IRONMAN 70.3 Da Nang: An emotional race amidst wonderful nature

The key to conquering yourself is perseverance.

The SUNRISE SPRINT tournament, within the framework of the IRONMAN 70.3 Da Nang 2025 competition, officially found the "steel man" in the short-distance triathlon event including 750m swimming, 20km cycling and 5km running today, May 10.

As Thanh Nien reported, the first prize in the men's group went to athlete Brad Roode (South African nationality), and female athlete Aleksandra Grafo (Russian nationality) excellently won the overall first prize in the women's group.

Athletes start the race with a 750m swim

PHOTO: H.D

Conquering the swimming stage at Son Thuy beach (Ngu Hanh Son District, Da Nang City)

PHOTO: H.D

Finishing with a time of 1 hour 4 minutes 51 seconds, athlete Brad Roode was happy and satisfied with the goal he set. Talking about the training days to come to Vietnam to participate in the IRONMAN 70.3 Da Nang competition, Brad Roode said he had prepared a lot for the journey to conquer the "steel man" race.

"I have been training very seriously, today's results make me feel satisfied. Persistence is the key to help me conquer myself. Every morning I wake up early, practice regularly and always try my best," said Brad Roode.

After finishing the 750m swim at Son Thuy beach (Ngu Hanh Son district, Da Nang city) with favorable conditions of calm waves, Brad Roode passed the swimming event "smoothly". Coming to the cycling competition, Brad Roode felt very excited by the beauty of the coastal road of Da Nang at dawn like a "picture" full of vitality.

Athlete Brad Roode finished with a time of 1 hour 4 minutes 51 seconds

PHOTO: H.D

"I really enjoyed every moment on the track. Da Nang is beautiful, the people are lovely, the food is delicious... Overall it was great!", Brad Roode excitedly said.

Talking about his competition 3 years ago at the IRONMAN 70.3 Vietnam, Brad Roode said that he was injured at that time and faced many difficulties. With the spirit of a "steel warrior", Brad Roode has returned and is "more dangerous" than ever.

"For me, being healthy and being able to compete in a race like this is a victory. I really appreciate it. Three years ago, I was injured and had a hard time competing. This year is different, I fully recovered and had a full race," said Brad Roode.

Athletes excitedly run 5km along the coastal route

PHOTO: H.D

Today's achievements are thanks to the encouragement of family.

Finishing the SUNRISE SPRINT race with a time of 1 hour 11 minutes 29 seconds, female athlete Aleksandra Grafo excellently recorded her name in the first place of the female group. Emotionally sharing at the finish line, Aleksandra Grafo remembered her husband who was always by her side, encouraging and supporting her to firmly overcome difficulties on her journey to conquer the triathlon.

Female athlete Aleksandra Grafo finished with a time of 1 hour 11 minutes 29 seconds

PHOTO: H.D

"Going into the tournament, I didn't feel too pressured or prepared anything special, because I was used to training 4-5 hours a day. When I entered the race, I didn't think too much, I just listened to my body and moved forward," said Aleksandra Grafo.

Conquer 20km cycling at SUNRISE SPRINT tournament

PHOTO: H.D

However, in today's race, Aleksandra Grafo had difficulty in the swimming part, because the weather was quite cold this morning. "I had to adjust my breathing to get through the swimming part. When it came to the running part, which is my favorite part, I finished easily and excelled," Aleksandra Grafo said.

Support athletes along the running track

PHOTO: H.D

Like other athletes when coming to Da Nang, Aleksandra Grafo was attracted by the beauty of this coastal city. "This city is really beautiful and the people here are equally beautiful. I have trained for many different competitions, but I still love IRONMAN because the atmosphere here is great, there is a diversity of athletes from all over the world . Especially, Da Nang has pleasant weather, the people are friendly and open", Aleksandra Grafo expressed.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ironman-703-da-nang-chang-dua-day-cam-cuc-giua-thien-nhien-tuyet-voi-185250510185943658.htm