Two local triathletes qualify for Ironman World Championship (multimedia)

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Injuries while training to compete in triathlons unfortunately are common, but Mike Biddle of Ooltewah has an injury story from the lead-in to Sunday's Ironman Chattanooga that's hard to top.

"I was going into an unknown because six weeks ago I crashed on my bike in a training ride," Biddle said of his expectations for the race. "I hit a deer and broke my collarbone ... and three ribs.

"I didn't know how well I'd do in the race, since I'm not fully healed. So that was a big gamble."

Biddle's gamble paid off Monday morning at the Chattanooga Convention Center, as he claimed one of the 50 spots in the 2015 Ironman World Championships available for top age-group finishers in Chattanooga.

Leading age-group finishers were packed into one of the ballrooms for the awards presentations and to find if they would get a chance to compete in the top Ironman event in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Competitors had to be present to claim their spot and be ready to pay the $825 entry fee immediately.

As the qualifiers were announced, cheers went up and fists were raised in triumph much as the athletes had done just a few hours earlier as they crossed the finish line at Ross's Landing.

High Point Climbing and Fitness co-owner John Wiygul of Chattanooga was watching as names were called. He hoped for a Kona spot after his fifth-place finish in the men's 25-29 age group.

"There's two spots in my age group and I'm fifth," he said. "but there's a chance that some guys above me may not want to go. There's a possibility. It's always worth sticking around."

Wiygul was unfortunately denied his shot at Kona this time, but there was no suspense for Biddle on Monday.

The 45-year-old graphic designer from Ooltewah was assured a spot after coming in second in the 45-49 age group with a time of 9 hours, 43 minutes and 11 seconds over the 144.6-mile course despite having trained the final weeks in pain from the injuries caused by the deer.

"My doctor didn't really give me permission to train. I just went ahead and did it anyway," he said. "The swim was the biggest struggle because that's the most pressure on the collarbone.

"It was just balancing my pain tolarance with keeping up my training. I had to scale back a little bit, and that affected my time, somewhat, I think. But it was good enough to qualify for the world championships."

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photo A volunteer holds one of the medallions handed to finishers in Ironman Chattanooga on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014, in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Joining Biddle as the other local qualifier for Kona was his friend Brian Lowman, also of Ooltewah, who will compete in his second Ironman World Championship. His first one was 2011.

"That had been my dream -- to make it to Kona," said Lowman, 42, who was fifth in men's 40-44 in 9:27:59. "But after I went to Kona and competed and finished, I couldn't stop thinking about going back. That race is just absolutely amazing over there.

"So when they announced the Ironman in Chattanooga -- hometown race in your back yard -- I immediately started thinking about Kona again."

Now Lowman will be going back to Kona next fall, but this time he will go with his friend and training partner, who overcame injury and pain to earn a spot in the world's most famous triathlon.

"The ultimate dream was for me to go back but to go with him," Lowman said. "And for him to come back after being hit by the deer and then having the race of his life yesterday and for both of us to go is just unbelievable."

Contact Jim Tanner at jtanner@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6478. Follow him at twitter.com/JFTanner.

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