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Local endurance runners Philip Smith and Warren Mauger will take on their biggest athletic challenge to date this summer as they attempt 7 Ironman distance triathlons in 7 days as part of The FCG EPIC Week.
An ironman triathlon is long-distance and is completed without a break, showcasing three disciplines. Philip and Warren’s challenge will consist of a 2.4 mile swim in Havelet Bay, a 112 mile bike ride which will see the duo cycle up and down the west coast and to finish, a 26.2 mile marathon run which will cover four laps from Havelet to Vale Castle. They will then repeat this route every day for the next six days, totalling 984.2 miles for the whole week.
Fundraising for The FCG EPIC Week, Philip and Warren are the first local athletes to attempt this challenge in Guernsey, which will take place on Monday 10 to Sunday 16 July 2017. During this week schools, corporates, community groups and individuals will also be taking part in their own sporting challenges.
Over the past 15 months the pair has clocked up over 2,000 hours of training. They have swum over 600km, cycled more than 14,000km and run over 6,000km combined. Philip and Warren will continue their training next week on Liberation Day on static bikes in Market Square – cycling for eight hours.
Continuing with their training, they are now incorporating ‘brick’ sessions most weeks in the lead up to the event, these include a 56 mile bike ride followed by a half marathon run.
Both Warren and Philip have already taken part in two endurance events, having run 7 marathons in 7 days in 2014 as well as completing EPIC48, which saw them run on a treadmill for 48 hours in 2015. These previous challenges raised over £50,000 for local charities.
Mr Mauger said: “We continue to use these events as a vehicle to raise money for the very worthy charity Guernsey Mind and change people’s lives through This is EPIC which works with projects in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. We’ve also learnt that by taking part in big challenges, it inspires and gives confidence to the community to take on their own challenges and push themselves no matter the distance. We are creating our own small community of sports enthusiasts and it feels great to be a part of it.”
Mr Smith said: “This challenge fills us with fear and excitement, but mostly fear. We haven’t yet found where our limits are in endurance challenges, so taking on our biggest feat is quite exciting. We are testing how much both our body and minds can tolerate. We are looking forward to, and fearing, the possibility of finding that limit but it won’t stop us. It is always the purpose behind why we take on a challenge that helps us to never give up.”
Donations can be made on Philip and Warren’s race nation page https://race-nation.com/sponsor/t/3142
