EILAT, Israel — Swim 3.8 kilometres, bike 180 kilometres and then run a full marathon in the winter?
David Shulman
It wouldn’t be a Canadian’s first choice of sporting activities. But I was curious about a winter iron distance triathlon when I read that Triathlete magazine voted Israman Negev as one of the 10 best iron distance races in the world. I was on my way.
The Negev is a melange of arid, rocky and dusty mountains. The unending landscape of sand and rocks is interrupted here and there by wadis, or dry river beds, and by patches of green. These green oases are the kibbutzim, communal farms where palm trees and all manner of tropical fruits grow.
At the southern end of the barren Negev lies Eilat, a teaming oasis of modernity on the Red Sea. The Red Sea is alive with tropical fish, sharks and rays darting in and out of the profuse, colourful corals. It’s a diver’s paradise.
Israman Negev 2010 was held on Jan. 29, and the date was chosen for its full moon, which would become important on the run course. Eighty–six competitors from seven countries started the early morning 3.8-kilometre swim in the Red Sea at Eilat. A southerly wind was blowing, creating a moderate surf.
The real challenge of the race was the bike course. Starting at sea level, we climbed 800 metres into the mountains above Eilat in the first 18 kilometres. Stopping at the top to catch my breath, I viewed the majestic scene before me of rolling hills with no vegetation to stop the incessant wind. A single road ran through this moonscape.
The out-and-back course was virtually deserted, other than the water stations and turn-around, where crowds came out to stand on the sand and cheer. The strong southerly winds directly into our faces slowed us to a crawl as we rode southward back toward Eilat.
On the bike course there were insufficient water stops, but the inventive Israelis had already planned for this. In our race kits were cards with a phone number to call for water. At 136 kilometres, my bottles were empty, so I called the number on my cell. Within five minutes a van arrived and gave me full bottles, bananas and dates. Only in Israel.
The bike-to-run transition was at the top of the initial climb. We dismounted and started the run from a plateau, descending into Eilat. While running downhill, I was mesmerized by the spectacular view of the Arava valley at sunset. In the distance, the Jordanian hills turned from café-au-lait to copper. Then we were running in complete darkness on unlighted paved and unpaved roads and dirt tracks. We were provided with headlights and glow sticks and the full moon helped greatly. The finish in Eilat was on the seaside walkway filled with curious passersby and the athletes’ supporters.
Israeli Gilad Rotem was the top finisher in 9:26, and the top female was Nina Pekerman in 10:36, world-class times especially for this difficult course.
I finished in 14:40, which was good enough for second place out of five in my age group of 55-plus, and it was good for 46th overall. The last finisher came in at almost 19 hours.
This was an exotic and exciting race and should attract more competitors as word gets out. There was also a half-iron distance and running races for the children during the day, and the atmosphere was festive on the course and at the resort. For me, the difficulty of training in the winter was more than offset by the challenge and beauty of this unique race.
David Shulman, 60, is a resident of Toronto who lived in Israel for eight years. Israman was his sixth iron distance race, including Ironman Canada.