staddoha.com
Lolwa Almarri crossed the Ironman Hamburg finish line on August 29 to become the first-ever Qatari woman to complete a full distance triathlon.
Swimming for 3.8 kilometres, immediately getting on a bike and riding another 180, topping that off with a marathon then finally hearing the words “You are an Ironman” from start to finish, a first Iron distance is a memory for life in any triathlete’s career.
But Lolwa isn’t just any triathlete. In fact, until last December, she wasn’t a triathlete at all — a cross-fitter, a mountain walker while studying biomedical science in the UK, but not a triathlete.
She did short runs but didn’t swim or own a bicycle. But, impressed by the endurance exploits of Hichame Moubarak, she set out to pay the inspiration forward.
A more conventional Ironman journey is via a love of one or more of triathlon’s component disciplines.
You cycle, run or swim. You put them together. You enter a short race, then a longer one and some will go further to set their sights on an Ironman.
The World Triathlon Corporation, owners of the Ironman brand, even added a stepping-stone that has overtaken the commercial success of its big brother.
The half-distance ’Ironman 70.3’ has allowed more endurance junkies than ever before to stake a claim on being an Ironman but the real deal remains far less common.
The Qatar National Triathlon Series starts on October 30.