Panaji: Indian Army athlete Biten Singh on Sunday clinched the men’s title at the sixth edition of IRONMAN 70.3 Goa, clocking a record 4 hours, 24 minutes and 29 seconds to better the previous course record.
Singh surpassed the previous record of 4:25:47 set by Uzbekistan’s Konstantin Belousov in 2025 by 1 minute and 18 seconds, as more than 2,000 triathletes from 30 countries participated in the endurance event held in Goa.
The competition featured a gruelling 1.9-km swim, 90-km cycling and 21.1-km run, beginning along the Miramar beachfront.
Singh’s achievement was particularly significant as he prepared for the event while serving in Tawang. The Army athlete said he had undergone three months of focused training ahead of the competition, balancing his preparation with the demands of his posting.
He had withdrawn from the 2024 edition due to dehydration and returned this year with the specific target of breaking the course record.
“I am feeling very happy. I had targeted before that today I will break the record,” Singh said after his victory.
Singh said his next ambition was to qualify for the IRONMAN World Championship, adding that he would need further preparation to compete in the full-distance IRONMAN event.
In the women’s category, Marina Shliakhtina won the title with a timing of 5:30:29, followed by Sabina Iskakova (5:42:58) and Mellanie Vendt (6:04:54).
In the relay category, Team Fit Swaggers Goa topped the standings with a timing of 4:33:24. Team Serious About Training finished second in 4:35:22, while Team Airforce 2 secured third place in 4:47:04.
The Indian Air Force contingent was among the participants in the relay competition. A member of the team said its members, despite being posted at different locations, had worked hard and made sacrifices to come together for the event.
The sixth edition was organised by Yoska in collaboration with the Government of Goa and IRONMAN, and presented by Herbalife.
