from Triathlon Ireland website Updated with Crooked Lake race report by Tony Bagnall & Vancouver race report by Colm Byrne
A great day was had by all who raced in the Crooked Lake Triathlon, Camlough and at the Vancouver Worlds last Saturday. While Camlough racers were basking in sunshine, our Vancouver racers weren’t so lucky with unusually cold temperatures for this time of year. Please read on for race reports…
Crooked Lake Race Report by Kathy Grassick
In its 5th successful year running, Crooked Lake Triathlon was met once again this year with blistering sunshine. No blurry eyed triathlete’s either in this village with a later start time of 2pm, which is always welcomed, especially for those traveling from further a field. A short walk up to transition from parking the car and the usual Triathlon community faces start appearing from the crowd. Eventually, after several catch ups and best wishes I reach transition, there is a buzz in the air and many focused heads running through the transition bible.
The start line included some of Ireland’s top age group athletes, along with those taking on their first Triathlon. A large group of athletes from the Triathlon Ireland New to Tri group took on their first open water swim and it was great to see such encouragement and comradely within the group.
Bang on 2pm and the first wave was off. The faster swimmers went off first with the second wave following 5 mins later. The northern athlete’s took ownership of the race swiftly with David Graham first out of the water with Brian Campbell a very close second, with Brian taking the lead early in the cycle. First women exiting the water was Rachel Boyd with Trudy Brown coming out in second place shortly after. Darren Hughes of Pulse Triathlon Club was unlucky to be in wave 2 and having the difficult job of racing himself but still managing a swim time of 10:05min. He finished 4th overall, which was a great result for setting off on the slower wave.
The bike course is an undulating course that an inexperienced cycling would find a challenge. It makes Crooked Lake Sprint Triathlon a very honest, rewarding sprint distance race. Elena Maslova put in a great bike and run to put her in pole position. The run is a challenging two loop course, with the second loop slightly shorter. Typical that you still have to get up that hill twice!! This unfortunately caught out David Graham and caused him to be disqualified for not completing the run course correctly. Hard luck on David but none the less a great race performance by him had to be noted.
Mens race favourite Brian Campbell came out on top with a tremendous time of 55min 36secs, with the womens race won by Elena Maslova in an equally impressive time of 1hr 04mins 02secs.
Something that I particularly noticed in Camlough that could not go without saying was the fantastic atmosphere created by the race organisers and spectators at Crooked Lake. The crowd where ever encouraging and supportive right till the last person crossed the finish line.
Well done to everyone involved in Crooked Lake Triathlon. We look forward to coming back next year. Definitely a sprint race on the Triathlon calendar that I would recommend to fellow club members, experienced and athletes new to the sport of Triathlon.
Top 3 Male Finishers:
1.Brian Campbell
2.Peter Savage
3.Bryan McCrystal
Top 3 Female Finishers:
1.Elena Maslova
2.Rachel Boyd
3.Trudy Brown
Kathy Grassick
Pulse Triathlon
Sun shines and the Crooked Lake is a winner again, By Tony Bagnall
The Crooked Lake Triathlon was once more a magnificent success. On Saturday the biggest field ever assembled (400 strong) plunged into the calm waters of Camlough Lake to swim 750 metres, then they were straight onto the bike for 20 kilometres of hills before finishing with a five kilometre run.
The weather as usual was stunning and the huge crowd, who jostled to find a good vantage point around the lake, enjoyed every minute of the colourful event.
It’s surely the best triathlon in the nation, thanks in no small manner to the efficient team of race director Catherine Murphy, Patricia McParland and Paul Quinn plus a massive imput from the Shane O’Neill and Carrickcruppen clubs. Pat McGinn did a great job too as MC.
It’s a great advert for south Armagh and in particular the village of Camlough with triathletes coming from all parts of the nation. They came from as far north as Coleraine, from Dublin and Galway and each went home impressed beyond measure at the scenery, the craic and the south Armagh hospitality.
The race was won by Brian Campbell (55.36), the top triathlete in Ireland, who had over four minutes to spare over the second placed Newry Tri Club member Peter Savage who posted an excellent 60.48 while former Newry City footballer Bryan McCrystal, from Dundalk’s Setanta Club, was third (in only his second triathlon), 10 seconds behind Savage.
