MARLBOROUGH’S Richard Cooper is ready to tackle two world championship events in the space of three weeks.

The 56-year-old, who competed in the World Ironman Championships in Hawaii in 2013, has qualified for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships (1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride, 13.1-mile run), in Austria on August 30, by winning his 55-59 age category at the UK Ironman 70.3 at Wimbleball Lake, Exmoor.

Just 16 days later, Cooper represents Great Britain in the World Age Group Triathlon Championships in Chicago after finishing fourth in his age group at June’s Deva Triathlon in Chester.

“Ironman 70.3 Exmoor is regarded as one of the world’s toughest half-Ironman races,” said Cooper.

“The body keeps telling the brain you have to stop and another part of the brain says ‘just keep putting one foot in front of the other and tick the miles off’.

“I felt absolutely exhausted afterwards but I was absolutely delighted when I found out I had won my age group, and qualified for the Worlds at the end of August.

“I was even more delighted when I got an email from Ironman Corp, saying my time of 5 hours and 24 minutes was a course record for my age group, and that I had finished 93rd overall out of about 1,400 entries.”

Cooper was fourth (2:15:37) in his 55-59 category at the Liverpool Triathlon – the British Championships – last month whilst 16-year-old Marlborough & District Triathlon club member Elliott Lassite was eighth in the Elite Youth race in 35:03.

Alison and John Meredith, also from Marlborough, have also qualified for World Age Group Championships in Chicago, in the female and male 55-59 age groups.