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Elkhalil Binebine (aka ‘ IronBinebine’) began his Ironman Journey in 2016, after more than twenty-five years of playing Tennis at a competitive level. Having never practiced any of the three disciplines of this brutal sport (2.4- mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run), he hired the head coach of USCD’s triathlon team to prepare for this new and substantial challenge he has set to himself, past the age of 55.
In the build up to his first full Ironman, he raced the London triathlon and Vichy’s half Ironman in August of 2016, before his main event, which took place in October 2016 in Barcelona (Finish time of 12 hours and 51 minutes).
Having successfully competed in first full distance race, he has since competed in 19 Ironman events (11 full 140.6, 8 half 70.3), Elkhalil has been consistently chasing the holy grail of the sport: a qualification to the Ironman World Championships. This event, which takes place every year in the second week of October in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, is the most important triathlon event in the world, regrouping the best of this sport in a single day winner-takes-all world championship.
In his quest for Kona, he achieved his monumental objective in November 2017 through a gruelling race and course at Ironman Florida, which saw most of his competition break down on the unforgiving roads of Haines City. As a result, Elkhalil raced in the biggest stage of triathlon on October 12th, 2019 and clocking a fantastic time of 12 hours and 47 minutes as the only athlete competing for Morocco in this edition of the IMWC.
Rather than settling for a first Kona race, IronBineBine is already looking forward to competing strong in 2021 with a Kona age group win still in Mind. Despite Covid-19, he is set to compete in Hawaii 70.3, Ironman Coeur D’Alene and Ironman Kazakhstan this summer ahead of a 60th Birthday which could be celebrated in the Big Island of Hawaii on the second weekend of October.
