Click Here: custom die casting mold and Product

>>> Gallery: Jenson Button Trust Triathlon 2014

This year’s event is moving up to Derby, and will begin with a swim in Markeaton Lake, followed by a fast bike course on closed roads with a couple of technical bits thrown in, finishing with a 2.5km run around the edge of Markeaton Park, with a feed station halfway round.

Advertisement

After the racing is done there’ll be a post-race party with live music, a prize presentation from Jenson, licensed bar and barbecue. See you there!

Click Here: new zealand blues jersey

This year’s event started from Wasdale and saw 133 competitors take on the iron-distance race, which included steeper ascents than any Ironman-branded event. Eventual winner was Ryan Brown from Effingham, Surrey, in 13 hours and 51 minutes.

In a new partnership with YHA (England and Wales), organiser Mark Blackburn has designed the 2016 route to start from the YHA Ambleside, at the head of Windermere. On June 6, 2016, competitors will swim twice round Seamew Crag island in Windermere, and then cycle all the Lake District passes on the route of the famed Fred Whitton challenge, some 112 miles. The marathon run of 26 miles will take the athletes out and back to the top of Scafell Pike via Elterwater and Great Langdale.

The total ascent on the cycle and run routes is 5150m, the highest in the world, with a projected winning time of four hours longer than Norway’s Norseman extreme race. One of 2015’s finishers, James Cooper, said: “It amazed me how we all managed to go through hell with a smile on our faces.”

Mark Blackburn said: “We are thrilled with the new arrangement with YHA which will mean that our race will be much more accessible to competitors from all over the world. It will be another great sporting event for Windermere, Ambleside and the Lake District.”

Advertisement

The race will also support YHA’s bursary fund for disadvantaged young people, Breaks for Kids, with £5 from each entry will going to the cause. Earlybird entries are now open at www.wasdalex.co.uk/index.php/enter-2016.

The races kicked off on a sunny day with the LittleLife Scootathlon for children aged 4-8. It began with an anti-clockwise scoot around the 390m course, before swapping to a bike for another 390m lap around the course before a final 250m run finishing under the LittleLife gantry.

Once the kids had shown us how it’s done, it was then the turn of the parents to join in and compete with their kids in the inaugural Parent and Children Scootathlon Relay. Micro Scooter were giving out spot prizes on the day, including some colourful backpacks.

13-14 year-olds

Shortly after the Scootathlons, it was time for this generation’s budding young triathletes to take on the Dorney Lake course. Starting with the high performance drafting waves, we saw some exhilarating races from top young triathletes.

The first waves of the day were the 13 to 14 year olds, who took to the race with ease, storming through the swim and onto the bikes as if it was second nature. Once the competitors took off to swim the challenging 400m, it was evident that this was to be a quick race with the top 10 all exiting the swim within seconds of each other. 

As it was very evident this was a strong field, transitions were to be vitally important, and this showed, as eventual winner Zak Wort was ruthlessly efficient in transition, particularly in T2 to claim the top prize. Zak finished the race with a fantastic time of 31:00, however not too far behind him in second was Tom Simpson (Greenwich Tritons), shortly followed by Abel Sinko-Uribe in third (31:22).

In the female race it was to again to be a tight race, with the top five finishing within only 40secs of each other. However the eventual winner of the day was Isabel Atkins (Optima Racing Team) with an impressive time of 34:20mins. Isobel was particularly strong in her run, achieving the fastest time in her whole category, which inevitably pushed her ahead of her competitors Ellie Hobbs (Yate Tri-Stars) and Daisy Davies (Dorset Pentathletes) in second and third respectively.

15-16 year-olds

The last of the high-performance drafting waves of the day were the 15 to 16 year old boys and girls categories. The eventual winner of this category was to be James Chantler-Mayne with an impressive time of 31:38mins, beating Aurel Sinko-Uribe in second place by 30 seconds.

