Pictures and report from Jean on the BenNevis Tri

The Ben Nevis "Big Triathlon" took place on Sat, 29th Sept 2007

1.9k/90k/21k

Few would argue with you for calling this the toughest triathlon in the world!

The challenge: To conquer 70.3 miles of some of Britain’s most breathtakingly ruthless terrain around the Lochs, Glens and Bens of Fort William!

Race day dawned bright and cold to the haunting sounds of the bagpipes ringing out across Loch Linnhe. After a quick pose with the piper (resisting the temptation to see what she was wearing under her kilt) the 5 intrepid Team MK athletes descended through the gap in the old castle wall to the shores of the loch. At 13 degrees and infested with jelly fish, it was an ominous sign of things to come! A small crowd gathered on the old castle walls as the race got underway, the field of 90 odd competitors rapidly spreading out!

Swim times were quick which either meant that the course was short or the race director’s mate swimming round the course with diving tanks and a shark fin had the desired effect!

Boothy was the first Team MK athlete out of the water in a very respectable 5th place, followed (at varying time intervals) by Churchy, Keith, Trevor and Steve. All looking a little blue after their close encounter with the Scottish loch! The athletes ran back in to transition through the gap in the castle wall to prepare for the punishing 56 miles on the forest trails and peat tracks around Fort William. A good crowd had gathered in transition to see the athletes on their way – this may have had something to do with all the nudity in T1. Not much fun heading off on your bike freezing cold and soaking wet when the air temperature is still around 6 degrees!

The bike leg consisted of 4 tough, 14mile loops. Each loop characterised by steep lung-busting climbs, long tricky descents on sketchy breaking surfaces, some long draggy, energy sapping climbs and just when the concentration starts to wander there’s a tricky technical section thrown in for good measure!

Having left transition in 5^th place Boothy quickly showed his class on the bike. Moving in to 3^rd place by the end of the 1^st lap and rapidly gaining on the 2^nd placed rider. Churchy was also right at home on the bike making good progress through the field. Looking very comfortable, the 3^rd Team MK athlete on the course was Keith, taking time out to pick up bottles and scaring wildlife and marshals alike with his bright green helmet! Although making steady progress on the bike, from the look on his face, It looked like a stressful affair for Trevor. This experience was probably not helped by Boothy – known for his compassion – lapping him at ‘warp speed’ on a hairy downhill section whooping loudly and unexpectedly at Trev as he passed! Thankfully Trev managed to avoid a close inspection of the surrounding bracken and gingerly made his way down the final descent on the course. Steve seemed to be thoroughly enjoying his outing on the bike (although he was only on the 2^nd lap at the time – plenty of time for a sense of humour failure!) His malfunctioning front suspension not even able to wipe the smile off his face!

The run leg

A chilly swim and back-breaking bike leg over! All that remained was the final ‘run’! The casual inspection of the first 300m of pathway at the bottom of Ben Nevis on Saturday, was no preparation for what was to come! 13 miles to the top of the highest peak in Britain (some 1300m+ above sea level) and back down again! It was hard to decide if the fact that the 2^nd half of the mountain was not even visible due to mist, was a good thing or a bad thing! Probably more worrying was the list of equipment that the athletes were compelled to carry in case of emergency! Trev took it all a bit too literally and left T2 looking like he was off on a 3 day camping trip!

Just as it seemed like the path would flatten out, however briefly, more cruel disappointment when the buddy runner turned sharply off the main tourist route and on to the ‘runner’s path’! A path in the broadest definition of the word. More of a ridiculously steep, shaley, stoney ascent – requiring all fours in places. Add to that black peaty mud and a precariously rocky river crossing and hurray!…….. you’re at the half-way point! Relief once again gives way to disappointment knowing that there is a lot more of the same to come! Surely it can’t get any worse!... Wrong again!, the mountain kicks-up again and again and again. Moving through the mist now on paths skirting the edge of sheer drops. Visibility is poor and all that is clearly distinguishable is the path still heading ever upwards!

Eventually (with what would end up being the 3^rd fastest ascent of the day) 1hr49min21secs after leaving transition, Boothy hit the top (think of his usual 6.5mile run split to get some idea of just how hard the run was!) still in 2^nd place and maintaining his time cushion over the 3^rd runner. It’s ‘as you were’ for the rest of TMK with Churchy 2^nd to the top, followed by Keith ‘the mountain Goat’ Allen-Shirtcliffe, Trev and Steve (still smiling or was that a grimace!).

You might, at this point, be looking forward to the descent until literally being directed right off the side of the mountain – once again following the now infamous ‘runners path’! Think of an extremely steep, loose, muddy, slippery descent! Multiply the intensity by 50 and then spread it across 5 miles and you might have some idea of the route down! It was at this point that Boothy’s well known dodgy knees decided that enough was enough! Still full of running, the severity of the descent took its toll and the fell runners in 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th place suddenly came in to their own, bounding down unimaginable descents at breakneck speeds! Some of the other TMK athletes were still on their way up the Ben by the time Boothy was making his rapid (or more like rabid descent) with encouragement shouted all round as he crossed with Trev and Steve.

Trev survived his ‘well equipped’ trek to the top of the Ben in style, romping home in11hrs05min44secs. The final surprise of the day came in the form of Steve’s blistering attack on the final mile and a half to the line, showing that there was still a lot left after a monstrous day of racing! It may have had something to do with the fact that Boothy was cycling in with him and had employed a similar tactic earlier in the day! 

It was mentioned more than once that Ironman paled into insignificance by comparison, perhaps a challenge for more of us next year- A brilliant achievement by all of the guys, completing such a gruelling event!  Whilst Boothy’s 6^th overall was an extremely impressive feat and Churchy, Trev and Steve all conquered the route with style, special mention must go to Keith who was the only one who still managed to dance the night away at the after party! Seriously hard core!