Second place is just the first place loser: anna.aero publisher, Paul Hogan, takes his 'last' TeamBron place on the podium alongside team winner, Max Hogan (18), who was also the youngest Virgin Active London Triathlon participant (and third overall in the 17-19 category).
For the third year in succession, anna.aero’s TeamBron was exclusively sponsored in yesterday’s Virgin Active London Triathlon by London City Airport in aid of the bone marrow transplant charity, Anthony Nolan.
TeamBron is named after Brontë Hogan, anna.aero publisher Paul’s 12-year-old daughter who lost her five year battle with leukaemia last year despite two bone marrow transplants, both organised by Anthony Nolan. Since then, anna.aero’s TeamBron has raised over $150,000 through marathon and triathlon participation, much of it contributed by anna.aero readers and customers.
This year’s TeamBron London Triathlon entry was expanded with the participation of Paul’s eldest son, Max, who celebrated his 18th birthday just two weeks ago, thereby becoming the youngest finisher of the 11,000-participant event completing the 1.5km swim, 40km cycle race and 10km run in 2 hours 46 minutes (finishing third overall in the 17-19 year group category). This was despite terrible autumnal weather which led to later waves of the triathlon needing to be curtailed as gale force winds turned the Thames water in Albert Dock into mid-Atlantic like conditions (this year’s event was staged two months later than its usual sunny August date because of the London Olympics).
Before: TeamBron – anna.aero publisher Paul Hogan, and his son Max – show off their nice clean London City Airport sponsor’s shirts (kindly provided by Hexagon Print - thanks Della!!!!)
Talking about his first London Triathlon, Max told anna.aero: “I planned to race with my father, but he disappeared under tidal wave of much faster swimmers right at the start, I never saw him resurface, and I didn’t see him again until the end when he wandered in about five minutes after me. He hasn’t wanted to talk about his race since then, but I really enjoyed mine – it was very exciting to be racing at ExCel, one of the main London Olympic venues, with the aircraft busily landing and taking off alongside us serving as a constant reminder of London City Airport’s support for TeamBron.”
During: The storm after the calm – the Thames’ Albert Dock is home to several ships, various dead dogs, and anything London drank the day before. anna.aero’s Max flies on the bike leg. Note the crowds on the footbridge – the 11,000-participant event draws over 30,000 spectators to ExCel and around London City Airport where the Triathlon takes place.
But while a characteristically sportsman-like Hogan (senior) is not on speaking terms with Max, he did talk to us: “anna.aero’s TeamBron is massively grateful for the support of London City Airport. As we clung to life in the river yesterday, freshly topped up from the storm drains of some of London’s finest streets, it was reassuring to look up and see passengers staring down from the comfort of their warm business class seats above our bobbing heads, knowing that their custom had in some way contributed to our cause.”
TeamBron’s next endeavour is the 2013 Virgin London Marathon.
anna.aero publisher Paul Hogan is passed in a blur by a 150kg version of Usain Bolt, while Max shows what a sprint finish really is. Photo credits: A big thanks to Auntie Bid for taking all these super action pictures!!
One Comment
Well done guys!