With Chantler-Mayne securing first place, second was a hotly contested affair with Aurel Sinko-Uribe and Gregory Atkins (Optima Racing Team) battling it out for silver. Although Atkins led Sinko-Uribe out of the bike and through T2, Sinko-Uribe pulled it back in the run to beat Atkins by a mere second, which rounded off a great day for the Sinko-Uribe family, with both boys finishing in the top three of their respective categories.  

There was to be no such drama in the girls’ wave, however there was still to be some superb racing across the field. Blythe Fourie took the gold medal in the girls’ category after her impressive swim and run times, combined with her rapid transitions, providing the catalyst to trump Sinead Clark (East Essex Tri Club) and Hannah Keating (Optima Racing Team) in second and third, who finished with impressive times of 36:47mins and 37:06mins respectively. 

9-10 year-olds and 8 year-olds

Once the high-performance drafting races had finished, the youngest triathletes of the day began, firstly with the 9-10 year olds subsequently followed by the 8-year-old wave. This was to be a great event as it was some of these kids’ first taste of the triathlon world, and hopefully it has left them with a craving for more.

The fastest competitor in the 9-10 year-olds’ Fun tri was Ruben Snelson of Team Rugby who battled it out with Thomas Dixon (4 Life Triathlon Club) throughout the race for first place, only for Ruben to edge Thomas, only slightly, on the bike course. Not too far behind Thomas in third was Henry Pollock of Beachborough School Triathlon Club who finished with an equally impressive time of 14:29mins.

When it came to the girls’ event, we witnessed a dramatic finish which led to all top three competitors coming within 8secs of each other. Cerys Howells (Thames Turbo Triathlon Club) won the race with a time of 15:01mins, however it was second place which was eventually shared by two teammates, Sophie Hamilton and Melissa Eve Copper of Chapel Tri Club, who finished on exactly the same time of 15:09.

Following the 9-10 year old waves was the 8 year-olds’ Fun tri which involved a 100m swim, 1.5km bike and a 600m run. Winning the event with a fantastic time of 11:43mins was William Blount (Chapel Tri Club), who only just beat Kian Hooker to first by a mere 2secs. Shortly following Kian in third was Lauren Mitchell (Medway Tri) finishing with a time of 12:26mins, after a storming run, the quickest by any competitor in that race.

11-12 year-old triathlon

Moving up an age category now to the 11 and 12 year-olds’ triathlon, Ryan Symington (Dorset Pentathletes) took the race by the scruff of its neck by firstly leading the swim out of the water and, with a smooth transition in T1, Ryan led the pack from an early stage. Even though Benjamin Cumberland (Vale Tridents) and Ben Edwards were quickly chasing him down, Ryan won the race with a comfortable 30sec lead over Benjamin in second and Ben in third.

In the girls’ race it was a similar story however it was on the bike course when the eventual winner Ciara Blount (Chapel Tri Club) took control with a speedy time of 10:09mins. This was followed by a swift transition in T2 and Kate Painter (Medway Tri) found her too tough to catch, despite a really impressive run time of 6.47mins, almost a whole minute quicker than winner Ciara Blount. Ella Peters (Jetstream Tri Club) and Freya Batkin took joint third after Ella Peters’s impressive effort in the run to reduce the deficit Freya Batkin had set after an imposing time on the bike course.

Click Here: custom injection moulding
13-14 year-old triathlon

With a challenging 300m swim, 10.6km bike and a 2.5km run, we witnessed the 13 to 14 year-olds wave showcasing their triathlete credentials in hotly-contested races in both the boys and girls heats. After a strong start from all competitors in the swim, the bike and run course evened out the pack, showcasing which budding young triathletes just had the edge. The eventual winner of the boys heat was Matthew Howard with a time of 35:52mins, even though Nicholas Sims, in second, led in the swim and was quickest out of transition (T1).

