Isle of Wight athlete Ben Snow refused to let the cancellation of the swimming leg of his first-ever triathlon derail months of training – completing his own 2.4-mile lake swim in darkness before returning to take on the official 112-mile cycle and marathon run in Leeds.
Ben was among around 2000 athletes who travelled to Yorkshire for the IRONMAN Leeds event at Roundhay Park on 16th August, where competitors learned that the 2.4-mile swimming section would not go ahead after blue-green algae was discovered in Waterloo Lake.
IRONMAN England said the decision was taken in conjunction with Leeds City Council and following advice from the UK Health Security Agency Environmental Hazards Team.
Organisers said recent hot weather across the UK had led to a bloom of blue-green algae, which can be hazardous to humans, with test results showing levels in Waterloo Lake were significantly above the threshold for the swim to safely proceed.
The event was instead changed to a bike-run format consisting of a 112-mile ride followed by a 26.2-mile marathon.
For Ben, though, abandoning the swim meant months spent improving his ability in the water would go unused.
Having consulted locally about water quality, he came up with his own Plan B and headed to a different nearby lake in the early hours of Sunday morning.
In complete darkness, Ben completed the full 2.4-mile swimming distance, using Strava to measure his distance and time.
He was joined by his dad Kieron and friends Jack and Toby, who provided company and encouragement during the early-morning challenge.
After finishing the swim in 1 hour and 17 minutes, Ben made it back to the official start point in time to join the cycling element of the event.
The challenge was particularly significant as Ben had never previously competed in a triathlon at any level.
The former Cowes FC and Newport FC first-team player hung up his football boots a number of years ago and has since turned his attention to a series of endurance challenges including road marathons and off-road ultramarathons, as well as completing a circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight in under 12 hours.
Earlier this year, he also took part in the nationally-publicised 800-mile Doddie Weir cycle challenge for motor neurone disease (MND).
It was the description of the Leeds course as ‘brutal’ and ‘hilly’ that subsequently caught Ben’s attention.
Despite completing his unofficial swim before the organised event had even begun, Ben went on to finish the 112-mile cycle course in 6 hours and 25 minutes before completing the marathon in 3 hours and 35 minutes.
He finished 166th overall and 11th in the under-25 category.
When his independently completed swim is included, Ben’s combined time for all 3 disciplines was within his target of 12 hours.
Ben has thanked his family and friends who made the long journey north to support him, with special thanks to his dad Kieron and friends Jack and Toby.
