Page 63 - Tropic Magazine Issue 30

TROPIC • COMMUNITY

IRONMAN Cairns was
voted the ‘Worlds Best
IRONMAN’ in the
global 2018 Athletes
Choice Awards

29,000+

Number of athletes
who’ve competed

More than 12,000 volunteers have
invested 40,000+ hours of time

Inaugural winners 2012
Photo credit: IRONMAN Cairns David Dellow
Decade of Ironman Carrie Lester

EVENT ENDURANCE At the 2018 event,
IRONMAN Cairns is celebrating its tenth year Braden Currie set the fastest
men’s time and the second
of competition and community spirit. ever sub-8-hour IRONMAN,
finishing in 7:54:58
Words: Renee Cluff
Kiwi Teresa Adam set the fastest
It’s an inspirational event in perhaps women’s time of 8:48:33 in 2019
one of the prettiest spots on the globe
between Cairns and Port Douglas. One of the most scenic IRONMAN In 2015 the Prince of Bahrain,
IRONMAN Cairns has been embraced by events in the world, just a hop skip and His Highness Shaikh Nasser Bin
the community to become a major event jump from major tourist attractions, it’s Hamad Al Khalifa, raced in the
on the region’s calendar. It’s difficult to become a must-do race, also popular with event
believe that just a decade ago, when it all international athletes. However, it’s not Mareeba’s Joe Pilat is to be the
began, locals were a little lukewarm to just participants who are drawn to the only athlete to have competed in
the idea. Community Consultation and triathlon. Ms Barker said spectators all 10 IRONMAN Cairns races
Relations Officer Tammy Barker has been also get caught up in the feel-good
involved from the start. “Before we had energy it delivers.
IRONMAN Cairns the region had had no Change of course
major event, no recognised major event,” Yorkeys Knob 2012
she said. “When we first told the region Trinity Inlet 2013
that we were closing down that Captain It’s more than a race Palm Cove 2014-2021
Cook Highway, it was just such a foreign
thought to people.” Tammy Barker
It didn’t take long for the narrative to Community In 2021, participants were
Relations Officer,
change. Chief Operations Officer David IRONMAN Cairns predicted to go through
Ray said Far North Queenslanders quickly 7,000
adopted the event as their own. “Year RedBull cans
two they had a reference point, they “The bystanders honestly love this event
understood what the event was about and coming to town just as much as the 1,600L
loved it,” he said. “By year three, Cairns athletes because of the emotions and of cola
had embraced us to the point that with the atmosphere that we’re creating and 19,000L 3,600
bananas
our half distance event, the 70.3, the leaving in the town itself.” This year’s of water
teams component of that is the largest IRONMAN starts on 6 June. 150,000
of any 70.3 event we have in Oceania. 4,500L compostable
That’s all Cairns locals becoming part MORE: ironman.com/im-cairns of Gatorade cups
of the event.”

63 • tropicnow.com.au