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Triathlon swimmer next to alligator
There’s a certain level of physical and mental fortitude you need to possess if you want to compete in an Ironman race. The people who take part in those grueling triathlons are built different, which is certainly the case with a guy who won’t abandon his plans to enter one in Georgia after being bitten by an alligator while training for it.
The 26.2 miles that comprise a standard marathon are purportedly based on the distance a messenger in ancient Greece ran to Athens to relay the news of a military victory at the site the race takes its name from, a task he supposedly completed before promptly dropping dead of exhaustion.
While that apocryphal story seems like a cautionary tale, that doesn’t stop hundreds of thousands of people from willingly running a marathon each year. Most of them are more than happy to do that and call it a day, but there are some true fitness sickos who also throw in a lengthy swim and bike ride for good measure while subjecting themselves to an Ironman race.
Those gauntlets typically start with a 2.4-mile swim that’s followed by a 112-mile bike ride prior to a full marathon, but there are “easier” options where those numbers are cut in half.
That includes a race that will unfold in Augusta, Georgia at the end of September, but exhaustion and dehydration may not be the only potential pitfalls competitors will have to grapple with based on an incident involving someone who was training in the river where the swimming portion will be held.
An alligator bit a man who was training for an upcoming Ironman race in a river in Georgia
What is officially referred to as “IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta” will take place on September 27th in the city that also hosts The Masters. It consists of a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run, with the first leg slated to unfold in the Savannah River.
According to WRDW, Jonathan Bruney is a triathlon coach from Charlotte, North Carolina who is planning to compete in the event with some of his students, and they recently headed down to Augusta to get some training in before the event.
The 31-year-old was hoping to ease them in with a swim on Sunday before turning their attention to the bike and running portions, but plans to familiarize themselves with the course were derailed thanks to what transpired shortly after they waded into the Savannah.
Bruney said he was around 1,000 yards into the swim and approximately 60 miles away from the bank of the river when he felt a “pretty big impact to my right side.” He initially thought he may have swum into a log, but he quickly realized the source of the pain was a four-to-five-foot alligator that had clamped down on his upper arm.
He didn’t waste any time reacting, as he shoved his thumb into the animal’s eyeball, which was all he needed to do to get it to release its grip. He was able to get to shore before another athlete applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding, and while the group hadn’t entered the water with cellphones, they were thankfully able to flag down a guy walking his dog to call 911.
Bruney was taken to the hospital to get stitches for a “deep gash” that was still somewhat superficial, as doctors told him the bite didn’t manage to damage any of his muscle. He’ll have to stay out of the water for the next three to four weeks, but he is still on track to compete in the Ironman race that he has no plans to drop out of.