In the ladies’ race Elena Maslova took the top prize and a absolutely brilliant 14th place overall with a blistering 64.04 while Rachel Boyd (65.14) and Trudy Brown (65.26) were second and third. The Newry Tri Club, in their bright orange tri-suits, seemed to be everywhere and the club is going from strength to strength. After Camlough’s event no doubt the membership will rocket even further.
After Peter Savage, Alan Hall blasted to the line in 63.17 in 11th place while the incredible Sean Featherstone, who is making huge strides in the sport, edged into the top 20 with a 64.34. Eamon McConvey was another who had an amazing race and he won the O45 section with a superb 65.09.
Stephen Bagnall, on little training, snapped up 25th spot with a nippy 65.31, easing home a mere seven seconds in front of arch-rival Sean Mallon. But Sean had the consolation of winning the ‘First Male from the Bessbrook Camlough Area,’ in the process retaining his beautiful cup. Theresa Fearon won the trophy for the ‘First Female from the Bessbrook Camlough Area,’ with Theresa also picking up the first O35 prize; while Amie Dunford was the first junior girl. Others from the locality who impressed were: Mickey Lynch (67.07), Mark McElroy (67.33), Ciaran Hughes (67.57), Ross Collins (69.27), Cathal McGreevy (69.44), Kevin Murdock (69.53), Glyn O’Brien (70.19), Kevin Lynch (70.35), Tom Morgan (72.03), Oliver Harkin (72.24), Peter Cowan (72.37), Barry Loughran (72.41), Mark McGivern (73.07), Rory Loughran (73.44), Aaron McCourt (73.54), Paul Quinn (75.01), Mick Dunford (75.15), Pearse McKeever (75.56), Martin Mallon (76.40), Sean Hughes (76.52), David O’Prey (77.17), Myles McCourt (78.01), Peter O’Hare (78.30), Tony Bagnall (78.48), Padraig Mallon (79.26), Mickey Mallon (79.29: second O55)), Shane King (80.11), Majella Mallon (80.55), Kevin O’Callaghan (82.00), Aoiffe McCourt (82.14), Amie Dunford (83.54), Ann Marie Featherstone (84.32), Eamon Campbell (85.56), Brendan Monaghan (86.07), Anthony Cowan (86.38), Gerry Patton (86.46), Peter Quinn (87.18), Ciaron McDonnell (87.31), Gary Stokes (88.31), Helen McElroy (90.38), Olive McKeever (93.17), Turlough Murphy (94.22), Roisin McLornan (97.40), Michelle Mallon (97.40), John Hughes (1.46.05) and Brian Conlon (1.56.33).
That was just a sample of the athletes from the locality and if Sean Featherstone is not the most improved athlete in the Newry Club, then that accolade goes to Myles McCourt who has worked like a Trojan all winter. Myles got his reward on Saturday when he walloped rivals Tony Bagnall and Mickey Mallon out of sight.
Meanwhile congratulations to the Swiss four who made the trip to Zurich in early June for the half-Ironman race.
Unfortunately only three members of the Newry Triathlon Club competed the 1.2 miles swim, 56 miles bike and 13.1 miles run as Neil McDonald was hit by a wayward cyclist less than 400 metres into the bike ride and ended up in hospital. It initially appeared that he had dislocated his elbow but thankfully that wasn’t the case. Though 14 stitches in a leg wound was not what he would have wanted
The good news is that ‘Spacer’ is making a rapid recovery.
Top of the pile in the Newry colours was the massively talented Sean Featherstone who recorded a superb 5.56.49. The former Mayobridge GAA keeper swam 37.25, biked a brilliant 2.33.33 and finished off the event with a storming 1.42.33 run.
Sean Mallon and Peter Cowan also did the local club proud with both lads finishing the race side-by-side – in 5.34.36.
Sean, as per usual, blitzed the swim leg with a super-fast 27.28, exiting the water in third place in his group. He then biked 2.58.59, including six minutes of a time penalty (for being on his tri-bars in a non-tri-bar zone) and ran 1.56.12.
Peter swam 37.31, biked 2.57.34 and ran 1.56.15.
Vancouver World AGs Race Report by Colm Byrne
Departed Dublin on the Wednesday before my race on Saturday. After 14hours (approx) travelling I arrived in Vancouver. Vancouver is 8hours behind GMT. I went straight to registration which was painless and I was happy to get my number, timing chip and eagerly awaited goody bag.
