THE DUBLIN 70.3 was Paul Nash’s third Half Ironman of four races as he raises money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
The swim was a tough challenge in the cold Irish Sea as currents and a swell made sighting a challenge.
Once on the bike though, Stratford Triathlon Club’s Nash started to move up the field. The ride into and through Dublin was scenic and fast and riders then hit a bumpy section of 25 sleeping policemen, which on a bike is very uncomfortable, before the rain started.
However, despite rain, crashes, slippery and twisted roads, Nash had his fastest bike split at more than 20mph for the whole 56 miles, delivering a 2hr, 45min split which again put him in the top ten for his age group.
The run was in beautiful Phoenix Park and began well for Nash for the first two laps but, at the 19km mark and with the finish in sight, his legs gave way as he struggled to the finishing line.
However, he still managed a personal best of 6hrs, 17mins, 39secs in his fastest race to date and he has one final race of 2016 to try and deliver a sub-6hrs race at the Ironman 70.3 in Rugen, Germany, in mid-September.
Nash’s efforts in Dublin enabled him to qualify for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Chattanooga, USA, in September 2017.
You can support him by visiting www.justgiving.com/Paul-Nash16.
