Panaji, Nov 1 Indian Army athlete Biten Singh on Sunday clinched the men’s title at the sixth edition of IRONMAN 70.3 Goa, clocking a record 4 hours, 24 minutes and 29 seconds to better the previous course record, organisers said.
Singh surpassed the previous record of 4:25:47 set by Uzbekistan’s Konstantin Belousov in 2025 by 1 minute and 18 seconds, as more than 2,000 triathletes from 30 countries participated in the endurance event held in the coastal state.
The competition, which began along the Miramar beachfront, featured a gruelling 1.9-km swim, a 90-km cycle and a 21.1-km run, they said.
Singh’s achievement was particularly significant as he prepared for the event while serving in Tawang. The Army athlete said he had undergone three months of focused training ahead of the competition, balancing his preparation with the demands of his posting.
He said he had withdrawn from the 2024 edition due to dehydration and returned this year with the specific target of breaking the course record.
“I am feeling very happy. I had set myself a target of breaking the record today,” Singh said after his victory.
Singh said his next ambition is to qualify for the IRONMAN World Championship, adding that he would need further preparation to compete in the full-distance IRONMAN event.
The IRONMAN challenge is considered one of the world’s toughest endurance sporting events.
In the women’s category, Marina Shliakhtina won the title with a timing of 5:30:29, followed by Sabina Iskakova (5:42:58) and Mellanie Vendt (6:04:54), said organisers.
In the relay category, Team Fit Swaggers Goa topped the standings at 4:33:24. Team Serious About Training finished second by clocking 4:35:22, while Team Airforce 2 secured third place at 4:47:04.
The Indian Air Force contingent was among the participants in the relay competition. A member of the unit said his teammates, despite being posted at different locations, had worked hard and made sacrifices to come together for the event.
The sixth edition was organised by Yoska in collaboration with the Goa government and IRONMAN, and presented by Herbalife.
(PTI News)