Unfortunately, for the World Championships it was all about the weather and it certainly had a detrimental affect on the race itself. The originally planned opening ceremony due to take place on Thursday was cancelled due to lashing rain and cold conditions. Still there was the planned pasta party to look forward to which was held in doors at Stanley Park Aquarium. This is where the whole team met up for the first time and what a great bunch athletes there was over there. There was good banter and some very interesting conversations on how to beat the opposition over as much pasta as you could digest. The pasta party concluded and back to a pub (it was the only dry place we could find and that is our excuse) for the team meeting with full race briefing and some very tasty chocolate chip cookies. No alcohol was consumed I may add.
After a couple of days of surveying the course routes and getting out for a couple of race specific training sessions, race day came very quickly.
Unfortunately, on race morning due to the continuing inclement weather and below average water temperatures the swim leg was cancelled. It was to be replaced by a 3km run instead. I was gutted. This did not suit me as the swim leg is my strongest part. Personally I didn’t think the water conditions were that bad.
As our race start approached the crowds cheered, then hooter sounded and we were off like scolded cats. I settled into a race pace very quickly and the order sorted itself out. I found a bit of space and over took some people and was overtaken by others. My pace was ok and I maintained it throughout.
Back to T1 in 8mins 31secs. No too bad for 3km in my books.
The cycle course, consisting of a 4 lap loop of the very beautiful Stanley Park, proved a lot tougher than I had originally thought. It was an undulating course with a 1.4km climb which was steep enough at the 6.5km mark and this would be very telling on the legs after 4 loops. The remainder of the loop was all downhill. The finish and start of every lap was greeted with cheers from the crowds and more shouts of “Come on Ireland”. As cycling is probably the weakest part of my race, the end of the cycle was a welcome relief.
T2 went well and out for the longest 10km.
The run course consisted of 1 x 2.8km lap and 2 x 3.6km laps to the finish. The run course could be classified as an undulating course. On the run there seemed to be Irish supporters everywhere. Every turn and every straight was always greeted with “Go Ireland”. Huge thanks to all the supporters out there.
I started to cramp on the final lamp. My quads and calf muscles were screaming in agony as I climbed the last sharp hill on the run. I had to try and hydrate myself from the water stations but I struggle to drink adequately from the paper cups and generally just end up throwing the water over my head. A couple of km’s later, I turned the last corner. It was about a 400m straight run to the finish line. You could see it all the way and this was my focus as my body started to shut down. I could hear the crowds cheering. I was adamant that nobody would pass me on the final run in and I sprinted (well, as much as my body would let me sprint) to the end. Nobody passed me!
I crossed the line with a sense of elation, relief and achievement. I was wrecked. It was the worst and best I have ever felt after completing a race.
To be there, representing my country and trying my hardest knowing that I was absolutely spent at the end was a great feeling. It was something that I will cherish for ever. I had finished in 2hours 0mins and 55secs and I was delighted.
I would like to thank my family (Carol, Claire, Seán and Alex), who saw a lot less of me than I would have liked over the past couple of months. Also my Sister (Fiona) and her husband (Pete) who came a long way to support me, my club mates and team coaches in Wicklow Tri who encouraged and supported me, Jim Corbett (also of Wicklow Tri) an excellent training partner who was also there racing and did himself very proud, the TI management in Vancouver, and all the other Irish athletes there representing our country.
A special word of thanks to Amanda Mannix in TI for organising everything for us prior to departure.
This is a great event and I would recommend this to anybody.
Vancouver World AGs Race Report by Peter Clarke
Wednesday 4th June: Time to stop talking and start doing…
I arrived in Vancouver around 8pm local time to find the place freezing cold and wet, by no means what I was expecting.
My biggest initial worry was that my bike or the new bling wheels I bought would get lost or damaged in transit – I was flying from Heathrow Terminal 5 – so the first thing I did on checking in to the hotel was to reassemble the bike, which luckily went without any hitches. My wheels were still round and nothing had broken.
Thursday 5th June:
At breakfast I met some of the other Irish competitors. Phillip Cullen was to race in the 45-49 age group but had crashed his bike a couple of weeks previously, injuring his hand and leg badly. He couldn’t complete the race in Vancouver but wasn’t going to let injury prevent him from starting so he planned on pulling out after completing the swim leg.
