Guardian Sport
Survival of the fittest
11:49am Thursday 16th February 2012
ENDURANCE king Brian New survived scary conditions to complete the toughest challenge of a testing sporting career.
The 48-year-old Great Sankey triathlete racked up 30 hours of pain as he battled dangerous African winds to complete 464 kilometres of non-stop racing in the Enduroman Double Ironman in Lanzarote.
Some competitors ended up in hospital. Only 12 tip-top athletes from around the world finished the punishing schedule, with New placing seventh at the Playa Blanca finish.
New, a coach at David Lloyd gym, has put his body through some of the world’s most extreme events but even he conceded: “This was the hardest race I have ever done. Period.”
New had spent six months of gym work and canal-path running to prepare for the 4.8-mile swim, 224-mile bike ride and 52-mile run – all to be completed within the 40-hour limit.
Temperatures had reached the 20s leading up to race day but the African winds that notoriously batter the Canary Island in February hit such velocity that the sea was too dangerous for the swim.
Instead, the organisers handed the athletes another 20k run.
But it was the 18 hours on the bike across unlit volcanic terrain that proved to be the ultimate stage.
New said: “It is a surreal landscape at the best of times but cycling those roads at night, with just a bike light, is a strangely beautiful experience.
“Or it would have been if not for the 55mph winds that got up! As the night wore on, athlete after athlete dropped out due to the conditions.
“Each lap was an energy sapping experience. At least two athletes were taken to hospital by ambulance due to being blown off their bikes and there were times when the organisers considered cancelling the race.”
When New eventually got off his bike and changed for the run, he was in 12th place.
He ran the first marathon in around five hours and then a cheese toastie prepared by his support crew gave him a lift to finish the second marathon in around 4hrs 50mins.
As New ran into the town square to finish, the clock showed 29hrs 33mins.
New concluded: “Coming seventh overall is a massive personal achievement.”
Now New can turn his thoughts to his next big challenge - the Grand Union Canal Race, a non-stop 145-mile run from Birmingham to London on June 2.
* New is undertaking a number of endurance challenges throughout 2012 to help injured service personnel and those who help them by supporting the charities QEHB Home for The Brave Appeal and Warrington Foundation4Peace. To sponsor him, you can pay a visit to uk.virginmoneygiving.com/briannew.
Pictured: Brian New the day after the race and New in action in Lanzarote.