220 Marathon Triathlon 1991

In 1990 the team at 220 Magazine organised an ironman in Cirencester.

In December 1989 Valerie Silk had sold THE ironman to David Voth and James Gills for $3,000,000. They called their new venture the World Triathlon Corporation. As they could have been in a litigious mood, 220 called their event the 220 Marathon Triathlon. I wrote about it here.

There was also some discussion as to whether the 220 race was the first ironman distance race in the UK. Events had been held at Peterborough in 1984 and Tallington Lakes in 1985. But according to most of the Old School Triathlon (1970's, 80s & 90's) Facebook group, one or more of the disciplines at both races were somewhat short.

In 1991 the 220 Marathon Triathlon was moved to Ironbridge. And the organisers had cut a deal with WTC to have 20 Kona qualifying places on offer. This was huge in British triathlon at the time as there were only 19 other venues worldwide in which to qualify.

Before 1991 the nearest qualifying race to the UK was Ironman Europe in Roth. And the British ironman distance records stood at 9:33 by Sarah Coope in Rodekro in 1989 and 9:05 by Nick Kinsey at Roth in 1990.

Images: 220 (UK) March / April 1991

At the end of 1990 Mark Allen and Julie Moss came to Telford to give a triathlon seminar. They also visited Ironbridge to help promote the event.

Sarah Springman and Lucien Loijens won and the event was an organisational success; enjoyed by competitors and spectators. Setting up Ironbridge as possibly the capital of UK triathlon in the 1990s.

Images: 220 (UK) August 1991