On a cold morning, threatening rain and blowing a gale, Clumber Park near Mansfield hosted the British Duathlon Championships. Newmarket Cycling and Triathlon Club had one athlete, Gordon Irvine, contesting this year in the Sprint event covering 5km run, 20km bike and a final sharp 2.5km finishing run. Read more →
The Annual Newmarket Cycling and Triathlon Club Awards on 24th January was an opportunity for members old and new to get together and celebrate the continued success of our local club.
The night began with a sit down meal at the Rosery Hotel, Exning. Following on, Dave Peck (President) gave a short but substantial speech on snippets of history for the Club, celebrating some long standing members and their accolades of years gone by. Read more →
It was a busy weekend for the club as we played host to our annual duathlon staged at the Ellsmere Centre in Stetchworth. With gale force wind and rain on the menu the challenge of competing was made extra difficult for the event which includes a 2.5 mile run, 14 mile bike and further 2.5 mile run.
Nine club members lined up for the event and it was Gemma Irvine who proved to be in fine form to finish third female overall recording a time of 1 hour 25 minutes 31 seconds, while her husband Gordon Irvine who is usually on the podium had to settle for fourth place in the mens race with a creditable 1 hour 11 minutes 53 seconds. The rest of the newmarket contingent was made up by new members of the club. Ryan Figgins crossed the line in 1 hour 24 minutes 09 seconds, he was followed by Ian Cunningham in 1 hour 34 minutes. Keiron Shepherd showed plenty of promise stopping the clock on 1 hour 35 minutes 06 seconds with Xaviour Campbell hot on his heals in 1 hour 36 minutes 46 seconds. Glenn Fruish finished strongly in 1 hour 42 minutes 51 seconds. Sam Crockett and Gillian Green made up the female team with Crockett finishing in 1 hour 48 minutes 15 seconds and Green dipping under her target time of 2 hours in 1 hour 59 minutes 56 seconds.
A very wet and windy day greeted club members at Ely on Sunday morning for the challenging Monster Middle Distance triathlon, which includes a 1900 metre river swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run.
Ian Hawkins, Sarah Wells and Clare Fleming entered as a team, calling themselves the Newmarket Destroyers, and that is exactly what they did as they clinched first place with a superb time of 4 hours 30 minutes and 2 seconds.
In the individual contest it was birthday boy Joe Richer that was first home for the club recording a smashing 5 hours 2 minutes 40 seconds. Lee Dickinson was next across the line in 5 hours 36 minutes 25 seconds with Brett Bayliss in 5 hours 45 minutes 2 seconds.
Two members also took on the (slightly further than) Olympic distance event with 1500 metres to swim against the current, 28 miles on the bike and a 12K run around the streets of Ely. Competition was hot but Maxine Lane put on a strong race to finish second female overall with a time of 2 hours 59 minutes 18 seconds whilst team mate Francesca Rust, stepping up in distance for the first time, proved she is one to watch in the future after finishing second in her age category (25-34) with a time of 3 hours 22 minutes 23 seconds.
Hurricane Bertha swept across the nation on Sunday as heavy rain and strong winds battered most of the country but this didn’t stop club member Peter Williams from competing in his biggest endurance contest.
With many events being cancelled, the Cotswolds in Gloustershire went ahead with their first ever Ironman triathlon. The event named Cotswold226 saw over 200 triathletes line up for the gruelling 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile cycle and 26.2 mile run.
Williams, who is the commercial workshop vehicle manager at Manchetts in Burwell has had this race firmly on his mind for over a year. And with a couple of Half-Ironman races under his belt, he knew was in the form of his life. After a tough swim in choppy water he was soon out on his bike, and with the weather playing a cruel factor for the two lap 112 mile contest Williams with the support of his family cheering him on from the sidelines cruised around the circuit in a fabulous 5 hours 49 minutes 59 seconds. With a four lap run around the lake Williams endurance shone through as he battled to keep going over the 26.2 mile course. Williams had the run of his life to record a marathon time of 3 hours 36 minutes 34 seconds giving him an overall finishing time of 11 hours 04 minutes 46 seconds, finishing 27th overall and second in his age category (50+).
