Ironman 'dreams can come true' according to those who took part in this year's challenging triathlon as entries open for next year's challenging feat.
Ironman 70.3 will return to Bolton next year and will take the same format as this year - essentially half the size of a traditional Ironman.
And among those urging people to achieve their Ironman sporting dreams is a Bolton Council director who raced after becoming part of Her Spirit, an online community which encourages women to take part in fitness and sport.
Teams through Her Spirit clinched first and second place in the race.
This victory aligns with Ironman UK's recent update indicating an approximate 40 per cent increase in female entrants compared to last year.
The winning group - Team Fearless - completed the relay in 5 hours and 37 minutes.
Trailing closely behind was Team Her Spirit United, who wrapped up in just under 5 hours and 41 minutes.
Finishing the full IRONMAN 70.3 Bolton was Her Spirit’s Rachel Tanner, who is also Director of Adult Services (DASS), Communities & Integration for Bolton Council.
She said: “Dreams can come true, thanks to Her Spirit, the last 12 months have been truly incredible.
“In June 2023, I ran my first ever 5 and 10ks, and I’d never rode more than an hour; and this year, I did my first ever IRONMAN 70.3 Bolton, which I couldn’t have done without the coaching, live classes, and supportive community of Her Spirit to get me there.
“I have watched and worked on the IRONMAN UK event for the past 11 years, working for Bolton Council Adult Services and always thought it was unachievable for me - turns out, it’s not, anything is possible!
“I’m just an ordinary, average woman - we are all capable of amazing things. I loved every minute, even the ones that hurt.”
Her Spirit’s participation in this year’s IRONMAN UK events – including Night Run Bolton UK – was part of the She Moves Bolton campaign where Her Spirit partnered with Bolton GP Federation and Bolton Council to encourage more women to get more into fitness and build connections.
They hope to inspire more women to sign up next year and to get involved in more fitness groups to push themselves as they know firsthand what can be achieved.
Speaking on Her Spirit’s success this year, IRONMAN 70.3 Bolton Race Director, Lewis Peacock said:
“As IRONMAN continues to grow, so does the demographics in participation, and it’s fantastic to see more women signing up.
“There are tons of amazing female-led fitness groups out there that can push themselves even further with our events.
“And the proof is in the most recent IRONMAN 70.3 Bolton where the local Her Spirit teams took first and second places in the female relay, taking part for their first time.
“Their campaign, She Moves Bolton and partnership with the Bolton GP Federation and Bolton Council highlights the brilliant community networks the town has that focuses on fitness, building social networks and boosting health and wellbeing.
“We’re proud they chose IRONMAN to mark this partnership, further pushing themselves as a group to achieve even more fitness success.”
If you’d like to get involved next year, head to: https://www.ironman.com/im703-bolton-register
If you’re interested in joining the Her Spirit community, head to: HerSpirit.co.uk.
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