Just two weeks after hosting the Triathlon England National Championships over the Standard Distance at the same Grafham Water venue, it was the turn of the Middle Distance specialists to compete for British Championship honours this past weekend, hosted by NiceTri Events. With more than 800 starters, close racing saw some familiar names at the top of the podium.
It has been a very busy period of domestic Championship racing in May, with the Middle Distance Championship following on just one week after the Sprint Distance event at Emberton Park last week. Those differences in distance didn’t seem to affect one athlete in particular, as she took first place overall in both races.
Sarah Lewis (Team Freespeed Skechers Performance) may well have been surprised by her win last weekend, but this week she was racing over her primary longer distance focus for 2016, and she produced a great performance to set the fastest time of the day in the women’s race by almost nine minutes. A very balanced race saw Sarah set the fastest female run time of the day by some margin, which more than enough to overcome a bike split which was the fifth fastest of the race.
Second place overall went to Simone Dailey, (25-29). Simone was the fastest British Age-Group athlete at the IRONMAN World Championships in 2014, earning her second place in her category in Kona, but has suffered with considerable injury issues since then. It is great to see her back and racing so well, once again displaying her power and strength on two wheels with the fastest bike split.
Earning the Gold medal in the F45-49 category, third place overall went to Samantha Boswell who was just nine seconds faster than Kerry Mcgawley (Ostersund Triathlon), as that close racing continued.
The men’s winner is no stranger to the Grafman podium. Last year Michael Birchmore (Velotive) won this race when it hosted the Triathlon England National Championships and now he can add the British Championship title to that honours list. It really was close racing at the front, with second place overall (both athletes in the M25-29 category), going to Colin Norris, just 37 seconds slower than Michael.
Oliver Milk (redvenom.co.uk) was the third fastest on the day, netting him the Gold medal in the M35-39 category.
After a busy period of British Triathlon Championship racing, the final Age-Group event of the 2016 season will be the Standard Distance, which takes place as part of Tri Liverpool on Sunday 14th August 2016.
Grafman Middle Distance Triathlon – Sunday 22nd May 2016
British Middle Distance Championships 2016
RESULTS
MEN:
1st – Michael Birchmore (M25-29) – 4:07:00
2nd – Colin Norris (M25-29) – 4:07:39
3rd – Oliver Milk (M35-39) – 4:11:12
WOMEN:
1st – Sarah Lewis (F35-39) – 4:33:56
2nd – Simone Dailey (F25-29) – 4:42:21
3rd – Samantha Boswell (F45-49) – 4:45:41
For full results, visit: http://www.britishtriathlon.org/news/live_timing_grafham_middle_6947
