeback following a broken pelvis in 2016.
Lehmann said Hell of the West’s reputation made it an obvious choice for her debut long course event.
“If I can do this race, I can do anything,” Lehmann said.
If I can do this race, I can do anything
- Clare Lehmann
The group are making their way there this week ahead of the big race on Sunday morning, in what is a 1700km drive from Mount Isa.
The event will be an excellent warm up for when the IsaRATs club hosts the inaugural Mount Isa Triathlon Festival on the weekend of February 17-18.
The weekend of action will include the annual Mount Isa City Council Corporate Triathlon on Saturday afternoon, then the Sunday morning Race to the Creek series.
The club will be hosting a sprint distance triathlon, as well as junior events under the State Series Banner along with an adult enticer.
Competitors and supporters are invited to hang around on Saturday evening for a beer, a barbeque and a boogie with local organisations, including The Shack Music Club, getting involved for an evening by the lake.
Registrations are open for all events through active.com.