Can Ali Brownlee go sub-7 hours over an Iron-distance? It could be a triathlon performance for the ages, But shaving 36 minutes off the world’s best iron-distance effort is a monumental ask. As Ali Brownlee prepares to attempt just that, James Witts investigate the innovations that could make the dream become reality Published: May 10, 2021 at 11:43 am In January, the internet lit up with news that Alistair Brownlee was to attempt breaking seven hours for an iron-distance course in spring 2022. Fellow Brit Lucy Charles-Barclay would aim to become the first woman to dip under eight hours. Advertisement Ineos’ 1:59 project echoed loud as, like Eluid Kipchoge’s sub-two-hour marathon, the appliance of science would win over rules and regulations. Both 7hr and 8hr challenges grabbed the headlines. For a moment. But there’s been little detail since. Until now. We’ve spoken to Alistair, his sponsors, engineers involved in Kipchoge’s effort and a six-time Hawaii winner to see if the fantastical is within the realms of possibility. But first up, we tapped up organiser and former Hawaii champion Chris McCormack to explain more about the challenge…