Triathlon Projects 2010

Ironman triathlons have been around since the late 70’s and since then, the craze and passion about long-distance events have grown immensely across Europe and North America. There are now over 25 Ironman and 35 ½ Ironman events around the world, plus the Challenge events (same distances as “iron” events), each welcoming thousands of athletes, giving dozens of thousands every year the opportunity to “go long”.

Yet, as far as Greek athletes participations are concerned… before 2008, less than 30 Greeks in total had ever taken part in an “iron distance” event…

In 2008 and 2009, Schiniathlon has been a catalyst for large groups of athletes to dare and do their first steps into the “long-distance” arena.

2008 saw a group of 14 going to their 1st shot at the Half-ironman Austria (St Polten), all of us attempting the distance for the first time ever.

Following that experience, enthusiasm spread among schiniathletes and 2009 saw a group of 22 registering all together to Ironman Frankfurt (with 5 already familiar with the distance).

Having gone within 3 years, all the way from Sprint to Olympic distances, then ½ and full ironman, these athletes have long incubated the Triathlon Virus, and most of us now suffer the complication of having “long-distance” addiction!

Going forward, it looks like little groups are forming, completely un-formally, friends and training-partners going for various ½ and full iron-distances across Europe and outside.

There is already a high Greek athletes’ commitment to Challenge Roth 2010 and Challenge Copenhagen 2010 (full ironman distances). There are also Greeks going to various ½ ironman distances across Europe (Antwerp, Austria, Monaco, to name but a few).

You are a 1st timer, and feel that you will be more confident joining a group to attempt your first Half or Full Ironman?
You are already experienced but would like to find some fellow athletes to go with?

• Go and check our forum, within the “Calendar of Sports Events” section. Find out what projects are on-going / and if you are looking for company to an event that has not been talked about yet, open a topic to launch a call!

We hope to see more and more athletes fulfil their dreams to achieve their sportive goals.

And we hope that… the more athletes will go abroad and compete at these sorts of events, the more the word will spread inside Greece… the demand will grow bigger…

And who knows, maybe some day soon there will be enough Greek athletes capable of racing over these distances so as to justify the organisation of a longer-distance event? …

Until then don’t forget to check out the forum and keep up a happy and healthy training!