| About Painathlon |
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With the help of Kinga Paszkudzka and many helpers and sponsors the Inaugaural Painathlon was held on Sat August 4th 2007. The event was a great success and participants raised over $8500 for Variety WA childrens Charity. Local Ironman Brad Hosking demolished the field and the course in just over 7.5 hours. Top local triathlete Jenni Tibbits was the only female to complete the course in under 10.5 hours with seconds to spare! Other highlights of the day included 'The Truth' run in Brigadoon which universally left everyone who ran it psychologically scarred and Michael Vujcich, who did most of the final 10 laps of Jacobs Ladder backwards fighting the cramps to finish 5th overall in 9.5 hours. 2008 saw the field triple in size to 56 Painathletes. Jenni Tibbits successfully defended her title and set a blistering new ladies course record at the same time of 9 hrs 48 mins. Piotr Baizert of Adelaide took out the mens at his first attempt despite strong challenges from locals Peter Shanley and Jason Dick. Brad Hoskings record wasn't in danger but it was a very respectable time of 8 hrs 24 mins. 2009 sees the introduction of Team and Half Painathlon categories. Team for those doing the whole distance but sharing up the running duties, and Half Painathlon for individuals not up to the full endurance marathon (skips out the 90km triangle of challenges 6-9). The total race distance is about 160km, made up of 117km cycling, 20km flat running and 23km of hellish hill climbs! To put that in perspective the Hawaiian Ironman is 3.9km swim, 180km cycle and 42.2km running in 17 hours. The Painathlon cut-off time is 10.5 hours, the exact amount of daylight on August 9th. The Half-Painathlon totals 25km cycle and 25km run, no small effort. The cut off is 2pm. Upon completion of each challenge location competitors stamp their Painathlon control cards. Painathlon has small beginnings but the potential to be the next 'Rottnest Swim' or 'Avon Descent'. Only time will tell!! 2009 Painathlon Mottos: Witness the fitness It's a piece of Pain-cake
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Painathlon was conceived by Jonathan Hague in early 2007 during his medical studies at Notre Dame. Jonathan is known in Perth fitness circles as 'that nutter who ran Jacobs Ladder for 24 hours'. This was a world record stair-climbing attempt in 2006, also for Variety WA (ultimately unsuccessful at 262 laps and over 10 vertical km's). He brings this knowledge of pain to the Painathlon.