Elizabeth Driscoll tackled the Cascais Ironman race in style...and GOG Tri-squad also celebrated success at same event.

Elizabeth Driscoll (*pictured above) tackled the Cascais Ironman race in style.

Report by Don Hale.

 

It proved to be a happy landing for RAF Air Traffic Controller Elizabeth Driscoll as she successfully navigated her way around the tough Cascais Ironman 70.3-mile course in Portugal last weekend.

The experienced North Wales Road Runner who in everyday life has a very responsible role at RAF Valley on Anglesey, tackled three gruelling challenges, which included a difficult 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run, and all carried out in very hot conditions.

*Elizabeth Driscoll (*pictured above) on the finish line after her race.

Elizabeth eventually completed the event in 6 hours 33 minutes and 36 seconds and finished in 1,619th place overall, and she was the 262nd female and claimed 14th place in her F55 age cat.

This proved to be an incredible performance by this popular endurance athlete who first set her heart on completing this race whilst on secondment last year in the Falklands, where she also took part with repeated success in several other sporting challenges during her stay.

Following her return, Elizabeth has since spent the past four months training extremely hard for this ultimate Ironman race, and when she first arrived in Portugal this week, she explained: “At the end of last year when I had just gone to the Falklands for six months, some friends from the Tri club decided to enter the Cascais Ironman 70.3. 

“Not wanting to miss out when I returned, I decided to enter too, not really thinking how much training was needed, how it would completely take over my life, and how much it would push me outside my comfort zone.”

And although slightly concerned about tackling something so huge, she added: “However, here we are, all ready to race tomorrow, it’s a bit on the warm side but a challenge that I am now looking forward to!”

 *Elizabeth Driscoll (*pictured above) pictured prior to the start of her Ironman race.

In the end everything turned out just fine, and despite a slight niggling injury, Elizabeth successfully completed all her events in style, and shortly after crossing the welcome finish line, she confirmed: “Oh my! What a day! I am over the moon. Can’t believe my swim and bike time. The run was so hard. It was very hot, and my Achilles hurt all the way round, but I kept running all the way. What a day, I’m buzzing.”

Afterwards, the talented all-rounder then took a little time out to evaluate her amazing achievement before admitting: “What an amazing experience. I absolutely loved it! I finished in 6 hr 33 mins. I was a little apprehensive about getting in the water with 2,000 others, as I am not the strongest swimmer, but I needn’t have feared, the water was lovely, quite calm, so nothing to worry about, and I had a good swim and really enjoyed it. 

"The bike course was great, a few cheeky hills but nothing that we hadn't trained on, but the run was so hard, very hot, and my Achilles niggle decided to rear it's ugly head again, so I was in pain the whole way round.

"I managed to keep running all the way, so happy but what a challenge - now what to do next!"

*A delighted Elizabeth Driscoll (*above) finally completes her run in the sun.

GOG Triathlon team also celebrate success at Cascais Ironman challenge.

*Rhian Roxburgh (*above) was the pick of the GOG Triathlon team after a 2nd place finish in her age category at the Ironman event in Portugal.

*The GOG Triathlon team (*above and below) at the Cascais Ironman challenge.

Rhian Roxburgh leads the GOG’s to success at Ironman challenge

Report by Don Hale

The highly talented GOG Triathlon Club also had a total of eight squad members competing in the gruelling Ironman 70.3-mile race in Cascais, Portugal, last weekend, including  Elizabeth Driscoll, who has dual membership with NWRRC, but Rhian Roxburgh was surely the pick of the team after claiming a podium place with a 2nd place finish in her respective age group.

A GOG club spokesman confirmed their outstanding success: “As a club, we're super proud of the eight squad members that raced Ironman 70.3 in Portugal. Every single one of them put in tremendous performances and got to run down the famous red carpet. 

“With many of them overcoming injuries and sickness, just getting to the start line was an achievement, and for every one of them to finish was phenomenal. However, we must give a special shout out to our head coach Rhian Roxburgh who finished second overall in her age group.”

Roll call of GOG athletes: Rhian Roxburgh 5.02.53, Claire Parsley 5.45.54, Merf Jones 5.49.04, Miklos Biro 5.53.43, Elizabeth Driscoll 6.33.36, Angharad Lewis 7.09.19, Steph Conway 7.32.33, and Melissa Everley 8.07.13.