Not too far behind Nicholas in third was Alex Evans (Chapel Tri Club) finishing with an impressive time of 38.07mins. In the girls’ wave Isobel Barnett (Tri Henley) led the race throughout, with a particularly imposing time of 10:51mins in the run, which helped stretch her lead over Gabby Horner (Medway Tri), who finished in an equally impressive time of 39:47mins. Second place was up for grabs throughout the race, however Gabby Horner just edged her rival, Lili-Keau Juntakereket, to second by only 10secs, after a strong transition in T2 and an impressive run to finish.

15-18 year-old youth and junior triathlon

Our final waves of the day were the 15 to 18 years Youth and Junior Triathlon boys and girls waves, and it was to be a great way to end the day, as there was some spectacular competition on show. In the boys race, there was to be one clear winner in the form of Patrick Livingstone of N1 Tri Club, who finished a whole 2mins ahead of Daniel Pinn (Crystal Palace Triathlon Club) in second place, after blitzing the run in a spectacular time of 8:51mins. Just behind Daniel in third was Jack Shayler, who trailed Daniel by almost a minute in the bike course, only to make up the minute with a great time of 10:03mins in the run, leaving him only 13secs behind Daniel in second. 

In the girls’ wave, it was a different story with a relatively split pack, with a clear first, second and third. From the get-go the race was dominated by Lauren Revell (Team Milton Keynes), who stormed out of the swim 30secs ahead of her nearest competitors, followed by a swift transition in T1, and increasing her lead through a strong bike time.

Although Lauren did not record the fastest run time of the wave, she had done enough to secure first place with just over 30secs to spare over second-placed Leanne Symington (Dorset Pentathletes). With Leanne finishing in second with a time of 40:25mins, her nearest competitor was Annabel Morton in third who enjoyed a great run time to propel her further ahead of Jodie Hull (Tri Sport Epping) in fourth, to secure the final podium spot.

Advertisement

Did you race at Eton Dorney last weekend? Let us know in the comments below!

>>> Gallery: Long Course Weekend 2014

In brief, athletes can choose to swim 1.2 or 2.4 miles on the Friday, bike 40, 72 or 112 miles on the Saturday, and run a 10k, half or full marathon on the Sunday. Athletes who attempt to complete the full Long Course Weekend need to complete a 2.4 mile sea swim, 112 mile bike ride and a full marathon, all within the allotted cut off times. 

The prize fund offers £1000 for the swim 1st place, £1000 for the marathon 1st place and £1000 for the full Long Course Weekend winner. The Wales Swim offers £500 to the charity of choice to whomever can beat the hare, which this year was Thomas Allen – who wears a golden swim cap. The top 150 fastest riders of the King of the Hill in Saundersfoot are giving the chance to win a brand new Ceepo Frame curtsey of Ceepo Bikes.

Due to the record number of athletes, registration and expo opened Thursday 2nd July, along with arranged seminars with Mark from Mikes Bikes, 2014 men’s champion Oliver Simon and 4x Ironman winner Lucy Gossage.

Taff Kids

Every year the weekend starts with Taff Kids on the beach and 2015 was no different, with nearly 500 children on the beach it was bigger than ever before. This year the National Anthem was sung by St Florence, Tenby Juniors and Tenby Infants and a local samba band also entertained crowds before the event started. Taff Kids is a splash and dash and a chance for primary school aged children to get involved as they cross the main finish line on the beach in front of thousands of spectators. 

Wales Swim 

Taff Kids was followed by The 2XU Wales Swim, with 1,800 athletes entering the water to take on either 1.2 or 2.4 miles of sea swimming. Tommy Allen was the hare of the swim event, with a £500 prize going to the charity of choice for whoever beat him.

Tommy Allen finished 1st with a time of 44:45mins. Second place was Chris Suggitt (45:36mins) and third place was Andrew Horsfall-Turner (47:41mins). The women’s swim event saw Fern Davies take first place with a time of 54:49mins, and closely behind in second place came Carol Bridge (58:17mins), then in third place was Hayley Davis (59:31mins).

