Sport
17 October, 2022
Triathletes get chance to set great times
The Maryborough & District Triathlon Club conducted the third event on its 2022/23 club championship calendar from the Maryborough Sports and Leisure Centre on Sunday, October 9. Triathletes were greeted with light winds and pleasant triathlon...
The Maryborough & District Triathlon Club conducted the third event on its 2022/23 club championship calendar from the Maryborough Sports and Leisure Centre on Sunday, October 9. Triathletes were greeted with light winds and pleasant triathlon conditions.
The event was the third reverse triathlon in a row utilising an identical course format. This provided triathletes the opportunity to aim for personal best times on the course as well as jostle for podium positions. The long course format involved a 2km run, 8km cycle(2x 4 km loop), and 400 m swim, and the short course took in a 1 km run, 4 km cycle, and 200 m swim.
In the open male long course it was triathlon club newcomer Jayden Hooper who set a blistering pace on the 2 km run course with Josh Britten, Jeffrey Beer and Torquay-based triathlete James Collings in hot pursuit. All triathletes then enjoyed strong cycle legs with Josh Britten starting to close the gap to Hooper. Britten produced his customary strong swim to eventually assume first place in the outstanding time of 30:25.
Hooper proved he will be a triathlete to watch in the future finishing in the equally impressive first up time of 30:40 to take second place. Beer continued to surge to the finish line (32:47) in third place, and Collings also enjoyed a very strong three discipline performance (36:39) in fourth place.
Equally impressive and exciting was the 50+ female long course category with Emily Ryan, Rowena Butler, and Sue Blizzard finding the course conditions and format to their liking. All three triathletes enjoyed strong discipline performances with Ryan establishing a break on the run and cycle leg, and Butler producing an outstanding swim leg to close the gap.
In the end it was Ryan who was able to maintain her fine form to take first place (38:02), with Butler only seconds behind (38:22) in second place, and Ararat-based triathlete Blizzard maintaining excellent form throughout to take third place (45:55).
Competing in the open female long course, it was Torquay-based triathlete Rebecca Dalle Nogare who excelled in all triathlon disciplines to post the impressive time of 43:04 to take first place in this category.
In the short course it was younggun triathletes Georgina Bates, Ella Govan, and Rubie Hooper who contested the under 16 female category. All three triathletes produced outstanding runs, rides, and swims with little separating them as they touched on the finish line.
In the end it was Hooper who finished in first place (23:42), with Govan (24:12) in second place, and Bates (26:11) in third place.
In the open short course categories it was triathlon club newcomer Matt Cain who displayed outstanding triathlon form to win the open male section in 24:23, and in another very close result it was Jacqueline Beer (25:48) who narrowly took line honours from Kate Cain (26:09) in the open female category.
Returning to the sport from a recent lay-off due to injury, it was great to see 50+ male triathlete Tony Collings back running, riding, and swimming his way to victory in the short course category in the strong time of 26:00.
The next club event will be a long course triathlon involving a 400 m swim, 20 km ride, and 4 km run on Sunday November 13 from the Maryborough Sport and Leisure Centre, with a short course option as well.