On Sunday, October 11th, local Suwanee resident, Ryan Duncan, 20, completed his first Ironman triathlon as one of the youngest of of 3,200 competitors.
Without any prior experience with organized endurance marathons and only seven months of training, Duncan completed the grueling race. The Ironman triathlon is regarded worldwide as one of the most challenging endurance races in the world. Comprised of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mike bike ride, followed by a 26.2 mile run, it is feat that many athletes take years to train for.
“A lot of people doubted me because I’ve never done a half Ironman or even a marathon,” said Duncan. “But I wanted to prove them wrong.”
Duncan registered for his race in November 2014 and began training in April of this year. During his training, he suffered a knee injury that only allowed him to run about eight miles leading up to the race. “We started to worry that he wouldn’t finish because of his knee,” said his mother Chiaki Duncan. However, Duncan overcame the odds and managed to run the entire marathon to finish the race.
Ryan Duncan graduated from North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia and played on the varsity tennis team while he was there. He is currently a student at University of Georgia where he is studying Business Management.
