Farrugia for Dutch Ironman

Birkirkara St Joseph SC's Nicky Farrugia will be taking part in the long distance triathlon championships of Holland, known also as the Ironman, on Saturday.

The triathlon will consist of a 3.8-kilometre swim, a 180-kilometre cycle and a marathon run (42 kms).

This year the organisers are commemorating the 25th anniversary since the race was first staged and special celebrations will be held before and during the event.

Previous champions, the likes of Ben Val Zelst and various age group winners, are expected to participate, making the 2005 Dutch Ironman a memorable one. The race is the first Ironman distance to be organised in Europe following the Hawaiian experience.

Farrugia was the first Maltese to finish a long distance triathlon way back in 1990. Saturday's race will be his 13th Ironman in an illustrious career. This year he will be racing against old friends and is expecting to achieve a good result in his age-group.

Farrugia has been invited to the race by Tom Grow, one of the organisers, following the triathlete's second placing in the Masters Category during a European Triathlon Union competition in Turkey last October with the Malta team.

Farrugia's best time in the Ironman distance is nine hours 48 minutes and 49 seconds, registered in 1999. This year he has been concentrating on Saturday's race aiming to improve his personal best.

His participation in the Dutch triathlon is made possible through the assistance of the Cynergy Gym, where he carried out his long distance work-outs with gym instructor Charlie Demanuele, Action Frames, who supplied his new triathlon bicycle, Magri Cycles, Vega Supplements, Ultimate Nutrition Mega Pro and Good Earth.