The much-anticipated Bluestone Pembrokeshire Coast Triathlon took place on Saturday 6^th July. This event saw our Welsh National Standard Distance Championship, Stage 4 of the Welsh Triathlon Super Series and Tîm Tri Cymru qualifier for 2025. For the second consecutive year, coastal weather conditions forced a change to a duathlon format.

Participants avoided a rough sea swim but contended with harsh winds during the run and bike segments. Despite the modified format, the event still went smoothly. Once again flawlessly organised by the Pembrokeshire Triathlon Club, under the guidance of the dedicated Dave Astins. The success of the event is attributed to the club, officials, and volunteers who ensured everything proceeded without a hitch.

The revised event format included a 2.7k run, 42k bike ride, and a final 10k run, finishing on the beach. There was intense competition in the Open, Female, and Relay categories.

In the Open category, the race was exceptionally close among the top athletes. Dafyd Jay was back with vengeance this year, once again flying through the first run taking an early lead with a time of 09:24. Last year’s winner, Gruffudd Lewis, clocked the fastest bike leg, completing it in 1:05:07 despite challenging winds. The final run saw a fierce battle, with Simon Cole demonstrating his running prowess. After the second-fastest split in the initial 2.7k run, Simon’s second run was the fastest of the day, completing the 10k in 35:45—an impressive feat.

Ultimately, the race concluded with a thrilling finish as Dafyd Jay and Oliver Simon were neck and neck across the sand. Spectators watched in excitement as Dafyd secured victory, crossing the finish line 9 seconds ahead of Simon with an overall time of 1:55:20. Oliver Simon finished second, and Gruffudd Lewis took third place.

In the Female category, the competition was equally fierce. Lucy Marland had the fastest split in the first run, completing the 2.7k in 10:37, followed closely by Lili Jones at 10:51. Rhian Roxburgh dominated the cycle section for the second year in a row, completing it in 1:19:42.

The final run was a showcase of determination and skill. Lucy Marland continued her strong performance, finishing with an overall time of 2:15:46, leading by over 5 minutes. Rhian Roxburgh improved on her 2023 position, securing second place with a time of 2:21:01. Lili Jones finished third, just 40 seconds behind Rhian with a time of 2:21:41.

Well done to everyone that competed! Our next Welsh National Championship race will be our new aquabike championship, Bala Standard Aquabike, on the 1^st of September. And the next stage of our Welsh Super Series will be Sandman Sprint on the 14^th of September. We’re looking forward to seeing you there.

Don't forget to catch up on the action from the Bluestone Pembrokeshire Coast Triathlon which aired on S4C on Friday July 26th!

Stage 4 Overall Results