What a start to the day! @aweventsteam @Theironcouple @JohnBeckley pic.twitter.com/K3JLWQFATC

— Fountainfotos (@fountainfotos78) July 3, 2015

Wales Sportive

The Pedal Cover Wales Sportive takes place on the Saturday, starting in the Salterns and incorporating the Ceepo King of the Hill in Saundersfoot. The route is known for being challenging and hilly, however with fantastic scenery all the way round.

The top 20 Long Course Weekend athletes from the Wales Swim cycled down the ramp off the Stage at the Salterns, where a DJ played music and fireworks started an epic day of cycling for all cyclists. Pro triathlete Stephen Bayliss led after the swim and therefore was leading off the ramp. 

Closely behind came reigning champion Oliver Simon and last year’s second place Dominic Rohan-Gates. The Ceepo King of the Hill saw Parys Edwards winning the ladies’ race with a time of 35.6secs, and James Shaw took the men’s title with a very quick time of 26.3secs.

Top three males overall for the Pedal Cover Wales Sportive: 1st Dominic Rohan-Gates, 2nd Oliver Simon and 3rd Roscoe Howell. Top 3 females overall: 1st Lucy Gossage, 2nd Parys Edwards and 3rd Emma Newsome.

Completely bowled away by the atmosphere at the @aweventsteam long course weekend. Unbelievable. #smashfest pic.twitter.com/nWhpnBASeT

— lucy gossage (@lucygoss) July 4, 2015

Wales Run

The last day of the Long Course Weekend saw athletes take on the run leg of the event. Participants were able to choose either the Oakwood Wales Marathon, Oakwood Wales half marathon or the Coastal Cottages 10k distance.

The Wales Marathon male winner was Gareth Petts, closely behind in second place was Richard Gardiner, and in third was Gareth Thomas. The women’s marathon was won by Karen Sobrino, followed by Jillian Gordon and Nerys Jones. 

The half marathon male winner was Ryan Mclfynn, second place was 2xU’s Mike Martin and third place was Charlies Morris. Half marathon female winner was 2xU’s Freya Martin, followed by Lucy Gossage and Kayley Price. The new 10k event that launched at this year’s Long Course Weekend saw Matthew Rees take first place with a time of 34:26secs, followed by Oliver Brace and Rhys Harries.

The runners are starting to come in! Amazing! Supporters are out in full force @aweventsteam #marathon #LCW pic.twitter.com/XDzoT1gldw

— Swansea Sound (@swanseasound) July 5, 2015

Overall winners

A record number of athletes enter the Full Long Course Weekend this year, with the final number of competitors hitting 650. Oliver Simon managed to retain his Long Course Crown this year, though Dominic Rohan-Gates finished very close behind, with only a few minutes in between them.

Unfortunately Stephen Bayliss who was high up the leader board was unable to start the Marathon due to illness. There was a new winner on the women’s board, with Nerys Jones’s Long Course Weekend title taken from her by Emma Newsome.

Top 10 men

1 Oliver Simon
2 Dominic Rohan-Gates
3 Richard Gardiner
4 Gareth Petts
5 Steve Parsons
6 Craig Dummer
7 Charles Hickman
8 Stuart Curtis
9 Robin Guy
10 Stuart Evans

Top 10 women

1 Emma Newsome
2 Nerys Jones
3 Heather Rees
4 Stephanie Waring
5 Liz Steward
6 Bethan Griffiths
7 Jayne Arnold
8 Claire Stubbs
9 Miriam Brown
10 Linda De Max

Full results here.

The event will be televised and will be on Channel 4 August the 29th on Channel 4. Entries are open for the 2016 event at www.longcourseweekend.com.

After a hectic weekend #tenby can go back to normal life now @aweventsteam #longcourseweekend pic.twitter.com/5KWCKvHYLT

— Sands Beach Active (@ActiveLanzarote) July 6, 2015

(Main image: Dirty Green Trainers)

Advertisement

Did you race the Long Course Weekend? Let us know in the comments below!

