Endurance athlete Fergus Crawley is a unique physical specimen. The Scotsman is a powerlifter turned hybrid athlete, meaning he specializes in both strength and endurance. Previously, he was the second man ever to record back squatting 501 pounds and running a sub-five minute mile in the same day — known as the “500Five.”
Crawley’s latest challenge makes the 500Five look like a walk in the park. Exactly one year after his 500Five performance, the hybrid athlete completed the “1200Twleve” — he posted a 546-kilogram (1,203.7-pound) powerlifting total (raw) and completed an Ironman Triathlon on the same day. Here were his official stats for the 1200Twleve challenge:
1200Twleve Challenge
- Squat — 205 kilograms (452 pounds)
- Bench Press — 121 kilograms (266.8 pounds)
- Deadlift — 220 kilograms (485 pounds)
- Total — 546 kilograms (1,203.7 pounds)
His official time for the triathlon was 11 hours, 53 minutes, and 38 seconds. For reference, an analysis of 41,000 racers found that the average triathlon time is 12 hours and 35 minutes. The fastest ever triathlon completed, according to Guinness World Records, was performed by Jan Frodeno of Germany in seven hours, 51 minutes, and 13 seconds. Check out Crawley’s full powerlifting performance below, courtesy of his Instagram page:
Note: scroll to the left to see each of Crawley’s lifts.
View this post on Instagram
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One of the longest, most challenging days of my life. No doubt.
Crawley hit the squat rack to begin the powerlifting portion of the challenge at 3 a.m. at powerlifting club Nottingham Strong in Nottingham, U.K. He weighed approximately 92 kilograms for this “meet.” His preparation consisted of a five-week maintenance phase, and it paid off.
By 4 a.m., he secured the 1,200 pounds he needed for the challenge and earned himself two hours of rest before embarking on the triathlon that consisted of the following:
Outlaw Triathlon Ironman Triathlon
Crawley finished the triathlon with six minutes and 22 seconds to spare. To BarBend‘s knowledge, he is the first person ever to complete the 1200Twelve challenge.
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Turbulent Triathlon
Crawley was confident in his abilities as an athlete but not necessarily confident that he would successfully hit the triathlon time he set for himself.
There are so many variables at play, and to pretend that isn’t the case would be naive and detrimental to my approach.
Traversing long distances is a common endeavor for Crawley. In June 2021, he performed the Celtman in the Scottish Highlands — an ultra-distance marathon in extreme conditions considered by many to be the most difficult triathlon available in the region. The marathon for the 1200Twelve was on flatter ground rather than hills and mountainous terrain. Crawley’s preparation and training reflected that.
The marathon was not without difficulty, however. According to Crawley, following his powerlifting session, his “stomach felt like it had done a tumble turn,” and it did not subside as the day progressed. To compensate for not feeling his best, he adjusted his pace during the final 40 kilometers of the bike portion.
That was a smart choice, as he managed to run 16 kilometers without issue. It was not to be for the rest of the run, though, as he did throw up with eight kilometers left. He felt “hollow” for the remainder of the event but powered through and successfully hit his target with time to spare.
The Future of Endurance
In the caption of his Instagram post, Crawley writes that he intends to release his own report of the 1200Twelve ” in the next few days.” Additionally, he will share a video recap on his YouTube channel “a week [from] today.” Crawley completes these challenges to raise money for mental health awareness. According to his Instagram page, he’s raised £96,282 ($133,096) at the time this article was written.
Crawley intends to compete in as many XTri World Tour events as possible in the remainder of 2021. In January of 2022, he will begin a three-month charity project to raise £250,000 for mental health charities in the UK.
Feature image: @ferguscrawley on Instagram