The only Irish woman to break the nine-hour mark for an Ironman triathlon has endorsed Man of Sperrin.
Eimear Mullan, recognised as one of the leading Ironman competitors in the world, recorded a race time of 8:56:51 in Barcelona in 2015, placing her inside the top-50 all-time women’s list.
Voted Triathlon Ireland Athlete of the Year in 2014, the Portstewart native has proudly expressed her support for Man of Sperrin, saying:
“As a Derry woman and full-time endurance athlete I am very excited about the Man Of Sperrin event. Set in the mountains of my native county, it is guaranteed to provide a real challenge to any cyclist who likes to test themselves to the limit.”
Mullan is a Ironman 70.3 competitor, the name being derived from the distance of 70.3 miles which is covered during the event. There is a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and 13.1-mile swim.
Her past victories include the Ironman UK 70.3, Ironman Mallorca and Challenge Rimini 70.3 – three of the most prestigious races on the European calendar.
Currently on the recovery trail following injury, Mullan recently explained how her preparations at her base in Phuket Province, Thailand are taking shape as she targets her first comeback.
“I’ve been injured for a long time now but am aiming to get the racing started at Ironman 70.3 in Japan next month all being well.”
With the Ironman 70.3 at Centrair Chita Peninsula, Japan taking place on June 11 – the same day as Man of Sperrin – we’d like to wish Eimear the very best of luck.
Eimear continues to be an inspiration to many local athletes and is a source of pride for the local community.
We look forward to one day seeing Eimear take on Man of Sperrin!