Click Here: leinster rugby shirts

Odds-on favourite in the men’s race is defending champ Timo Bracht (GER), who is skipping Kona this year and says Roth will be his A-race for 2015.

>>> Bracht and Carfrae take Challenge Roth 2014

However, Bracht will almost certainly be pushed hard by younger compatriot and 2014 runner-up Nils Frommhold, who cruelly suffered a bike mechanical in 2013 which cost him a likely victory.

Also racing is current ETU European Long Distance Champion Markus Fachbach, outstanding biker Andrew Starykowicz (USA), and a fast-rising German athlete called Horst Reichel who won Ironman Arizona 2014 in an impressive time of 8:13hrs.

Top women

In the women’s field, two-time winner (2007 and 2008) the ‘Flying Dutchwoman’ Yvonne van Vlerken will be looking to beat her own course record of 8:45:48.

Local hero Anja Beranek hopes to put a dent in those plans though, and is in excellent form this season, having recently won her preparation race at Ironman 70.3 St Pölten. 2014 winner Mirinda Carfrae won’t be present this year.

New Zealand’s Gina Crawford will also be an athlete to reckon with, having won the 2015 edition of Challenge Wanaka at the beginning of this month, and coming fifth in Hawaii last year.

In addition, Laura Bennett (USA) will also pose a problem, having come second at Ironman Boulder last year and sixth at the ITU World Championship in China only a few weeks later.

Age-groupers

In addition to the pros, around 3,400 individual participants and 650 relay teams will take part in Challenge Roth on Sunday, renowned as the ‘world’s biggest’ long-distance race due to the number of spectators that turn up – more than 220,000 last year, including 220’s own Matt Baird (report here).

Follow live online TV coverage, commentated by four-time world champion, Chris McCormack at www.challenge-roth.de along with live online race updates and timing.

Advertisement

Are you racing Challenge Roth? Let us know in the comments below!

Click Here: Bape Kid 1st Camo Ape Head hoodie

Commonwealth champ Jodie Stimpson finally returned to competition after an achilles injury, and was perfectly placed on the bike alongside Olympic gold and silver medal winners Nicola Spirig (SUI) and Lisa Norden (SWE), until a tyre flat forced Stimpson to stop for a wheel change. She eventually finished ninth.

Britain’s Lucy Hall and Jessica Learmonth were already up the road having led out of the swim. Early into the run Spirig took the lead and ran away to victory. Lucy Hall held on for fifth and Stimpson finished ninth.

@BritTri Lucy just in 4th after run lap 1 pic.twitter.com/E8NSc1hM30

— Hannah Clay (@Hannah_Clay97) July 11, 2015

In the men’s race, French athlete David Hauss managed to finish first ahead of Sven Riederer (SUI) and Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR). ITU World Champion Javier Gomez (ESP) suffered a similar misfortune to Stimpson and had to stop for a wheel change, eventually posting a DNF. Matt Sharp had a solid race, finishing ninth.

Action from the elite men’s race. Thanks @TriPhotographer pic.twitter.com/gFArOdv9P0

— British Triathlon (@BritTri) July 11, 2015

In the elite junior men’s event, Ben Dijkstra, Jimmy Kershaw and James Teagle all had strong races, at times dictating the pace on the bike from the front. Dijkstra, who is just 16 and racing against athletes up to three years older, was in contention right until the end, finishing third in a very tight sprint finish.

This is how close it was at the finish! @Ben_Dijkstra bronze #genève2015 pic.twitter.com/mZFrCLBW1u

— British Triathlon (@BritTri) July 11, 2015

British Triathlon’s performance director Brendan Purcell said: “The Europeans is a good opportunity to learn championship delivery. It’s particularly valuable for young and developing athletes.