Neil O’Brien, team mechanic and supporter-in-chief, checked out my bike for safety and handed me the bright green official Irish team fleece. Null points for style.
Thursday morning involved going down to the English Bay area where the racing was to take place. Some of the junior sprint distance races were already underway and there were early stories about athletes suffering badly from the cold water.
I found the bike course very slippery and there were deep puddles everywhere.
The Official Opening Ceremony was to take place at the race site on Thursday evening but it was cancelled as the weather was so bad. In fact, the word at this stage was that the 1.5k swim was to be shortened to 900m because of the cold conditions.
There was an athletes’ “Pasta Party” later on at the English Bay Aquarium where I hooked up with Rachel Eager, the Irish Team Manager, and most of the rest of the Irish team and carb-loaded with a beer and some veggie pasta dish while being stared at by two beluga whales. We laughed as Stephen Moody vowed to finish better than the guy from Guatemala and we picked some other obscure countries to beat.
Friday 6th June
On Friday morning I went to check out the water with Chris Reid from Belfast, Aisling, resident in NYC, and Philip Cullen to check out just how cold the water really was.
Fully kitted out in my rubber wetsuit I took tentative steps into the sub-12 degree ocean just waiting for the moment when it became too much and I’d have to dart back onto the beach. I splashed my head and back of my neck and then dived in. I waited for the pain but it never came. I took a few strokes and it still never came. In fact it wasn’t actually that bad.
Friday afternoon still required taking my bike to the main transition area for racking up. This went without hitch and I walked back with Chris trying to reconcile the map of the 3 lap 10k run route with the actual road layout. It’d have helped if I had the race programme open on the right page (I was looking at the sprint distance course) but even on the right page it was proving a struggle. We eventually got it sorted and anyway, it’s not as if we’d be in first place with nobody to follow around.
I walked back along English Bay in what was now glorious sunshine but was I alone in noticing that the wind had picked up and that the previously still water was now looking decidedly choppy and only seemed to be getting worse? I saw a bloke doing a practice swim and he looked like a hamster on a treadmill. No matter how many strokes he was taking he seemed to stay in the same place.
Saturday 7th June – Race Day
The weather had turned again and all the flags on the beach were pointed stiffly back towards the shore, reflecting a near gale coming from where we were due to swim to. The waves were crashing to the shore at speed but Neil O’Brien was full of encouraging words. “Just keep your stroke smooth and even you’ll have no trouble” he lied.
The sight later of Philip’s crutch racked in the transition zone, adorned with a green and white toy snake and ribbons and surrounded by millions of dollars’ worth of performance bikes was surely the most surreal sight of the week, though those who actually saw him hobble around the first run later might disagree.
Then came the announcement. After only two of the dozens of Age Group races scheduled the officials decided to cancel the swim. That was the good part. The bad part was that the race would now be a duathlon: run-bike-run. That’d have been just fine 5 weeks ago but I’d spent almost all of May working on my swim at the expense of my running and cycling and I don’t think I was really sharp enough to run at race pace twice in one session. The fell running I’d been doing in France in early April was probably long forgotten by my legs at this stage.
By now there was little to be done but continue to warm up and stretch. Neil gave some very useful tips on getting ready for the start of a duathlon. The hooter went for the 35-39 year olds and they set off at some pace. Off they went into the distance and then the 40-44 wave stepped to the starting line. After all the waiting, I was up next.
The first run…
The hooter went and off we set. “Do not arrive in transition last” I repeated in my mind. “Run Forrest Run” also sprung into my head. Luckily I ran the 2.7km lap in 9 mins flat, somewhere mid to end-pack but actually quite a respectable time.
Into T1 we went, off with the running shoes and on with the bike shoes, helmet and shades. I ran my bike out to the mounting point, got clipped in and off I went up the first of many hills. The Irish flags were out and the shouts of “Come on Ireland” brought a lump to my throat. Here was the kid who was always first caught playing bulldog as a 5 year old and never got any faster since. At school Sports Day there was always the Egg & Spoon or Obstacle Race for those who couldn’t run fast. I even came last in those.
The bike…
I set out as fast as I felt I could go, doing reasonably well, overtaking as many people as overtook me. One guy even got a warning for drafting me so I must have been going ok.
