Tejasvi, Annamalai complete Ironman 70.3 challenge in Goa

Panaji: Member of Parliament for the Bengaluru South constituency, Tejasvi Surya, and BJP leader from Tamil Nadu, K Annamalai, were among those who completed the tough Ironman 70.3 race within the stipulated time of 8.5 hours in Goa on Sunday.

The Ironman 70.3 endurance challenge includes 1.9 km swim, 90 km cycling, and 21.1 km run. While completing this distance is impressive on its own, athletes have 8.5 hours to complete the entire course, with intermediate cutoffs for each discipline along the way.


From among the 1,300 athletes who took part, 805 finished the race within the stipulated time.

Tejasvi, who took part in the race last year as well, needed 7:49:06 hrs to complete the course, while Annamalai, a first timer, completed the race in 8:13:55 hrs.

“Earlier this year, I made a promise to myself to continue pushing my fitness goals, nurture resilience, and adopt an athlete's mindset as I prepared for Ironman 70.3 in Goa. I believed that with discipline and consistency, even the seemingly impossible could be conquered. After crossing the finish line (in Goa), I humbly submit that this challenge tested not just my endurance, but the strength of my mind,” Annamalai said after the conclusion of the event in Goa.

The two BJP leaders were later congratulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Glad to see increased participation by our youth in events like Ironman 70.3 which was held in Goa today. Such events contribute towards #FitIndia movement. Congratulations to everyone who took part. Delighted that two of our young Party colleagues, Annamalai and Tejasvi Surya are among those who have successfully completed the Ironman Triathlon,” Modi said in a social media post on Sunday.