In August every year, in the cold waters of the Hardangerfjord fjord near Eidford, Norway, long course triathletes at the top of their game throw themselves from a ferry to start the swim leg of one of the sports toughest challenges, the Norseman Xtreme Triathlon. 

6 weeks ahead of that date, the Wakefield Junior Triathlon traditionally starts with the TriStart age group (8 year old boys & girls) taken out from shore in a rigid inflatable boat, where they take part in what must seem for them, their own Xtreme Triathlon. 

For them their race starts with a jump from the boat and and a 50m swim through the balmy waters of the lake at Pugneys. 

A fantastic introduction to the first open water triathlon of the series took place in sweltering temperatures, with junior racing from age 8 to 16. The Wakefield Junior Triathlon was the 5th race in the Yorkshire series this year, meaning that after this race, athletes can start dropping weaker scores to give them the best set of results come end of season. 

The Wakefield race also saw the last time the current Race Director Stephen Cheeseman will hold the reins, as he steps down. A big thank you to Stephen and the large band of volunteers that make this race so popular every year. “