Triathletes take up far flung challenges
ROSSENDALE Triathlon Club members were active far and wide last weekend travelling to the Lake District, Cheshire and the south coast and bringing home some fantastic results.
Highlighting the breadth of experience in the club, there were members racing in the male 60+ age category and the female 30+ age category.
Tony Gretton remains consistent in the Vet 60 category, taking a second place at the Cholmondeley Castle Super Sprint triathlon with an overall time of 1 hour, 28 minutes.
Tony completed the 400m open water swim in 11 minutes, the 20km bike in 48 minutes and the 4km run in 25 minutes.
Dave Woods was at the same location but competing in the Standard distance triathlon which meant a 1500m swim, 40km bike and a 10km run. Dave completed the swim in 31 minutes, the bike in 1 hour 48 minutes
and the run in 49 minutes. Despite misjudging part of the bike route, Dave still finished with an overall time of 3 hours 12 minutes which was good enough for seventh place in the Vet 40 age group.
The organisers at Cholmondeley Castle have various events on over the weekend and Sara Steel opted to test herself on a 2.5 km swim race.
Sara smashed her predicted time of one hour by completing it in 46 minutes and 17 seconds, just five seconds ahead of her closest rival which gave her a podium finish as third placed female.
Travelling to the Lake District were Lauren McCann, Francine and Michael Hilton, Mary Ann Mahadevan and Sarah Atkins.
Lauren was at the Day in the Lakes triathlon based out of Pooley Bridge competing in this hugely popular middle distance triathlon which consists of a 2km swim in Ullswater, then an undulating bike route of 90km followed by a 21 km trail run.
The breezy conditions made for a tough swim and despite not being able to feel her hands and feet at the end, Lauren exited the water in 48 minutes. She soon warmed up on the bike and completed the distance in a superb 3 hours 39 minutes.
It was then on to the scenic trail run alongside the lake which she dispatched in 2 hours, 9 minutes to give her an overall time of 6 hours 42 minutes which placed her sixth in her age group and seventh female overall, a superb result.
Francine and Michael
Hilton were a little further north at the Lakesman triathlon based out of Keswick. They were also competing in a middle distance triathlon but as a relay team with Francine completing the swim and bike and Michael the run.
Despite her concerns due to the weather, Francine battled on and completed the 1900m swim in a very good time of 54 minutes before jumping on her bike to take on the undulating route, finishing in 3 hours, 43 minutes.
Upon returning to transition she handed over to Michael who completed the 25km run in a fantastic time of 1 hour, 49 minutes giving the Hilton team an overall time of 6 hours, 42 minutes.
Unfortunately, Mary Ann and Sarah’s race didn’t go to plan and both experienced problems during the swim and did not continue.
A large contingent of members opted to stay closer to home and on Sunday ‘Raced the Train’.
The event is organised in conjunction with the East Lancashire Railway and
sees competitors set off on foot from Bury station the same time as the steam
train leaves, the aim being to beat the train before it arrives into Rawtenstall.
The route is a mixture of road and trail and is a really fun and inclusive event with all abilities taking part with great support from friends, family and locals along the route.
Finally, swim coach Karen Quartermain spent the week at a swim camp on the south coast where the culmination of the week was an 8 hour sea swim! This is all in preparation for Karen’s circumnavigation of Jersey swim later this year which will see her swimming 41 miles – incredible!