BRADEN CURRIE EMBARKS ON HIS ROAD TO KONA
written by Fliss Worsp
“I am willing to give everything to be in the best position for this race” – Braden Currie
The inaugural IRONMAN World Championship held in Kona, Hawaii was conceptualied in 1977, and for the past three decades has brought the world’s best athletes together to compete in what is considered the daddy of endurance racing on the world stage.
From 1978 to 1995 the podium was largely dominated by the USA, before Germany, Australia, Belgium, Canada and New Zealand raised the bar, swiping medals from the long-standing champion country.
New Zealand athlete Cameron Brown is the only Kiwi competitor to have ever podiumed at the IRONMAN World Champs, placing 2nd in 2001 and 2005 and 3rd in 2002 and 2003.
But that all may change come October 14, when Braden Currie steps up to plate to compete in his third ever IRONMAN competition, racing the 226km course against the world’s elite.
“For me, the IRONMAN World Championship is at the pinnacle of endurance sport and gives me the opportunity to compete against the best in the world, in some of the harshest conditions. I always feel more motivated when the challenge is a big one, but I do enjoy the pursuit of the challenge as much as the final challenge itself. So, I am looking forward to the journey to get to Kona as well as racing it”
Braden Currie wins IRONMAN NZ – Imagery by Graeme Murray
Braden won his debut IRONMAN in New Zealand in March this year, finishing the course in 8hours:20mins:57secs, beating 12-time champion Cameron Brown.
“I always believe racing is an evolution and you have to take the opportunities when they come in order to see out your full potential. Winning IRONMAN NZ gave me the potential to qualify for Kona this year, and this was an opportunity I could not turn down”
Currie then went on to compete in the Cairns Airport Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship in June, finishing in third place with a time of 8hours:15mins:03secs.
“Cairns IRONMAN was tough, but it gave me a good opportunity to compete against a deep field of IRONMAN athletes and I learnt quite a lot from racing that event. I think those learnings will help me moving forward”
Braden Currie training in Wanaka – Imagery by Miles Holden
Braden’s current training blocks amount to 30hours a week with his biggest focus being the bike, ensuring he does two long rides a week mixed in with shorter rides. Currie is running up to 100km per week switching between long trail and road runs and hitting the pool six times a week for 1.5 hours each session.
Braden Currie training in Wanaka – Imagery by Miles Holden
Currie will head to Noosa in August to complete tropical climate training, then on to Boulder in September for altitude and sauna training before making his final stop in Kona for pre-race prep and the IRONMAN World Championship.
“I am lucky enough to have some pretty defined blocks, Noosa to Colorado, Colorado to Kona. I will take each block as it comes, focusing on the ultimate goal of Kona. I feel good mentally going into the next three months and feel as if there are some big gains to be had if I am able to be consistent. I don’t like to put everything into an end goal, as it’s all very much a journey for me, but I have learnt that the more consistent I can be with my training, the better return I get. For this reason, I will sacrifice lead up events if I feel that I am on a good roll, as racing can often take a chunk of time out of what’s possible within training. And Kona is my big focus this year. I am willing to give everything to be in the best position for this race”