Report & results on the penultimate race in the TriStars series and IRC qualifier
Written by Roy Healey (Welsh Triathlon North Regional Development Academy Coach)
The day started a little overcast on Sunday morning with the Urdd volunteers and Welsh Triathlon team all busy setting up the facilities ready for the most important race of the series to date with respect to automatic qualification to the Inter Regional Championships for the T2 and T3 athletes. Stakes were also high for all other Welsh Triathlon athletes as double points were on offer which would have a significant impact on the TriStar series as a whole.
Once all the formalities were out of the way, the athletes and parents were briefed and the race started just 2 minutes and 30 seconds behind schedule.
The T1 girls had the pleasure of starting proceedings at this years event and wave 1 was keenly contested with Carys Borland leading the way from Abigail Davies, with Carys eventually clinching 2nd place overall and Abigail finishing in a creditable 4th overall. The T1 boys quickly followed back on scheduled time and like the girls they were all up for a fight with Samuel Joseph Hayes leading them all home and eventually finishing in 2nd place overall. The final 2 waves of girls and boys consisted of some of the series leading athletes and once again the individual battles were fantastic, with the equally brilliant Eden Rae Davies and Ioan Hedd Oldfield leading home their age groups, with Freya Thapa and Will Stone making up the top 3 with great races pushing their competition all the way.
After the T1 athletes had finished it was time for the most keenly contested age group to start - the T2 girls and boys. With 30 athletes competing it was always going to be a tough call for any of the athletes to reach top 3. With the stakes being twice as high you could see the tension on the athletes faces as well as the parents. Once the early waves had completed it was time for the series leaders to lock horns and they did in breath taking fashion. Molly Reardon led home the girls in 26:30 just 3 seconds in front of Emily Chirighin 26:33 and 26 seconds in front of Kate Pugh 26:56 who, despite suffering a mechanical, somehow dragged every ounce of energy to try and get back at the leaders finishing in 3rd, just 5 seconds ahead of a strong finishing Ella Haf Oldfield. The boys race proved to be just as close with Osian Perrin and Joseph James Reardon going head to head again with Osian managing to hold off Joseph by just 4 seconds in a time of 23:14, and Ioan Rhys Evans holding on for 3rd place from Cian Roberts and Gregory Hopkins.
The T3 girls and boys then took centre stage to finish the morning off with once again the brilliant Abbie Williams leading home the girls in the fastest time of the day for both girls and boys in a time of 29:50. Ellie McCormick came home in another great time of 31:57 to grab 2nd place overall in the T3 girls from Layla Gibbins, who came home in 33:33 holding off series leader Mali Jones.
The boys race had everything with two of the top three athletes stopping one lap too soon on the run before realising their mistake and both setting off like rockets to make up those precious seconds. Elis Morgan Pryse competed for the first time this year in the series holding off Luc Bartlett by just 10 seconds in a time of 30:02. The honours for the top T3 boy went to Ben Bartlett who, like Elis, was just 10 seconds in front at the end in a great time of 29:52. All in all it was a great race keenly fought by all of those in the series with Nathaniel Harries, Ifan Gruff Oldfield and Rhys Daniel Davies all putting in great efforts to try and grab that 3rd place.
Well done to all athletes who took part and made the day a success. As always the athletes were a credit to their parents, their clubs, and most importantly to themselves.
Finally a big thank you must go out to all of the Urdd volunteers and the Welsh Triathlon team for making the day a success, without their help these events would never go ahead.
For the updated TriStar Series results please click here
For the full race results and times please click here
The next and final event is an invitation only event, taking place in Newtown on Sunday 28th September.
