PRESS INFORMATION Gavin Noble cruised to victory in Sunday’s Gatorade Dublin City Triathlon. Leading from the gun, international triathlete Noble was never challenged as he completed the 1500m swim, 40K cycle and 10K run in a time of 1:54:41 Clearly happy with his performance, Noble said in his post race interview that he was glad to be back racing in Ireland and commented on how important top class events such as Dublin City Triathlon are for the development of the sport in Ireland. After collecting his prize purse and posing for photographs Noble made his way to Croke Park for a relaxing afternoon watching the semi-final between Meath and Kerry!
Runner up Conor Murphy completed the course in 1:57:36 with Setanta Tri’s Brian McCrystal taking 3rd spot in 1:58:19
In the women’s race Cork’s Amy Wolfe posted her customary fast swim split and despite a very strong bike leg from runner-up (and last year’s champion) Sinead Jennings, Wolfe retained her lead to finish 1st woman in 2:13:37. Jennings held on to 2nd place, completing the course in 2:18:55. 3rd place overall and fastest female run split of the day went to Phoenix Tri’s Aoife O’Connor (2:21:34)
New to DCT this year was the Super Sprint race (a slightly shorter version of the regular Sprint distance). The aim of the DCT Super Sprint race (600m swim/16K cycle/4K run) was to encourage those new to the sport to give it a try. Indicative of just how popular the sport of triathlon is becoming, the Super Sprint sold out, with all 300 places snapped up weeks before the event.
The men’s race was won by experienced triathlete, Eamonn Tilley from 3 Rock Tri Club in a time of 54:51. Less than a minute behind were 2nd and 3rd placed finishers Paul Dunne and Victor Thompson.
The women’s race was a showcase of young talent currently being nurtured by Triathlon Ireland through their Talent ID and Junior Development programmes. Junior Laura Casey was the emphatic winner 56:33 and posted the fastest sprint swim split of the day (of both men and women). Another star of the future Emma Sharkey took 2nd place in 1:04:27 with Limerick’s Katie Fitzgerald finishing close behind in 1:04:55.
Of course the Super Sprint was never just about the podium places. For the majority of competitors it was their first time to compete in a triathlon with the aim being to finish and earn the right to call themselves a triathlete. Pre-race nerves and doubts were forgotten as one by one the elated newbies crossed the finish line to rapturous applause, with the last finisher awarded a bottle of bubbly to celebrate her fantastic achievement in completing her first triathlon. Comments post-race included:
“Thank you so much for making my first (and hopefully not last!!) triathlon a really positive experience. The marshals and volunteers deserve a huge amount of credit for being supportive and helpful and just all round great!”
“Thanks for a very professionally run event. It was my first triathlon and I was very impressed with the whole event, from training support to the actual day. Great atmosphere, kind and helpful crowd. Genuinely great buzz”
The race itself would not be possible without the continued and generous support of the primary sponsor Gatorade and the supporting sponsors of Cyclesuperstore and Runways. Spot prize sponsors included Irishfit.ie, Next Door Off-Licences and Swimfortri.com. Not forgetting the invaluable assistance of the Garda, UCD Boat Club, the Phoenix Park, the OPW and Dublin Bus which contributed to a positive race experience for competitors and spectators alike.
###END###
Notes to Editor:
Photos of the event are available to view on the race website www.dublincitytriathlon.com . If you require a high resolution photo please let us know (info@dublincitytriathlon.com) and we will supply it along with the name of the photographer (for accreditation purposes).
About Dublin City Triathlon
Piranha Triathlon club has organised the race for the last 6 years, although the race itself has been around for longer. With the added dimension of the Super Sprint race this year the event reached capacity with over 800 entrants.
Winners from previous years include:
2008
David Graham 1:48:07
Sinead Jennings 2:01:36
2007
Brian Campbell Hi Elbow 2:09:06
Claire Connor Hi Elbow 2:26:23
2006
Brian Campbell Hi Elbow 1:58:41
Nicki Barron Ashford (UK) 2:19:26
About Piranha Triathlon Club
Piranha Triathlon Club was in formed in 2001. The club was set up to bring together people who shared a common interest. Piranha’s goal is to help members (beginner to advanced) reach their health, fitness and competitive goals through the sport of triathlon.
Triathlon is still relatively new to Ireland and is proving very popular with athletes of all levels and ability. The club is one of the largest in the country and welcomes people interested in any aspect of the sport. The club’s well known members include current Women’s National Champion Elena Maslova, and founding member, Anna Frankland, medallist at the 2004 European Triathlon Championships.
Press contact:
Greg Campbell, Race Director, Gatorade Dublin City Triathlon.
Mobile: 087 9161014
Email: gregcampbell@eircom.net
Web: www.dublincitytriathlon.com