Laghey Triathlete Ciaran Boyle shines at World Championships in Queensland

Laghey triathlete Ciaran Boyle continued his strong run of form ‘Down Under’ recently with a starring role for Team Ireland in the World Triathlon Long Distance World Championship in Queensland. 

Boyle, who competes in the 35-39 age group, endured sweltering 35C-plus temperatures in Townsville to finish eighth in the world with a 6:06:41 time. 

The grueling event featured a 3km swim,114km bike leg, and finished with a 30km run which Boyle ticked off in 2:11:05 mins. 

The 35-39 age group included a mixture of former Olympians and professional cyclists making Boyle’s feat all the more impressive. 

“I was really happy with my performance - the conditions were really difficult as the day wore on, but my times were good and I stuck with it,” he said. 

Boyle, who is based in the Western Australian capital Perth, has made significant strides in the triathlon event, since taking it up less than 2 years ago. 

His focus will now turn to tackling the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships, which take place December 14-15 in New Zealand. 

The invite-only event, which Boyle qualified for after an impressive eighth place at IRONMAN Melbourne in November 2023, will see more than 6000 athletes descend on the stunning North Island town of Taupo. 

“All my training will be centred around getting the absolute maximum out of the World Championships in a few months’ time - hopefully I can get a good result there,” he said. 

“Perth is a fantastic place to train - I swim mostly at Cottesloe beach and cycle and run around the city - it’s got great weather and facilities.”