Megh Shivalkar aged 21 from Belagavi has been listed at the 2nd position for India in the age category of 18-24 years under the IronMan All World Athlete (AWA) program rewards for performance across IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 racing within a calendar year.
Megh was the youngest Indian who won the race in Kazakhstan on 14th Aug 2022 (AG 18 to 24 yrs) and got qualified for the IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Kailua-Kona, Hawai with only ONE slot allotted in this age group, he completed in 13:44:35.
Ironman Kazakhstan he had finished in 11:48:55.
The All World Athlete (AWA) program rewards age-group athletes for their hard work, dedication, and performance across IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 racing within a calendar year.
Notably, Megh and his mother Mayura both had successfully finished the IRONMAN KAZAKHSTAN.
AWA status must be earned – an athlete cannot apply for membership. AWA status is earned through the racing activity of an athlete in the preceding calendar year. An athlete’s best three Age Group Ranking (AGR) points achieved between January 1 and December 31 are added together and then all athletes within an age group category are ordered by their AGR points.
AWA status is awarded for a 12-month period and resets each year. An athlete’s status renews or expires based on their racing activity and rank order in the previous year.
The full Ironman is 3.8 km of swimming, 180 km of biking and 42.2 km of running, all in succession. The task must be completed in less than 17 hours.
Any participant who manages to complete the triathlon in these timings is designated an Ironman.
An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), consisting of a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bicycle ride and a marathon 26.22-mile (42.20 km) run, raced in that order and without a break. It is widely considered one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the world.
The name “Ironman Triathlon” is also associated with the original Ironman triathlon which is now the Ironman World Championship. Held in Kailua-Kona, the world championship has been held annually in Hawaii since 1978 (with an additional race in 1982) and is preceded by a series of qualifying Ironman events.
Great achievement Megh. This is tremendous inspiration not only for the youth of Belgaum, but of the entire nation.
Many Congratulations @Megh! Awesome accomplishment indeed! Making Belgaum proud!