Brendan has what it takes to become an Iron Man

Brendan has what it takes to become an Iron Man

30 July 2014

BRENDAN Donnelly has officially become Newcastle Athletic Club’s first Iron Man.

Brendan recently became the first member to complete an Iron Man event when he competed in Bolton.

An Iron Man event is a triathlon, involving a 2.4-mile swim in open water followed by a 112-mile bike ride and finished off by running a full marathon of 26.4 miles.

Brendan who is now based in London, still makes regular appearances locally and has spent the last six months in hard training, which included early morning swims in Serpentine lake in London’s Hyde Park with water temperatures often close to freezing, cycling trips from London over the Chiltern hills in Oxfordshire and training runs around London’s Parliament Hill Park, which is famous for national cross-country events.

When home in Newcastle he takes part in the Hill and Dale series and joins with the club on training runs in Donard, Tollymore and Castlewellan Forest Parks.

Nearly 2,000 competitors started the Bolton Iron Man, with Brendan finishing in the top half with an overall time of 13 hours, 30 minutes and 39 seconds.

He completed the swim in one hour and 22 minutes, the cycle in seven hours and the final marathon run in four hours and 55 minutes. He also raised £1,292.86 for Macmillan Cancer Support.