“It was exciting to see the junior men riding off the front of the bike pack, and Ben getting a result at the end. There were some different tactics from Tom Bishop, which helped him to run well, and Lucy Hall demonstrated that the extra focus on her run is starting to pay off.

“It’s great to see Jodie back. She looked strong until the mechanical and although the result isn’t want she wanted, she got to practice a hard run off a hard bike, which helps set her up nicely.” 

Paratriathlon 

British paratriathletes came away with a bagful of medals: ITU World Champions Alison Patrick (PT5) and Lauren Steadman (PT4) won gold medals their respective categories, Faye McClelland (PT4) took silver, and Clare Cunningham (PT4) and Melissa Reid walked away with bronze (PT5).

Patrick, who was guided by Hazel Smith, said: “We had a really good swim today. That’s where I’m making gains, but we had the fastest bike split, which I wasn’t getting last year so that shows how well Hazel and I are working together.

“It’s amazing to be British, world and European champion for now and Hazel was so happy to win a first major title. It is really helping both of us that we are able to train together. We just know what each other are doing.

Paratriathlon @ETUtriathlon champions! @ali_p87 @LaurenSteadman #genève2015 pic.twitter.com/q8qJ6oJS8Y

— British Triathlon (@BritTri) July 10, 2015

Lauren Steadman led a British clean sweep of the podium in the PT4 category. Steadman, Faye McClelland and Clare Cunningham repeated their finishing order from last year’s ITU world championships and underlined their dominance in this category. 

Steadman used her Paralympic swimming background to set herself up for another international gold medal, still at just 22 years old. 

She said: “My swim was good, I found a rhythm. Overall it was really good, but I would like to improve on the bike a bit. I knew the other British girls would be hot on my heals, it’s great for Britain to get the top three, it’s great for the team.”

(Image: Dave Pearce)

Like Patrick, Steadman is now British, European and world champion. She added: “I’m really happy to have all of the titles, but you’re never certain about what’s round the corner, you can never settle for where you are.”

Phil Hogg won Britain’s other medal, a silver in the PT1 (wheelchair) category. Andy Lewis demonstrated big improvements in the PT2 category to just miss out on bronze by 0.19secs.

Elite mixed relay

Rounding off a successful weekend for the elites was the mixed relay races, with the GB senior team winning bronze and the junior team claiming seventh.

(Image: Dave Pearce)

Jodie Stimpson, Matt Sharp, Lucy Hall and Tom Bishop were in contention right from the start over the super sprint distance course and battled with strong French and Swiss teams for the medals.

Advertisement

The junior team of Sophie Alden, Jimmy Kershaw, Olivia Mathias and James Teagle gained valuable experience finishing seventh in a race again won by the French.

Click Here: parramatta eels shirt

Britain’s medal winners in full were as follows:

Women 

– Kayleigh Adams (F16-19 sprint): silver
– Alice Jenkins (F20-24): silver
– Hannah Johnston (F20-24): silver
– Imogen Simmonds (F20-24 sprint): silver
– Hannah Lord (F25-29): silver
– Hazel Smith (F25-29): bronze
– Anna Seymour (F25-29 sprint): gold
– Michelle Willcocks (F25-29 sprint): silver
– Elizabeth Bullivant (F35-29 sprint): silver
– Louise Croxson (F40-44): silver
– Gwen Kinsey (F40-44 sprint): gold
– Tanya Brightwell (F40-44 sprint): silver
– Lena Poulton (F40-44): bronze
– Dorothy Liviabella (F45-49): bronze
– Sarah Kerswell (F50-54 sprint): gold
– Claire Bloom (F50-54 sprint): bronze
– Beverley Childs (F55-59): silver
– Joyce Mark (F55-59 sprint): gold
– Truusje Gamlin (F60-64): bronze
– Wendy Read (F60-64 sprint): silver
– June Farnorth (F60-64 sprint): bronze
– Jane Leslie (F65-69): gold
– Sue Bathgate (F65-69 sprint): gold
– Carol Clarke (F65-69 sprint): silver
– Christine Sleight (F65-69 sprint) bronze
– Hillary Stevenson (F70-74): gold
– Georgina Jennings (F70-74 sprint): gold