Then came the main hill for the first time. It wasn’t too bad. I picked a low gear and spun like the textbooks say but my speedo never registered much higher than 16kph and I got overtaken by several squadrons of carbon-wheeled carbon-framed bling machines. Purrrrrrrrr….
Still I got to the end of the first lap in 16:50, ahead of my 18 minute target – heading for 1:08 total at this rate. 3 more laps to go. I just got myself into my zone and kept at it.
The rest is a blur but I recall a local lycra clad looney stationed half way up the hill shouting “Way to go Ireland. You are just getting better and better each lap”. I assumed he wasn’t referring to my comedy value.
Anyway, 4 times up that hill eventually took its toll and I finished the bike leg in 1:09 or thereabouts, still a good time for me. I unclipped and ran my bike into transition, taking down a few marker cones on my way. A photo I subsequently saw made it look like my bike was a runaway horse whose reins I was struggling to keep in hand. Off with the helmet and bike shoes, back on with the run shoes. Sloppy transition.
The second run…
Out for lap one of the run at a half-decent pace. Why did the sun have to come out now?
I could see Noelle, Neil and Rachel with some of the others, Neil with the flag around his neck, all of them cheering. Thanks guys, just what I need to keep going.
Lap one finished, two to go and it wasn’t getting any easier. By this stage my feet felt like lead but I’d been in this state many times before, another 25 mins was perfectly doable, but could I hold the pace? The answer come lap 3 was a resounding “no”.
Still, less than 10 minutes to go now. More Irish flags, more cheering, more much appreciated encouragement. Then came the home stretch. Then the final bend, the blue carpet and the finish line was only 30 or 40 metres away.
2:10 was my finish time, 47:20 was my 10k run, slower than I’m capable of but faster than it felt I was running.
Peter Clarke – International Athlete
That’s it! I was now officially an Irish international athlete who had represented his country at a World Championships.
Cycling naked…
Cycling back to the hotel on Broadway I thought that maybe my exertions had taken their toll on my brain. Was that really a convoy of a hundred naked cyclists on the overpass? I brushed it off as one of those mirages that heatstricken water-starved dessert crossers suffer in the movies but ten minutes later they passed me again. Stark naked, every last one of them. Great place Vancouver.
Back to the hotel, cold bath followed by a hot bath. I headed down to Philip & Maureen’s room where I was presented with a polystyrene beaker of beautiful red wine. Now that tasted a lot better than that Istonic carb shyte I’d been drinking all day.
Next up was the team dinner, a few cold beers and much joking and exchanging stories about the day’s events. I was shattered and made it back to my room for 10.45pm where I disassembled and packed my bike away, packed my luggage and crashed out for seven hours.
Sunday 7th June
At dinner I swore I’d be up early to swim the course just to say I’d done it so on Sunday morning I brought my wetsuit down to the beach and swam in what, of course, was completely calm water. Feezing, but calm.
That seals it…
I was a few hundred metres out when up pops a seal beside me. I’d never heard of a swimmer being eaten alive by a seal before but I wasn’t taking any chances. Besides, given my rubber wetsuit I feared I could have been mistaken for a potential mate so I pegged it back to the shore at a faster rate than I’ve ever swum before. Now, before any other event I do I’m going to imagine there’s a seal, or worse, in the water beside me and I’m sure my swim splits will improve.
By this stage the unofficial times were up. I came 88th, nowhere near last as I’d feared.
I headed to a coffee shop for my first caffeinated coffee in a week and settled down to watch the U23 and full Elite races. The Women’s Elite race was a thriller – well done Helen Tucker from GB. Very well done too to Ireland’s Emma Davis who came 15th in the Women’s Elite event having been at the forefront of the pack chasing the two runaway leaders all through the bike and run. I had the pleasure of meeting her afterwards. The 15th best in the world asked me how I did. “88th,” I replied, “but out of 107!”
Thanks to…
Special thanks to Rachel & Neil for all their hard work, motivation and help and to Amanda back in Wicklow for all her hard work in advance of the event. Thanks too to Maureen for the photos and bag carrying and to all the other team mates and supporters for all the fun. Also to all those who sent cards or emailed and texted good luck messages, and of course Kate for indulging my ridiculous aspirations.
