1400 Competitors raced around the streets of central Cardiff on Sunday 25th June at the Cardiff Triathlon, organised by Always Aim High.
The day included Super-sprint, Sprint and Standard Distance racing, as well as Elite Male and Elite Female races which attracted top domestic triathlon talent to Cardiff Bay.
The Standard Distance Race hosted the Welsh Standard Distance Triathlon Championships, with around 120 athletes competing for Welsh titles in their respective age-categories. The event was also round 2 of the National Series, a competition run over the Welsh Middle, Standard, Sprint Distance Triathlon and Aquathlon Championships.
First out of the water in the Men’s Welsh Championship was Nathan Ford. However, a crash on the bike meant that he did not complete the race, with Ross Simpson (Urban Cyclery), left to establish a big lead heading out onto the run. Simpson held this lead through the 10k and took the overall win in 01:52:27. Second in the Senior Men’s Category was Gareth Hodgson (Team Cranc) in 01:54:33. Hodgson had a faster closing run, but was unable to bridge the gap to Simpson, which was established on the swim and maintained through the closed road bike section. Third position in the Senior Men’s race was claimed by Robbie Jones in 01:59:54.
In the Female Senior race, first out of the water was Jazzelle Lobeck. However, Laura Clements (Cardiff Triathletes), who exited the water over five minutes down on Lobeck, pushed through to overturn this deficit during the bike and led out onto the run, recording a winning time of 02:13:56. Second place went to Becky Oatley in 02:25:21, with third going to Victoria Woodsford (Cr@p Tri) in 2:27:25.
In the 40+ category Gillian Hopkins (Cardiff Triathletes) claimed the Welsh title in the female race, having been first in her category from the outset. For the Men, it was Jonathon Pike who took the M40-49 title, profiting from a 36’51 10k split to come from behind on the run. In the 50-59 race, the Welsh titles went to Beverley Lewis (Cardiff Triathletes) and Peter Lloyd (Team NBCC/Pembs Tri Club), whose faster bike proved decisive in a close race for the top 3 positions. The bike leg would also prove decisive in the outcome of the M60-69 race, with Bill Snowdon (Cardiff Triathletes) pulling away to win.
A full list of Welsh Standard Distance Triathlon Medallists can be found here:
| Category | Gold Medal | Silver Medal | Bronze Medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male junior |
Sion Kelly Williams (GOG Tri Club) |
||
| Male Senior |
Ross Simpson (Urban Cyclery) |
Gareth Hodgson ( Team Cranc) |
Robbie Jones
|
| Female Senior |
Laura Clements (Cardiff Triathletes) |
Becky Oatley
|
Victoria Woodsford (Cr@p Tri) |
| Male 40-49 |
Jonathon Pike
|
Richard Brady (Tri Monkey Coachng) |
Craig Flannery
|
| Female 40-49 |
Gillian Hopkins (Cardiff Triathletes) |
Debby Saunders
|
Catherine Mears
|
| Male 50-59 |
Peter Lloyd (Team Nbcc/Pembrokeshire Tri Club) |
Miles Brown (Cardiff Triathletes) |
Stuart Nash (La Wantzenau Tri) |
| Female 50-59 |
Beverley Lewis (Cardiff Triathletes) |
||
| Male 60-69 |
Bill Snowden (Cardiff triathletes) |
Paul Bennett (Celtic Tri) |
Paul Bennett
|
The race was also round 2 of the national series. The best 3 races count for the series, with round 3 taking place at the Porth Eirias Aquathlon on Saturday 15th July. This race will also see the start of the Youth and Junior series competitions, which will be run over the final two races.
Full Welsh Championship results can be found HERE
Full National Series Rankings can be found HERE
Welsh Triathlon would like to congratulate all who raced and thank Always Aim High for a fantastic event, as well as all the marshals, volunteers and technical officials who worked through the rain to make the event possible.
For a full list of results click HERE
