Akshay Raju hailing from Surathkal is Ironman Triathlon Champ
Mangaluru: Akshay Raju, hailing from Hosabettu-Surathkal in the outskirts of Mangaluru, who represented India at Ironman Cairns – Asia Pacific Championship held at Cairns, Queensland, Australia recently, has earned the title as “Ironman Akshay Raju”, for his achievements in the Ironman Triathlon which comprise of Swimming, Cycling and Running.
Ironman triathlon is a sport consisting of 3.9Kms of Swim in the ocean, 180.2 kms of cycling and 42.2kms of running which has to be completed in the strict cutoff time of 17 hrs, an athlete who completes the race with in cutoff time is crowned with the title “Ironman”. The triathlon is considered to be the toughest single day sport in the world. Akshay’s timing splits which he took to complete Ironman Cairns to earn the title are : Swimming – 3.9 kms – 02:01:32; Bike/Cycling – 180.2 Kms – 06:57:02; and Running – 42.2 Kms – 06:50:44: Total – 16:02:55.
Speaking to Team Mangalorean, Akshay said, “I am proud to say I completed the race and was placed 34th in my age category, out of four Indians who took part only three could complete the race and I am one among them. I was accompanied by my Coach Deepak Raj who has completed 18 times as Ironman and has Qualified for Ironman World Championship to be held in the month of October at Kona, Hawaii, USA,- also he is one among the two who will be representing India. I had trained my heart out for 8 months in getting ready and build up to this race, and I was able to train hard with the help of my Dietitian Dr Sowmya and physio Dr Yash Pandey. I have now started training for Ironman 70.3 Colombo, Sri Lanka and looking forward to qualifying for Ironman 70.3 World Championship”. Akshay Raju is the son of M.G Raju is a business man and an ex-motocross rider, while his mother, Suman Raju is a pro-hiker.
Cairns Airport IRONMAN Asia-Pacific Championship Cairns is situated at the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and boasts a stunning backdrop that will take your breath away. Over it’s seven-year history the event has become known as the IRONMAN in Paradise, boasting an experience that extends past the race day excitement. Hosted in Tropical North Queensland athletes and their support crew have easy access to the Great Barrier Reef, the Daintree Rainforest and the tropical island surrounds.
With arguably the most spectacular bike course in the world, competitors race up the Captain Cook Highway hugging the coastline from Cairns to Port Douglas. From reef to World Heritage listed rain forest, and a run along the stunning Cairns boardwalk, the race finishes in the heart of the city. This race has become a ‘must-do’ on the IRONMAN circuit, and there is every reason to believe the hype. The IRONMAN Asia-Pacific Championship brought to Cairns 80 qualifying slots to the 2018 IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, now the best opportunity to qualify in the Asia-Pacific region.
You can get more information about Ironman below:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ironman_Triathlon
http://eu.ironman.com/#axzz4kk1quuzf
http://eu.ironman.com/triathlon/events/asiapac/ironman/cairns.aspx#axzz4kk1quuzf
