“ROHAN Lowe, you are an Ironman”.
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And, when he heard his name called as he ran towards the finish line, Lowe raised his arms to the crowd in triumph.
The Port Macquarie 18-year-old was the youngest starter in Sunday’s Urban Hotel Group Ironman Australia Triathlon.
He nailed the demanding race, covering the 3.8km swim, 180.2km bike ride and 42.2km run in 11 hours, 41 minutes and 15 seconds.
But, it is not something the trainee-chef would recommend other teenagers do.
“It has taken a big toll on me,” Lowe said two days after the gruelling 226.2km challenge.
“I was struggling just to walk yesterday.”
Overall, Lowe said, I would advise people not to do it at 18.
As he sat back and reflected on his achievement, he was left to deal with blistered feet, tight muscles and some pretty severe sunburn.
Lowe said two hours after he crossed the finish line he “went blank” and was nearly incoherent for much of Monday.
Father Trevor, a six-time Ironman Australia finisher, said his son was like a kangaroo staring in to a car’s headlights after the race.
“But his mother and I are extremely proud of him,” he said.
“We both know how hard it is to complete the race.”
The younger of the Lowe ironmen said the toughest part of the race was to correctly manage his nutritional intake while on the course.
“If you eat too much you end up with stomach cramps and if you don’t eat enough you lack energy and lose focus and concentration,” the former Port Macquarie High School student said.
Lowe said at the 30km point in the run leg he wondered if he be forced to walk the last 12km.
“There was never a doubt in my mind I wasn’t going to finish,” he added.
“I would have to have been dragged off by the medical staff before I stepped off the course.”
The Port Macquarie resident said the support of the crowd and other competitors lifted his motivation and pushed him towards the finish.
And as for next time, Lowe said he would change his preparations for the taxing challenge.
“I would train a lot harder, with longer rides and a lot more swimming,” he said.
Lowe plans to have a bit of time off to recover before he decides his future in the sport.
And his race highlight?
“Having mum and dad at the end to wrap me in the towel and give me my finisher’s medal.”
Local results
PosCat posNameTimeCatSwimCycleRun
76Tim BERKEL08:40:46Pro00:46:0904:50:1803:04:18
87Adam HOLBOROW08:48:36Pro00:46:1004:50:2103:12:03
397Mark LADEN09:34:5230-3400:46:1705:23:5703:24:36
8313Nigel DURBRIDGE09:54:2340-4400:58:3105:18:2703:37:24
10230Jeffrey WORTH09:59:1835-3900:51:2705:06:4904:01:02
10331Luke MORRIS09:59:1835-3900:55:4205:40:0103:23:34
17745Steve SANDERS10:24:3735-3900:56:4905:15:0704:12:40
21058Daniel WILLIAMSON10:32:0235-3900:53:5805:11:4404:26:19
26035Robert JOHNSTON10:43:5425-2900:52:5305:38:3104:12:29
411109Todd COCKSHUTT11:12:3335-3901:02:4705:41:2904:28:16
47455Rick OWEN11:23:4245-4901:03:1606:02:4904:17:36
50884Robert BEAR11:30:2340-4400:58:2005:44:4504:47:17
51385Andrew SINCLAIR11:30:5840-4400:57:1705:50:4504:42:55
56073Joel ARMITAGE11:38:1925-2900:58:2205:33:0605:06:50
56914Kylie LUCAS11:39:4235-3901:00:0706:04:2104:35:13
58010Rohan LOWE11:41:1518-2401:08:1106:21:4404:11:19
58811Benjamin NOLAN11:42:2418-2400:53:2005:15:4605:33:16
62724Anthony HOULAHAN11:47:0650-5401:27:0806:25:3303:54:23
681164Michael MAHER11:55:1435-3901:12:5106:13:2704:28:55
717171Glenn TRIGGS12:04:5935-3900:55:0205:15:0105:54:55
718126Ben JOHNSON12:05:0630-3400:55:3406:35:5504:33:36
726129Nathan PENSINI 12:06:2630-3400:58:2105:49:1905:18:45
74318Jane HALLIBURTON12:08:5135-3901:07:1106:28:4204:32:57
759136Phil MARCHINGO12:11:0040-4401:07:4105:48:1805:15:00
767137David GRAY12:12:4840-4401:06:2606:09:2204:56:59
7682Ron WILSON12:12:4860-6400:57:2406:28:4804:46:36
79314Kate LISTER12:18:2125-2901:02:2406:25:3604:50:20
81188Chris BELL12:23:0025-2901:02:1905:31:4005:49:00
837154Warren MARTIN12:29:4240-4401:04:4206:02:3105:22:28
84698Russell KILPATRICK12:32:1145-4901:00:0206:11:0405:21:04
943173Andrew LISTER12:52:5340-4400:56:5006:08:1505:47:47
985181John WRIGHT13:05:0640-4401:07:4806:02:4405:54:32
1000162David BARNES13:07:1230-3401:00:1406:22:4905:44:08
102319Geoff FREEMAN13:13:0855-5901:13:1906:42:3605:17:12
108629Rebecca WATTS13:31:2630-3401:09:1407:17:0905:05:02
111819Trent HARRISON13:42:1318-2401:02:3406:35:3806:03:59
11592Beryl WILSON13:56:3155-5901:03:0207:42:5905:10:29
1165131Scott OXENFORD13:57:2045-4901:01:0606:32:5606:23:18
118282Les ROKOBAUER14:07:1450-5401:08:0006:57:2706:01:46
1191247Scott GRIEVE14:10:0435-3901:02:5306:38:0406:29:06
1219252Clifford HOEFT14:27:0635-3901:15:5406:48:5806:22:14
1222253Gary HUMPHREYS14:27:4235-3901:21:3806:43:1706:22:47
1232255Jon RIGLEY14:33:0235-3901:08:4507:30:1105:54:04
123889Brad FOSTER14:35:4850-5401:05:1006:55:1206:35:25
125635Gayle HOULAHAN14:47:5840-4401:14:4507:35:2805:57:44
1258263Matthew BUTTSWORTH14:50:4135-3901:10:4307:28:0006:11:57
1305269Andrew CAPILLI 15:33:5935-3901:08:3207:36:2506:49:01
132038Kathryn PENSINI15:44:3240-4401:22:1508:06:2706:15:48
132139Jo PILGRIM15:44:3240-4401:13:3308:15:0806:15:50
135339Leanne BENTLEY16:21:0430-3401:10:0208:42:3606:28:25
DNF Michael Gilmour
DNF Ian Gooding
