The SiS Super Sprint Cotswold Triathlon recently took place at Cotswold Country Park and Beach.
The main event being 400m lake swim - 20km bike and 5km run, along with a youth/novice event of 200m-20km-2.km. The events were also part of the Triathlon England South West Junior and Youth Series and attracted a strong field in both categories. The whole morning was cold and breezy but with SIS prizes and Trophies awarded to every 5 year age category the competition was hot throughout the event.
First to plunge into the clear but cold (12C) lake were the 100 women competitors and it was no surprise to see Shirley Yarde (50+) of Mid Somer Norton emerge first and quickly set about opening up the gap on the bike leg. Shirley is a regular at TriFerris events and often leads on the flat fast bike course, only to be overtaken on the run, but on this occasion the gap was so great that she held the lead for the picturesque two lap run course to take the women's victory. Meanwhile the battle for second and third was much closer between BAD Tri team mates Alexis Macke (30-34) and Robyn Golding (35-39)with Alexis taking second by just 8 seconds from Robyn.
Next up were the 45 to 75 year old men and Gloucester's Graham Brookhouse (50+) took the lead on the bike, but was passed in transition by Cirencester's Steve Yates who went on to win the wave and take the 45-49 SIS trophy and third place overall, whilst Brookhouse took the 50-54 cat. Gloucester's Gary Hughes (25-29) was overall male winner in a time of 52.21, with the up and coming Junior Max Hazell from Wiltshire posting the second fastest time of the day and taking all the points in the Triathlon England South West Junior Series, with a clear win from Steve Castle (Kingswood Tri). Whilst Bristol's Rob Dixon took fourth overall and the 30-34 prize.
Youths dominated the short event with Dorset's Jordan Symington, and Hampshire's Lewis Holland heading the swim, but it was all change on the bike as Dorest Youth Joseph Arundel and senior Chris Clarke came to the fore. Once on the one lap run Arundel didn't have to look back as he took victory in 49:54 from Jordan Symington, whilst female youth Beckie James had a consistent races, showing her strength in every discipline she took third place overall and first female.
Most commented after that it was a cold, but enjoyable morning and the advice of the organiser to wrap up warm on the bike was key to some great performance and lots of smiling faces at the finish, with many first time triathletes finding the experience exciting and were already talking of how they would go faster next time!
