Different Perspective Sports Magazine Issue 2 - IRONMAN Wales | Page 20

Arriving in Tenby (the little town of the fishes) on Thursday evening I could feel the Ironman vibe already buidling up. Even though it was late the small picturesque town with its pleathora of pubs and restaurants was alive and buzzing with Ironman. I was by myself but soon joined a couple in town for the race for dinner. That is the spirit of Ironman. I woke the following day to a view of golden sandy beaches (there are 2.5miles of them in all) and a magnificent view of the historic harbour with the pastel coloured properties surrounding it. I witnessed the town’s population of 5000 increase rapidly as people arrived to register and aclimatise to the surroundings. Athletes were to be seen walking through the town centre half undressed in their wetsuits having completed a practice swim in the Atlantic Ocean. I cannot imagine this site anywhere else or it being allowed to happen. For this weekend in Tenby though it was normal and the locals embraced it with open arms. Saturday is bike racking day and the town was awash with high end carbon. Spectators and supporters lined the streets near transition to wish everyone good luck and see the all day spectacle of metal. By this stage the population must have doubled but this is probably not uncommon. Tenby is a beauty spot and tourists from around the globe come here to holiday. The Ironman Wales race effectively extends the holiday season for a further week bringing in much needed money to see local businesses through the lonely winter months.