Roscommon man carried broken bike 9km to complete triathlon

A man in Co Roscommon carried his bike on his back after it broke while he was competing in a triathlon at the weekend.

Ed Payne, from Tulsk, was taking part in the John Tully Hospice triathlon on Sunday and was beyond the midway point of the 20km cycle when an issue arose with his bike.

As reported by the Roscommon Herald, Payne noticed the rear derailleur was getting loose, and around 9km short of the next transition, it broke completely just outside Ballintubber, going straight through the wheel.

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Determined to finish, as it was the first event he and his wife had entered together, Payne picked up the bike and continued on to the end of the stage before setting off on the 5km run.

"I wasn't going home without a medal," Payne said, adding: "It’s not a heavy bike, throw it on your back. I walked a bit, ran a bit.

"My bike carried me half the way, it did 10km, I had to carry it back, no biggie."