Joyce And Don Brilliant In Bahrain
Boulder, CO–Two of the world’s top triathletes, Rachel Joyce and Tim Don, both representing Great Britain and both represented by Boulder-based Human Interest Group, powered through the 1.9km swim/90km bike/21.1km run Challenge Bahrain course on Saturday, finishing second and fourth respectively. In so doing, the pair made history in the inaugural event, earning a healthy portion of the race’s unprecedented half million-dollar prize purse.
Joyce was an unwavering factor in the women’s race from the word go, exiting the swim less than a minute behind leader and countrywoman Jodie Swallow. She used her practiced endurance engine to power forward on the bike, catching Swallow just after the bike’s halfway mark and helping drive a group of four top female contenders (Joyce, Swallow, Helle Frederiksen and Annabel Luxford) into T2 together. While Swallow and Frederiksen sped ahead on the run, with Frederiksen ultimately opening enough of a gap to secure the win, Joyce was patient yet powerful, first peeling away from Luxford, then pressing on to pass Swallow and score the silver medal position.
Elated at the finish, Joyce, who stated that her goal was to push hard yet have fun, described her overall satisfaction with a strong season in which she made many a major podium (including Challenge Roth and the Ironman World Championship), yet missed out on the top spot. “I went through a spate in June and July when I came second, second, second. I really wanted to change that in Kona, but I went the wrong way–I came third. Nothing is like that feeling of being the first person over the line. It’s nice to be consistent but winning is–it’s not everything, and I love this sport for a whole lot of other reasons than being in the top spot–but winning is special. Definitely going into 2015 the top spot is the real motivator for me,” she said.
Also driven by his desire to reach the top at the sport’s greatest races, Don actually contemplated pulling his name from the Challenge Bahrain start list, as the impending birth of his second child seemed likely to occur ahead of schedule. Ultimately he made the decision to compete, and although his race gear was delayed in transit, arriving just hours before the start, he managed to focus on the task at hand and post an impressive performance. Don was among the lead pack of men out of the swim and held firm to his position on the bike, reaching T2 and the half marathon start behind only Michael Raelert, Andreas Dreitz and Tim Reed from among the world-class field. Known for his foot speed, Don made swift work of the run course, covering the distance in 1:12:27 and securing fourth place.
“I just wanted to have a good race. I knew it was going to be tough. With the open roads–with three lanes of a highway and a 20-meter draft zone–it was a real honest race. Hopefully I held my own and proved I’m not an ITU guy who sits there,” said Don at the finish. “I raced hard. I raced to win. I got into a rhythm on the bike but I couldn’t go with the lead guys. At the first U-turn at about 60k I realized they were quite a long ways and it was going to be a tough ask. But you can never give up. I raced as hard as I could and I’m super happy.”
Next up, Joyce and Don will both enjoy a well-deserved off-season. Don and wife Kelly look forward to welcoming the newest addition to their family, a baby brother for four-year-old daughter Matilda.
About Human Interest Group
The Human Interest Group (HIG) is a sports marketing agency and business development firm focused on crafting unique and highly impactful projects between world-class endurance athletes, forward-thinking brands and active consumers. We have designed, executed and consulted in cutting-edge campaigns for organizations of all sorts and sizes–from start-up products to large corporate labels to foreign governments. Traditions fade. Standards evolve. Innovators thrive. Join the journey forward at www.professionaltriathlon.com.