Going strong... Hannah Pace retained her age-group title in the Ironman 70.3 Budapest.

Extremely hot conditions were the order of the day for the thousands of athletes vying to cross the Ironman 70.3 Budapest finish line within the stipulated cut-off times recently.

A 16-strong delegation from Malta travelled to the Hungarian capital to undertake a 1.9km swim, a 90km cycle and a 21km run.

For some it was their first experience, for others it was a return to challenge and achieve a better time.

The 1.9K swim took place in the murky Kopaszi bay of the river Danube and had a rolling start – this means that athletes lined up according to their estimated predicted swim time, with the fastest swimmers going first.

This process was introduced recently for Ironman races as a safety measure.

The 90km cycle saw athletes ride along the river Danube, through Buda Hills, and crossing the world famous Chain Bridge into Pest – allowing for some spectacular sights whilst tackling a flat and fast course.

As the day progressed, athletes set off on the 21km run route in temperatures of over 30 degrees.

Triathlete Hannah Pace returned to the course after winning her age-group last year and becoming the first Maltese female to clinch a place at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships, being held in the coming days.

Pace completed the race in a time of 4 hours 27 minutes 43 seconds, smashing last year’s time by 17 minutes and establishing a national record in the process.

Pace’s result and placing saw her once again obtain a qualifying slot for the 2017 Ironman 70.3 Championships, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA.

“Budapest, being my first Ironman 70.3, will always be a special race for me and it was amazing to return after a year and improve my previous time,” Pace said.

“I knew I was in good form based on the times I had been posting in training but I never imagined that I would have such a great race.

“My focus now is on the World Championships.

“I take the opportunity to thank my sponsors – Garmin Malta, Team Barry Malta International Challenge Marathon,  TeamSport, CFragrances Perfumes and Go & Fun Energy Drink Malta.

“Special thanks go to the Malta Triathlon Federation for their support”

Vella Wood comeback

Michelle Vella Wood also turned in a strong performance on her triathlon comeback after taking a break to focus on cycling.

Vella Wood finished in second place in her age-group in 4 hours 41 minutes 29 seconds, thus also qualifying for the 2017 Ironman 70.3 Championships.

Improved times were also registered by Glen Zammit and Maria Vella-Galea who returned to the course, having completed this race in 2014.

A 100 per cent success rate was achieved by the Maltese delegation since all athletes completed the course.

The Maltese squad also included Claire Azzopardi Lane, William Brydon, Andre Cutajar, Ruth Debono, Suzanne Farrugia, Anthony Fenech, Elaine Fenech, Felicienne Mercieca, Marvic Mizzi, Nadine Tabone, Mike Tanti and Daren Zahra.