Malta Triathlon Federation’s National Coach and Birkirkara St Joseph Sports Club Triathlete Dermot Galea has qualified for a place in the coveted Ironman World Championships, held annually in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
Ten times Malta Triathlon champion and seven times Ironman finisher, Mr Galea has been chasing the Kona dream since 2007, putting long hard hours of training in order to achieve what has become a seemingly impossible qualifying time.
Kona, as it is known in triathlon circles has been held since 1978. Competition is fierce to secure one of the 1,800 spots, and qualification times get harder and faster. Through Mr Galea’s qualification, Malta will be represented in the championships for the first time.
An Ironman Triathlon is a race consisting of a four kilometre swim, a 180km bicycle ride and a marathon run of 42km, raced without a break.
Ironman Triathlon became known for its gruelling length and harsh race conditions.