First images back from @TriPhotographer in Geneva pic.twitter.com/x0AIZmZj3j

— British Triathlon (@BritTri) July 10, 2015

Men

– Luke Pollard (M20-24): gold
– Harry Preston (M18-19): bronze
– Thomas Davis (M20-24): silver
– Jordan Skelly (M20-24): bronze
– James Phillips (M20-24 sprint): bronze
– Michael Birchmore (M25-29): silver
– Iain Gillam (M25-29): bronze
– Edward Castro (M25-29 sprint): gold
– James Travers (M30-34): silver
– Chris Standidge (M35-39): gold
– Richard Munday (M35-39): bronze
– James Wilson (M35-39 sprint): silver
– Alan Bremner (M55-59 sprint) bronze
– Keith Bate (M60-64 sprint): bronze
– Michael Smallwood (M65-69 sprint): bronze
– Bill Shackcloth (M70-74): silver
– Alan Churcher (M70-74 sprint): silver
– Barry Johnson (M75-79): gold
– Les Humphrey (M75-79 sprint): bronze

Groom on the run #geneva2015. Dare we ask for captions? pic.twitter.com/2BDDmhguwg

— British Triathlon (@BritTri) July 10, 2015

These results follow a number of top-ten finishes by the British elites racing in Geneva on Friday (July 10), including fifth by Lucy Hall and Tom Bishop, and a ninth-place finish for Jodie Stimpson, who suffered a flat tyre on the bike. 

The paratriathletes fared even better, winning six medals including two golds, two silvers and two bronzes – a fantastic haul as they ramp up their preparations for paratriathlon’s Olympic debut at Rio 2016.

Full results here.

Advertisement

Were you racing in Geneva over the weekend? Let us know in the comments below!

Click Here: sea eagles shirt

>>> Gallery: The Bastion 2014

Australian Jenkins produced a race-best 3hr 15min marathon – 20mins faster than any other competitor – to haul in long-time leader Karl Alexander on the run.

It was testament to the demands of the course that Jenkins, who was fourth in last year’s Challenge Weymouth and has clocked 8.54 in Hawaii, did not break 10hrs for the 3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42.2km run.   

Yet with 2,800m of ascent on a three-lap rolling bike course through Kent’s High Weald and Ashdown Forest, followed by a hilly trail run, he still only missed Fraser Cartmell’s course record set in the inaugural contest last year by 5mins.

“I’ve done 20 Ironmans around the world and that is the toughest course I’ve done anywhere,” he said. “But you get a great personal experience here. You are not ‘just a number’. How many other events have this stunning castle backdrop?”

Great work @karlralexander for a stomping bike split today! Kept me working with someone to chase 😉 @CastleTriSeries

— Darren Jenkins (@_Nevagivin) July 12, 2015

Alexander, who had both the fastest swim (58:31) and cycle (5:28) in the individual event, admitted he tried to goad Jenkins into upping the pace on the bike in an attempt to take the sting out of his run legs, but the Australian was too canny and resisted.

“I went off well and was first off the bike but kudos to Darren, he was the best on the day,” Alexander said. “This was the toughest event I’ve ever done. If you’re going to do one, make it this one, it has serious bragging rights.”

Women’s race

Professional Bethan Fowler, who has had plenty of domestic success including winning the middle distance Cotswold 113 event last year, was a comfortable winner in the women’s race from Ruth Thompson with Louise Clinton in third.

Bethan Fowler crosses the line

Probably the most remarkable feat though, was by Scarborough’s Anthony Gerundini, who completed his 100th official full iron-distance race and is still enjoying every minute of it. 

