Young triathletes pursue gold at Foremost IronKids Race
Children from all over Asia, from future champions to local athletes, competed in the Foremost Ironkids Race on November 26 at Thanyapura Phuket.
The challenging test of speed included swimming, cycling, and running over different distances for individual and relay teams.
IronKids is a fast-growing youth sports movement, held around the world for children ages 4 to 15.
The program nurtured the young generation’s love of sports and gives them the opportunity to explore the community. The Phuket kids’ race returned to Thanyapura and continued to boost the property’s reputation as a destination for sporting excellence among professional and aspiring athletes.
A total of 130 contenders participated in the race, including individual racers and children in relay teams. While most kids competed for recreation and fun, many bolstered their triathlon records in being champions.
The distances of the Ironkids competition varies across four age categories:
* Tri-tot (ages 4-6): 25m swim, 1km bike, 400m run
* Junior (ages 7-9): 100m swim, 3km bike, 600m run
* Intermediate (ages 10-12): 200m swim, 5km bike, 1.5km run
* Senior (ages 13-15): 300m swim, 10km bike, 2.5km run
The top three male and female winners of each age group were awarded trophies and medals while the top relay teams were given a trophy to each participant.
All children who finished the race earned a medal and shirt.
Winners of the Foremost IronKids Triathlon met reigning IRONMAN 70.3 champions (Tim Reed, Tim Van Berkel, Dimity-Lee duke, Amelia Watkinson, and August Benedicto) for inspiration and guidance in pursuing careers as professional athletes.
The triathlon was organized with the support of Foremost and Born Free to Run. Foremost contributed premium quality milk to nourish young competitors’ bodies throughout the competition.
Born Free to Run offers free training for local children who strive to be future athletes – providing underprivileged families access to Thanyapura’s world-class facilities and coaches.
“[Winning] feels very, very good. I'm looking forward to coming back next year, for sure. I’ll go to a few [races] coming up in a month in the UAE. The training in Thailand is very good, it couldn't have happened without my coach,” said Alexcos Cristalai, Phuket resident and first- place finisher in the 13-15 years’ category.
Thanyapura, the home of upcoming triathletes, offers a unique concept with sporting events and training camps for all athletes. Facilities feature the 50m and 25m swimming pools, quiet road for cyclists, and the Athletic Track. Thanyapura is a sport, fitness, health and educational haven. There is the high-quality sports hotel, award-winning organic restaurants, a mind centre, specialised and holistic medical centre, and an international school. Thanyapura Health & Wellness is the hub of innovative medical facilities and services, such as yoga, spa, mind training, physiotherapy, weight loss, and much more. In January 2017, The 37-room Garden Wing.
