YOU don’t enter the Hell of the West expecting balmy temperatures and calm conditions.
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So that is why the Hell of the West organising committee don’t want to hear any whinging when temperatures reach a predicted 37 degrees for this Sunday’s event.
The iconic event, now in its 23rd year, has once again attracted a stellar group of athletes, including pro’s Sam Betten and Sarah Crowley.
But it is the locals like Tony and Kerry Burgin, Anthony Ward and Sasha Estens that Moree supporters will really want to see out in action.
On Saturday January 18 the Burgins lined up for Challenge Wanaka in New Zealand.
While weather conditions were almost perfect on the day the course still presented an incredible challenge to all participants with the 3.8km swim being conducted in Lake Wanaka where the water temperature was only 13 degrees Celsius.
It’s a fair change from the conditions expected this weekend.
A 180-kilometre bike ride followed on a tough, hilly course through the surrounding mountains and finished off with a 42.2km marathon run.
Both participants from the Moree Triathlon Club have completed the ironman distances before but as always with these events you can never really know what to expect.
Living in Moree, too, means that riding through hills is always a bit of a foreign experience.
Kerry, however, thrived in the frigid water with a one hour and 25 minute swim, had no trouble with the ride completing it in seven hours and seven minutes, and finishing strong with a four hour and 30 minute marathon run.
Her overall time for the 226km event was 13 hours and 19 minutes placing her third in her age group and earning her a spot on the podium.
Both the Burgins will line-up again this Sunday at Goondiwindi alongside about six teams from the Moree area.
The competition is sure to be fierce.