Tewkesbury Triathlon (1997-2016 RIP)
Pretty soon the sun will set on Cascades Swimming Pool but last Sunday the sun was out in abundance as were members of Tewkesbury Running Club for the last ever Tewkesbury Sprint Triathlon to be held at the popular local venue. Torrential rain the day before did nothing to dampen competitor's spirits as they took to the pool to start the first of three disciplines; a 400m swim. This was then followed by a 24km bike route through the villages of Bredon, Kemerton, Conderton and Overbury before turning around at Beckford to pedal home once more. Upon returning athletes then took to an out and back 5km run along the the old railway line cycle path to finish in front of a cheering crowd outside Cascades. First home for Tewkesbury RC was Stuart Bird in a highly credible 22nd place. The experienced triathlete performed well in all three disciplines to record a pleasing time of 1:11:49. Not far behind was Steve Maber in 1:12:37. As most people will know Steve is a highly competitive individual who can turn his hand to most athletic pursuits and this was certainly the case here as Steve dealt with the hot conditions with ease. He also recorded the fastest transition time of the day going from his swim to bike in a mere 25 seconds! Herculian stuff there! Someone who might want to exchange transition tips with Steve is Sam Connolly. More suited to running, Sam nether the less recorded a quick swim time only to lose precious minutes in transition by talking to other competitors whilst changing into his biking apparel. This meant Sam had to pull out all the stops on the road which he did with great determination. A quick run followed and Sam eventually finished in 1:33:51.
Just behind him was triathlon newcomer Clare Edwards who had prepared better than anyone for the event by taking part in a 10 week triathletes course, the culmination of which saw her cross the line in 1:34:35. Clare obviously enjoyed her triathlon experience hugely, beaming a big smile as she made her way speedily around the course. Later vowing to compete in more triathlons it looks like Clare will be an emerging talent in the sport.
Finally, competing in his third Tewkesbury Triathlon, Wes Reid finished in 1:46:03. Despite struggling with ill-fitting goggles during his swim Wes still managed to beat several people above him in the standings with his pool effort. With the odds stacked against him he managed to produce a quick time on the road even though he was the only competitor on a mountain bike and then showed a clean pair of heels during his favourite discipline in the 5km run. In all Wes knocked an incredible 12 minutes off his personal best for the event.
* Ed Hardy was in fact the swiftest TRC member to finish with an excellent 7th overall & Jane Harris finished 4th woman with an all-round impressive performance - she was also one of the event directors!
