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Sport

14 December, 2023

Last triathlon of 2023 delivers stellar times

The Maryborough and District Triathlon Club conducted its final club event for 2023 from the Maryborough Sports and Leisure Centre on Sunday, December 10 with the day producing favourable tail winds for all triathletes to enjoy. Course lengths were...

By Michael Thompson

Last triathlon of 2023 delivers stellar times - feature photo

The Maryborough and District Triathlon Club conducted its final club event for 2023 from the Maryborough Sports and Leisure Centre on Sunday, December 10 with the day producing favourable tail winds for all triathletes to enjoy.

Course lengths were long course – 400 m swim, 20 km ride, and four km run, with a slightly extended short course distance compared to normal – 200 m swim, eight km ride, and two km run.

The long course field featured regional triathletes Jane Anderson (Toolleen) and Sam Jones (Ararat), and local rising star Will Coutts.

All triathletes enjoyed strong performances in the pool with Coutts assuming the lead as the triathletes exited Maryborough on the 20km loop ride out to Craigie, Carisbrook, and back to Maryborough.

Anderson produced a blistering ride leg however and was able to take the lead by the half way mark of the ride course, and maintained this lead moving into T2 in readiness for the four km run leg. Coutts and Jones were finding the supportive tail winds to their liking as well though as they also neared T2 in readiness for the run leg.

Coutts then excelled in the run leg to regain the overall lead, and powered to the finish line in style to take line honours (68:13), and win the open male category. Jones was also gaining ground throughout the four km run leg, but in the end Anderson was able to produce a second-wind effort in the last 500 m to take second place overall (77:22), and win the 50+ female category.

Jones has shown continuous improvement across all long distance events, slashing nearly three minutes off the November event time to take third place overall (77:27), just five seconds behind Anderson, in a very exciting finish to the long course event.

In the short course, it was an exciting race with some outstanding times on the day. In the under 16 male category it was first time triathlete Hayden Bartlett who proved he has many of the natural triathlon traits that his father Matthew displayed to become a multiple open male club champion.Hayden produced an outstanding performance to cross the finish line in 35:45 to win the category.

Impressive performances were also produced by two of the club’s more experienced and credentialed triathletes in Adam Lowery and Josh Britten. Both triathletes found the new course distances to their liking as they swam, rode, and ran their way to the finish line. In the end it was Britten who finished the stronger on the day completing the course in 30:29 to take line honours in the open male category, with Lowery also powering to the finish line (31:46) to take second place overall and in the open male category.

Not to be outdone, Jen Barras was back out on course after volunteer marshalling at many of the more recent events, with Ballarat-based triathlete Lyn Martin in the 50+ female category. Both triathletes excelled in all triathlon disciplines, but in the end it was Martin who finished the stronger on the day (36:07) to take line honours, with Jen (39:10) in second place.

The next club event is in 2024, and will be the fourth long course triathlon in a row, with a short course option on Sunday, February 11, 2024 from the Maryborough Sports and Leisure Centre. Registrations commence at 9.00am for a 9.30am start.

The club also looks forward to conducting its junior come-and-try triathlon event, the KIDZ Triathlon, on Sunday, March 3 2024, from the Maryborough Sports and Leisure Centre and Jack Pascoe Reserve, and invites all budding and interested primary school students to come along and experience the sport of triathlon in a supportive environment.

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