Triathlete and Ironwoman May Alhaji may have gotten a late start in the sport but is racing ahead, facing down seemingly insurmountable odds as she completed the recent Ironman Hamburg 140.6 held in Germany.
The long-distance 140.6 triathlon race consists of a 3.86km swim, a 180.25km bike ride and a 42.2km run, all adding up to a total of 140.6 miles and all to be completed within 16 hours. The 70.3 race is half as long.
Alhaji is the first female Bahraini athlete to complete the Hamburg 140.6, which is widely considered to be one of the most gruelling sporting events in the world.
The 39-year-old mother of two played tennis professionally on Bahrain’s national team when young but once she had children, her ever-evolving schedule made it difficult to continually arrange matches.
Determined to stay fit and active, she found the Bahrain Roadrunners, a local club that helps the kingdom’s residents get into running. Alhaji started running with the Roadrunners every Friday and has been hooked since then. These days, running is like coffee for her. She needs her ‘wake-me-up’ every morning.
The marketing specialist said: “I have always been active and running fits perfectly in my work and personal life. Normally, in a year, I register for a couple of races, either half-marathons or a 70.3. But this year, I set a challenge for myself. Instead of just two races, I decided to run six races in 2019.”
January started off with an Ironman in Dubai, followed by another in Oman and then the London Marathon on April 28. In many ways, these events helped her train for the Hamburg 140.6 giving her just enough rest time between races to make sure she doesn’t overexert herself.
The Hamburg race was a huge level up for her from the 70.3 and the marathons…and not just because Alhaji is not a fan of swimming. She started learning how to swim around the same time she started training for triathlons and occasionally has bouts of aquaphobia.
“I thought I had overcome my fear of swimming but when we got to Hamburg, I saw the Alster Lake and how dirty it was and my first thought was that I was not getting in there,” she said. “I didn’t want to swallow that water and when they started about blue algae levels, it didn’t help. But when it was go time, I took a deep breath and just went for it slowly and steadily. Having my children there definitely helped.”
Alhaji’s family, including her daughter Luna, nine, and son Yousif, six, often cheer her on. The family decided to make a vacation out of the Hamburg marathon and were on hand to offer moral support.
Once she was done her swim, she started the bike leg of the race which came with its own tribulations.
“I fell off my bike,” she said. “I thought it was the end for a split second. I thought, my bike could have broken and I was shaking. But again, I thought, my children are here. My family travelled all this way and I wanted Luna and Yousif to see their mum complete the race. So I checked the bike, it was fine and I tried to continue without medical attention. But it’s a marathon after all, so I realised I can’t go on without getting treated.
“I took a short break, got treated and kept going. When I got to the running component, thankfully it was a lapped circuit, so I could see my children. Yousif started crying when he saw the blood and the bandage. I wanted to go to him and let him know that I was okay and that I am strong because I am an Ironwoman.
“For me, the highlight of the competition was that I taught my children a lesson about persistence. They can now say that their mum did a full Ironman, fell off the bike and she still finished.”
Alhaji’s previous record at the 140.6 was more than 14 hours and this time, she clocked in at 12.31 hours.
Alhaji credits her performance to her family, His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty the King for Charity Works and Youth Affairs and chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, and her employer, Zain Bahrain.
Yet another achievement of this trip was that she also coached four more runners, helping them achieve their personal bests, using her past triathlon experience to push and guide them.
“I am proud of my team and for how well they did as well,” she said. “I thought about just coaching next year but the runner in me keeps looking up races online. So I don’t know!”
Alhaji is set to compete in another Ironman 70.3 on September 7 which she had qualified for during the Ironman Middle East Championship. Her final race for the year will be back in Bahrain, in December.
It has been quite the journey for the runner and GulfWeekly would like to wish Alhaji the best of luck as she sprints through her marathon year.