“I’d forgotten how good this event was having done it last year,” he said. “It is truly stunning. There are so many marshals we are spoilt and the Castle Triathlon Series really look after us. The bike course is a dream.”

Anthony Gerundini celebrates finishing his 100th iron-distance triathlon

Over half of the competitors were first timers, with 61 finishers and 12 DNFs, another mark of how tough a challenge the Bastion presents. It is set to return to Hever Castle on July 10, 2016 and pre-registration is now open here.

Male

1. Darren Jenkins 10:01:15
2. Karl Alexander 10:24:50
3. Matthew Dowle 10:45:35

Female

1. Bethan Fowler 12:04:19
2. Ruth Thompson 13:48:22
3. Louise Clinton 15:50:11 

Advertisement

Did you race The Bastion? Let us know in the comments below!

Click Here: United Kingdom Rugby Shop

The new course, which was designed by professional cyclist Chris Green, took competitors from Putsborough Sands in North Devon, through the coastal villages of Braunton and the Victorian town of Llfracombe and back to Putsborough Sands.

Competitors had to overcome 1.5km swim in the Atlantic Ocean followed by a 40km bike route across the steep hills of North Devon. Participants then complete 12km off-road trail run allowing the athletes to take in the beautiful panoramic views of Putsborough, Saunton and Croyde Bays.

Local success in the individual category

There was a running theme for first ever Croyde Ocean Triathlon, with winners in the men’s individual, men’s relay and mixed relay all coming from the local area.

Sam Petty, from Barnstaple, was the first winner of the Croyde Ocean Triathlon, finishing 16secs ahead of runner-up Andrew Cole. 

So happy to have won the #croydeoceantri this morning. It was a very very #toughrace ! 1200m wavey… https://t.co/QGYZM3feFX

— Sam Petty (@SamPetty3) July 11, 2015

Claire Moodie, who also hails from Devon, took second in the women’s individual category, rounding off a magnificent day for triathletes from the South West. Jessica Parry-Williams saw off Moodie to take the win.

Passing the baton

James Hardiman, Jon Hall and Mike Everett, all from Croyde, were the first male team to finish the course, with Mike putting in the strongest swim to leave his team in a strong position.

Sisters Lucy and Ruth Tighe, who travelled from London, won the women’s relay race in a highly competitive field.

Sibling success spilled over into the mixed relay as Kevin and Sarah Sheppard, based just 8km north of Croyde in Braunton, teamed with Andrew Cork to take the victory.

The Reaction

Event Directors Mike Morris and Lyn Strahan were delighted with how the event went and is already looking forward to next year. Mike said: “The atmosphere has been brilliant and everyone has embraced the beach and coastal vibe making for a fantastic event.

Click Here: nsw blues rugby store

‘The course makes for a tough triathlon but we really wanted to encourage everyone to take part, regardless of experience. We really saw that today- we had a great mix of serious triathletes taking part alongside those simply wanting to give it a go.”

Where’s the money going?

Four charities are set to benefit from the first ever Croyde Ocean Triathlon, two local to the area and two international.  Surfers Against Sewage, Surfers Not Street Children, Croyde Surf Lifesaving Club and Children’s Hospice South West were all named as the events charities.

Croyde Ocean Champions
Individual Male 

Sam Petty – 2:35:27

Individual Female

Jessica Parry- Williams  – 2:50:49 

Relay teams

James Hardiman, Jon Hall and Mike Everett – 2:57: 32

Lucy and Ruth Tighe – 3:14:51

Mixed Relay team

Kevin Sheppard, Sarah Sheppard and Andrew Cork – 2:35:39

For full results: http://croydeocean.co.uk/croyde-ocean-triathlon-north-devon/

Organisers hope that the Croyde Triathlon will become known as ‘Destination Triathlon’. They want to encourage competitors to make a weekend out of the event and explore the surrounding towns and villages, which have become a holiday hot spot for families.

Advertisement

Were you racing in Croyde last weekend? Let us know in the comments below!