OUT NOW! MOK Triathlon series kicks off with first race of 2024
The second year of the Kilkerran Mull of Kintyre (MOK) Triathlon series kicked off in Campbeltown last Saturday, with the first of three separate events to be held in three different locations in South Kintyre.
This year saw 58 entries across three disciplines – super sprint triathlon, super sprint duathlon and, new this year, a junior aquathon.
Unlike the inaugural series in 2023 which reverted to a sea swim due to unforeseen circumstances, this year’s swim section took place in the warm and calm conditions of the Aqualibrium swimming pool.
It consisted of 16 lengths of the pool, with the “tristar two” category swimming 10 lengths, which opened the event to competitors taking part in their first triathlon.
This was followed by an 11km flat bike leg and finished with a 3.2km run around the Askomils, finishing on Kinloch park.
There was intense competition for the overall male and female winners’ positions, and it would remain to be seen if the times from the inaugural event could be bettered and new records set.
Race conditions were ideal – although overcast, there was little wind and, thankfully, no rain which is not only suitable for the competitors but also for marshals and spectators.
The stand-out performance on the day was from Drew Dutton, who led from the front out of the water.
He extended his lead on the bike and left his rivals behind on the run, completing the race in a time of 40:48, almost three minutes ahead of his nearest rival, Cian Woodsend, who completed the course in a time of 43:35. Rounding off the top three was Graham Kerr in 45:45.
The female race was also intense and saw Jasmine Green lead out of the water and, although the gap closed on both the bike and run legs, she still managed to hold on for the win with a time of 49:38.
Pushing Jasmine all the way was Elaine McGeachy, who put in a strong last leg to finish second with a time of 51:04, with third place being taken by Olivia Cunningham in 51:46.
The duathlon saw an increase in numbers this year, which gave entrants more of a competitive edge than the dominant performances seen in 2023.
First place went to Andrew Dovernor in a time of 40:04, followed by Luke Appleyard in 54:05.
In the female section, first home was Terri Mason in 46:08, followed by Jennifer Campbell in 47:55 with Catriona Norman third in 49:26.
Once again this year, there was only one relay team entry – Lewis Hamilton and Zeping Zeng, both from the Glasgow and Strathclyde University Officers’ Training Corps – who finished in 47:51.
With age ranges of 11-12 years (250m swim and 1km run) and 13-17 years (400m swim and 2km run), the junior aquathon saw 19 entrants.
In the 11-12 year section, first place in the female race, and the overall winner, was Niamh McSporran in a time of 09:28.
Second place in the girls’ race was Grace Micaela Amaut Nimmo in 09:57, with Eva McKinven taking third in 10:35.
In the boys’ event, first place went to Noah Kerr in 09:53, with Liam Phillips second in 10:03 and Kyle McQuaker third in 10:27.
In the 13-17 year section, it was a family affair and close run contest for the overall winner, with Olivia Lyne taking first female place and overall winner in a time of 13:24, closely followed by her twin brother Charlie Lyne in 13:44 who took the first male place. Other placings in the female section saw Emma Millar second in 15:29 and Hannah Millar third in 16:05. In the male section, second place went to Angus Woods in 15:04 and Charley Gilchrist was third in 20:59.
Aquathon age group first place awards: 12 years: Niamh McSporran; 13 years: Olivia Lyne; 14 years: Angus Woods; 16 years: Emma Millar.
With the next event – a sprint distance in the Southend area – on Saturday July 6 fast approaching, excitement is building for the final event on Sunday August 18. This will see competitors tackle a very challenging standard distance event and fitting series finale.
“The intent of the series is to reintroduce triathlon events to Kintyre, to encourage local involvement within the sport, while promoting health and wellbeing within the local community,” said an event spokesperson.
“After the success of the first series in 2023, we have already increased our numbers for the first event and hope to build on this for the upcoming events. We hope to encourage visitors to the area to take part in this series, and ensure we can establish sustainability for future events within the Kintyre peninsula.”
Visit https://mullofkintyretri. wixsite.com/moktriathlon for more information about upcoming events.
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