Cameron Brown on the hunt for another victory at Ironman Cairns

Cam Brown has his sights set on a podium finish at the Asia-Pacific Championships on June 11th. Trizone caught up with Brown to discuss the past few months, and talk all things Cairns.

“I really enjoy going to Cairns every year, it gives me a break from our weather every year too which is nice,” Brown told Trizone. “It’s mostly an Australian and New Zealand field, it’s going to be tough.”

Brown placed first in 2014 and second in 2015 at Ironman Cairns, so he’s no stranger to the podium at the event and he’s hoping to repeat his past performances this year. “I’ve been training for it with other long course races, and I just got back from doing the Strongman in Japan,” Brown told Trizone.

Strongman long course event prepares Brown for Cairns

“I’ve always wanted to do the Strongman race, it’s a really cool event,” said Brown. “I grew up as an athlete in Japan for seven years, but I was always too young to do it when I was there. It’s one of Japan’s oldest and most prestigious races. It’s been going strong for 33 years and lots of amazing athletes have won it in the past,” said Cam Brown.

Strongman is a world-class event, blending a 3km swim, 157km bike and 42km bike; almost an Ironman. “I love going to Japan, I love racing there. I love the food, culture and I have lots of great friends up there,” Brown told Trizone. “My manager won a year’s supply of beer, he was pretty excited about that!”

Brown is 44-years-old and going strong

Brown raced at Strongman on April 23rd; the perfect preparation for Ironman Cairns. Both Strongman and Cairns are just part of a hugely busy race calendar jam-packed full of long course events, even though many other athletes only do a few long course each year. At 44 years old, the athlete’s training and racing load is huge yet he’s still at the top of his game.

Brown is just one of the many ‘older’ athletes who race Ironman above the age of 40. “Ten or 15 years ago that was unheard of and when I was 30 there was no way I thought I’d still be racing now, but times have changed,” Brown told the Cairns post.

“Science has come on quite a lot in terms of the fluids and gels you can have on race day, but it’s hard work, dedication, passion and love for the sport that has kept me going. That and running on trails and soft surfaces; you can stay in the sport a lot longer than if you run on concrete every day.”

Despite the huge training load, Brown is still incredibly strong and feels his age in only one aspect. “My feet are getting a bit stiff,” Brown told Trizone. “I notice it first thing in the morning, but apart from my feet, the body is good. I keep moving as much as possible.”

Cam Brown knows Ironman Cairns in and out

With his eyes on Ironman Cairns, Brown’s experience with the course and the weather have been part of his preparation. “If there are great conditions, it’s a fast race. If we had a stunning day I’m sure people could finish under 8:05, but we haven’t had that yet at Cairns,” said Brown. “The swim is always rough, and you’re always hammering into a headwind on the return leg to Cairns.”

It’s not always bad weather though, Brown knows sometimes it’s the heat that can make Cairns tough. “One year it was over 30 degrees. You just never know what you’re going to get.”
Cameron Brown’s top picks for key contenders Cairns are Van Berkel and Brayden, and we’re betting it will be a battle between Tim Van Berkel and Cameron Brown for the top spot.

Trizone wishes Cam Brown and all the athletes good luck for the Asia Pacific Championships in Cairns.