Tim Berkel

Timothy Peter Van Berkel (born 29 June 1984 in Albury, New South Wales) is an Australian professional triathlete who races primarily in long distance triathlon events.

Career

Van Berkel grew up in Wodonga, Victoria and played Australian Rules Football (AFL). He began training for and competing in triathlons at the age of 18 as a way of staying fit during the AFL off-season. In 2004 and 2005 he competed predominately in Age-Group races Australia.

In 2005 he raced at the World Age Group Championships in Hawaii in the 20- to 24-year category, finishing 9th. That was his last race as an amateur. At the age of 21, Van Berkel was granted a professional license. His first race as a professional was Port Macquarie Half Ironman in October 2005. At this time Van Berkel decided to move to Ballina, New South Wales to be closer to his coach, Grant Giles of Team Aeromax, who was based in Port Macquarie, New South Wales.

In 2007, Van Berkel made his debut at Ironman distance, competing in the Ironman Australia Championships and finishing 7th. In 2008, at 24 years old, Berkel won Ironman Western Australia in 2008, making him the second youngest Ironman Champion, behind Germany's Thomas Hellriegel by 20 days. He won his second Ironman distance event at Challenge Copenhagen in 2010, surpassing Hellreigal's accomplishment of having two Ironman distance wins by three months. In 2011 Van Berkel successfully defended his Challenge Copenhagen title in a closely fought race with Denmark's Jimmy Johnsen. Since turning professional, Van Berkel has competed in Ironman and Ironman 70.3 events in Australia, Asia, Europe and America.

In 2014, Van Berkel debuted at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. He finished 7th in a time of 8:23:26.

In 2015, Van Berkel came 2nd in the Asia-Pacific Ironman Championship in Melbourne, Australia. He was narrowly beaten by Canadian-born triathlete, Jeff Symonds. In August, Van Berkel engaged Dr Daniel Plews as his new coach.

In August 2015, Van Berkel finished 2nd to fellow Australian triathlete, Tim Reed, by 2 seconds, in the Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship held in Cebu, Philippines. Then, in September of the same year, Van Berkel won Ironman 70.3 Sunshine Coast.

Personal life

Van Berkel lives in East Ballina, New South Wales.

