Ireland’s McCarthy and Singapore’s Er Choo triumph IronMan 70.3 Colombo
Men's winner Niall McCarthy of Ireland
Niall McCarthy from Ireland and Ling Er Choo from Singapore endured as top athletes in Male and Female categories of the IronMan 70.3 Colombo, concluded last Sunday at Colombo Port City. Competing among 653 starters, where 412 were individual competitors with 241 representing 89 teams, McCarthy and Er Choo were the star performers of the global triathlon event that energised the capital of Sri Lanka with the slogan – Colombo Active Week – from February 19 to 22.
McCarthy was the first to claim Men’s overall win by a single second 3:38:27 ahead of Olivier Godart immediately of the United Arab Emirate, who fell finished in 3:38:28. That razor-thin margin signals a full-gas race dynamic in which execution matters right to the finish chute, showing how exceptional the battle for first was. Great Britain’s Joseph Cant finished behind at third in 03:41:26 among 362 competitors. Top finisher McCarthy recorded the fastest run in 1:27:44, while UAE’s Godart, who narrowly lost to the Irish, was the fastest in bikes clocking 2:06:42.
On the women’s side, Singapore’s Er Choo delivered a champion’s performance to take the win in 4:04:35, and importantly, she did it in Colombo for the third time, having previously won IronMan 70.3 Colombo in 2018 and 2019. Ireland’s Michelle Nagle was placed second in 04:10:05 followed by Jenni Paglia of Italy, who clocked 04:15:22 among 82 contestants.
Among Sri Lankan participants, Ruwan Priyadarshana was ahead of his compatriots clocking 03:58:06 in the Open Division, which gave him the ninth overall position in the Male Division. Deethri Samarajeewa clocked 04:46:44 and went on to finish 16th overall in the Female Division.
The event began with the Kaya Wellness and Active Lifestyle Expo, held at Shangri-La Colombo from February 19 to 21, serving as the central hub of Colombo Active Week and bringing together wellness brands, fitness communities, and lifestyle experiences. Young athletes took centre stage at IronMan Colombo on February 21, where children aged 3 to 14 experienced the excitement of crossing an official IronMan finish line in a safe, family-focused environment. The flagship IronMan 70.3 Colombo event followed on February 22, showcasing Colombo’s coastline and modern infrastructure to a global sporting audience.
The event was organised by Serendib Multisport Ltd., led by its Directors, Yasas Hewage and Rajan Thananayagam. With athletes travelling from around the world and drawing in spectators across race week, IronMan 70.3 Colombo reinforced Sri Lanka’s growing position on the international sports tourism calendar while promoting fitness, youth participation, and community engagement across the city.
Female Overall winner Ling Er Choo of Singapore
First Sri Lankan Male finisher Ruwan Priyadharsana
Fastest Biker Olivier Godart (right) and Fastest Runner Niall McCarthy (left)