Professional record Results list Date/Year Place Competition Venue Time Notes 2017/12/03 Third Ironman Western Australia , Busselton, Western Australia 7:27:08 No swim leg for athletes due to sharks. 2017/11/26 Second Ironman 70.3 Thailand , Phuket, Thailand 3:52:49 2017/10/14 Fifteenth Ironman World Championship , Kona, Hawaii 8:28:05 2017/09/10 Second Ironman 70.3 Sunshine Coast , Mooloolaba, Queensland 3:54:08 2017/06/12 Fourth Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship , Cairns, Queensland 8:09:22 2017/05/07 First Ironman 70.3 Vietnam , Danang 3:56:19 2017/03/19 Fifth Ironman 70.3 Taiwan , Taitung, Taiwan 3:55:01 2017/03/12 Sixth Ironman 70.3 Subic Bay , Subic Bay 3:54:52 2017/02/19 Seventh Ironman 70.3 Geelong , Geelong, Victoria 3:56:28 2016/12/11 Fourth Ironman 70.3 Ballarat , Ballarat, Victoria 3:55:50 2016/11/27 Third Ironman 70.3 Thailand , Phuket, Thailand 4:05:32 2016/10/08 Nineteenth Ironman World Championship , Kona, Hawaii 8:35:27 2016/06/12 First Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship , Cairns, Queensland 8:15:03 2016/05/08 Second Ironman 70.3 Vietnam , Danang 3:55:08 2016/04/10 Second Ironman African Championship , Nelson Bay 8:14:51 2016/03/06 Fourth Ironman 70.3 Subic Bay , Subic Bay 3:53:19 2015/08/02 First Ironman 70.3 Sunshine Coast , Mooloolaba, Queensland 3:46:05 2015/03/22 Second Ironman Melbourne Asia-Pacific Championship , Melbourne 8:07:56 2015/01/18 Sixteenth Ironman New Zealand 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship , Auckland 4:15:18 2014/12/06 Tenth Challenge Bahrain , Manama 3:47:01 2014/10/12 Seventh Ironman World Championship , Kona, Hawaii 8:23:26 2014/07/06 Second Ironman Cairns , Cairns, Queensland 8:23:23 2014/03/05 First Ironman 70.3 Busselton , Busselton, Western Australia 3:43:07 New course record 2014/01/03 Fourth Ironman New Zealand , Taupō, New Zealand 8:29:53 2014/01/02 First Challenge Melbourne , Melbourne 3:52:37 2014/01/19 Twelfth Ironman Auckland 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship , Taupō, New Zealand 3:52:21 2013/11/10 Second Ironman 70.3 Australian Championship , Busselton, Western Australia 3:44:31 2013/10/20 Fourth Ironman 70.3 Port Macquarie , Port Macquarie, New South Wales 4:01:45 2013/08/31 Second Metaman , Bintan Island 8:42:12 2013/08/18 Second Ironman 70.3 Yeppoon , Yeppoon, Queensland 3:59:48 2013/09/06 Second Ironman Cairns , Cairns, Queensland 8:22:16 2013/02/06 Sixth Coral Coast Triathlon 5150 , Cairns, Queensland 1:50:09 2013/04/21 Eighth Ironman 70.3 New Orleans , New Orleans 3:53:48 2013/07/04 Second Ironman 70.3 Texas , Galveston, Texas 3:51:35 2013/10/02 Sixth Urban – Long Course Geelong Triathlon Festival , Geelong, Victoria 3:54:27 2012/10/28 Second Port Macquarie 70.3 , Port Macquarie, New South Wales 3:54:45 2012/10/21 First Ironman 70.3 Mandurah , Mandurah, Western Australia 3:39:59 2012/07/10 Second ULTIMATE – FORSTER , Forster, New South Wales 4:43:43 2012/04/26 Second Ironman 70.3 Japan, Tokoname, Aichi 4:03:42 2012/06/05 Second Ironman Australia , Port Macquarie, New South Wales 8:21:11 2012/12/02 Third Geelong Long Course , Geelong, Victoria 3:39:59 2012/01/09 Second O2 Creation Triport Festival , Goondiwindi, Queensland 4:11:02 2012/07/01 Third Port of Tauranga Half Ironman , Tauranga 4:01:28 2011/09/10 Fourth REVOLUTION3 Triathlon , Anderson, South Carolina 3:57:53 2011/09/25 Third ESI Augusta Ironman 70.3 , Augusta, Georgia 3:51:54 2011/11/09 Eighth Ironman World Championship 70.3 , Henderson, Nevada 4:02:01 2011/08/14 First Challenge Copenhagen , Copenhagen, Denmark 8:11:15 Successfully defended his title 2011/07/13 Second Ironman 70.3 Racine , Racine, Wisconsin 3:57:32 2011/05/06 Third Challenge Cairns , Cairns, Queensland 8:29:20 2011/07/05 First Ironman 70.3 Busselton , Busselton, Western Australia 3:51:27 2011/01/05 Second Ironman 70.3 Port Macquarie , Port Macquarie, New South Wales 4:01:40 2011/03/04 First NISSAN/BRW Corporate Triathlon – Team DAIKIN , Sydney 0:27:15 2011/10/04 Second Triathlon Queensland Olympic Distance Championships , Brisbane, Queensland 2010/08/15 First Challenge Copenhagen , Copenhagen, Denmark 8:07:39 2010/11/07 Second Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island , Providence, Rhode Island 4:02:05 2010/11/04 Second SiS Half Ironman Port Macquarie , Port Macquarie, New South Wales 4:04:20 2010/12/06 Third Ironman 70.3 Boise , Boise, Idaho 4:08:08 2010/06/06 Fourth Ironman 70.3 Mooseman , Newfound Lake, New Hampshire 4:06:23 2010/01/05 Third Busselton Half Ironman , Busselton, Western Australia 3:51:59 2010/03/28 Seventh Ironman Australia , Port Macquarie, New South Wales 8:40:46 2010/02/21 Sixth Australia Long Course Championship , New South Wales 3:43:06 2010/06/02 Third Ironman 70.3 Geelong , Geelong, Victoria 3:56:10 2010/09/01 Third Port of Tauranga Half Ironman , Tauranga, New Zealand 3:58:40 2009/11/15 Second Shepparton Half Ironman , Shepparton, Victoria 3:52:29 2009/01/11 First Port Macquarie Half Ironman , Port Macquarie, New South Wales 4:00:38 2009/04/10 Second Gold Coast Half Ironman , Gold Coast, Queensland 3:56:23 2009 First Port Douglas Long Course , Port Douglas, Queensland 2009 Second 10th Anniversary Capricorn Resort Half Ironman , Yeppoon, Queensland 4:04:24 2009/05/16 Tenth Ironman 70.3 Florida , Orlando, Florida 4:03:41 2009/05/04 Third Ironman Australia , Port Macquarie, New South Wales 8:31:43 2008/07/12 First Ironman Western Australia , Busselton, Western Australia 8:07:06 2008 First Avanti Reef & Rainforest Triathlon , Port Douglas, Queensland 2008/02/24 Second Australia Long Course Champs , Huskisson, New South Wales 3:44:01 2008 First Port Douglas Long Course , Port Douglas, Queensland 2008/05/10 Second Gold Coast Half Ironman , Gold Coast, Queensland 4:00:06 2008/09/11 Second Port Macquarie Half Ironman , Port Macquarie, New South Wales 4:02:31 2008/10/19 Second New South Wales Long Course Championships , Forster, New South Wales 2:52:57 2008/06/04 Fourth Ironman Australia , Port Macquarie, New South Wales 8:44:20 2008/07/13 Fifth Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island , Providence, Rhode Island 4:01:08 2008/08/05 Sixth Ironman 70.3 Eagleman , Cambridge, Maryland 4:06:38 2008/07/20 Seventh Ironman 70.3 Vineman , Sonoma County, California 3:59:42 2008/07/09 Eighth Ironman 70.3 Singapore 4:09:06 2008/09/02 Ninth Ironman 70.3 Geelong , Geelong, Victoria 4:08:21 2007/11/18 First Shepparton Triathlons , Shepparton, Victoria 3:58:36 2007/04/11 Fourth Port Macquarie Half Ironman , Port Macquarie, New South Wales 4:08:25 2007/11/30 Second Cannibal Gold Coast Half Ironman , Gold Coast, Queensland 4:08:25 2007 Fourth Airlie Beach Triathlon , Queensland 2007/03/06 Tenth Ironman 70.3 Switzerland 4:01:40 2007 Twenty-ninth Italian Olympic Distance Championship 2007/06/23 Fifth Ironman Switzerland 8:49:09 2007/01/04 Seventh Ironman Australia , Port Macquarie, New South Wales 8:57:12 2007/02/25 Fifth Huskisson Australia Long Course Champions Pro , Huskisson, New South Wales 3:42:35 2006/03/12 Seventh Laguna Phuket Pro , Phuket 2006/01/10 Third Cannibal Gold Coast Half Ironman, Pro , Gold Coast, Queensland 4:03:25 2006 Fourth Rydges Capricorn Australian Half Ironman Series, Pro , Queensland 2006/06/05 Seventh Busselton Half Ironman, Pro , Busselton, Western Australia 4:04:51 2006 Third Airlie Beach Triathlon , Queensland 2006 Second Camden Haven Triathlon , New South Wales 2006 First Victorian Olympic Distance Championships U23 Elite , Geelong, Victoria 2006 Tenth Australian Long Course Championships, Pro , Huskisson, New South Wales 2006 First Dean St Duathlon Open , Albury 2005 First Yackandanda Triathlon, Open Male , Yackandandah, Victoria 2005 Third Busselton Half Ironman, Pro , Busselton, Western Australia 2005/11/12 Fourth Canberra Half Ironman , Canberra, ACT 4:27:05 2005/10/23 Ninth Port Maquarie Half Ironman , Port Macquarie, New South Wales 4:17:21 2005 Second Victorian Olympic Distance Championships, U23 Elite , Elwood, Victoria 2005 Ninth World Age Group Championships, 20–24 yr , Hawaii 2004 Third Victorian Sprint Distance Championships, Junior Elite , Brighton, Victoria 2004 Third Australian Olympic Distance Championships,16–19 AG , Mooloolaba, Queensland 2004 Second Australian Duathlon Championships, 20–24 AG , Benalla, Victoria 2004/02/29 First Yackandandah Triathlon, Open Male , Yackandandah, Victoria 2004 First Nail Can Hill Ironman (2003 & 2004) Open , Albury