After the event Williams commented,
“It was wild out there, I found it really tough physically and especially psychologically, there were times when all I wanted to do was get off the bike and during the run I just wanted to stop. I’m really pleased with my result as I was aiming for a time of between 11 and 12 hours. I would like to thank my wife for becoming a triathlon widow and am now looking forward to our holiday together”
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Club member Keith McCarthy took on the worlds biggest triathlon on Sunday morning as he traveled down to the capital to compete in the London Triathlon. McCarthy who only took to the sport this year has gone from strength to strength in recent months with the help of the clubs coaches. McCarthy entered the challenging standard distance event which consisted of a 1500 metre swim in the London Docks, a 40K bike and then a further 10K run. With over 13000 triathletes tackling the course the swim was always going to be a bit of a punch up, but McCarthy took no prisoners and was soon out of the water and on his way to tearing it up on the streets of London. With the roads closed to traffic, McCarthy stormed around the course, crossing the line with a new personal best of 2 hours 28 minutes 36 seconds.
Meanwhile Eugene Husband and Gordon Irvine made their way to Staffordshire for the Blithfield Standard Distance Triathlon. It was Husband who crossed the line first for the club as he cruised around the 1500 metre open water swim, 40K bike and 10K run. Husband had the race of his life to finish 10th overall and second in his age category (40-44) with a superb time of 2 hours and 15 minutes. Irvine was not far behind and finished strongly in 17th place with a time of 2 hours 20 minutes 37 seconds.
Maxine Lane and Hayley Brewis left the bikes at home for a change as they competed at the Jelly Legs Aquathon staged at Stowmarket leisure centre. The race which is a new event saw the athletes tackle a 300 metre pool swim and a 5K run. The fast and furious pace saw Lane fly out of the water and around the fast run course to finish first lady overall in a time of 28minutes 10seconds with Brewis not far behind finishing 7th female overall with a time of 32minutes 12seconds.
Sheila Shead traveled to York for a charity 10K run. Shead who is finding her form had a strong run to finish in 1 hour 20 seconds.
Seven members of the club took on the popular Culford Sprint Distance Triathlon on Sunday morning, staged in and around the grounds of Culford school. The sell out event saw 191 triathletes battle it out over the 300 metre pool swim, 20K cycle and 4K run.
Joe Richer, who hasn’t competed in triathlons due to injuries for nearly two years made a cracking comeback. Richer who is used to the gruelling Ironman distances put on a stunning display to finish 12th overall braking the one hour barrier with a splendid time of 57 minutes 57 seconds. Team mate Hayden Marsh who is enjoying a good season put in another solid performance to also break the hour and finish 20th overall with a time of 59 minutes 37 seconds.
Hayley Brewis was the first lady home for the club with a time of 1 hour 5 minutes 45 seconds with Malcolm Daines-Smith also enjoying a triathlon comback stopping the clock on 1 hour 7 minutes 19 seconds. New member Cathy Thomson proved she is one to watch for the future, producing the 6th fastest swim time of the day and with a strong bike and run crossed the line in 1 hour 10 minutes 08 seconds. Tracey Apperley who is going from strength to strength on the triathlon scene had yet another outstanding performance to finish in 1 hour 11 minutes 14 seconds with Sheila Shead who has been recovering from a virus battling on strongly to finish in 1 hour 21 minutes 27 seconds.
Jake Woolf was the only club member racing The Chichester Triathlon on Sunday morning. The 600 metre pool swim, 26 mile bike and 10K run was a real challenge for Woolf, with 6000 feet of climbing and a tumble during the tough bike course, he brushed himself off and carried on in style to complete the course in 2 hours 36 minutes 29 seconds.
Three members traveled to Norwich on Saturday afternoon for an evening sprint triathlon staged at Whitlingham Country Park. The 750 metre open water swim, 18K bike and further 5K run saw over 200 competitors line up for a lung busting test of speed. It was Maxine Lane that was first home for the club. Lane, who suffered a panic attack after being smashed in the face during the swim soon made up the ground as she flew around the bike course, then with 5K left to run she managed to clinch 4th female overall and first in her age category (35-39) with a time of 1 hour 11 minutes 55 seconds. Training partner Linda Hones competing in her fourth triathlon of the season also put on a stunning display, and despite suffering from a dizzy spell on the bike, she managed to finish second in her age category (50-54) with a creditable 1 hour 22 minutes 17 seconds. Mark Gibbs was the only male flying the flag for Newmarket. Gibbs, racing in the open water for the first time proved he is one to watch in the future as he finished 35th male overall with a super time of 1 hour 15 minutes 40 seconds.
On Sunday, Parris Williams and Hayden Marsh took on the Olympic Distance Triathlon (1500 metre swim, 40K bike, 10K run) which was also staged in Norwich . Williams had the race of her life to finish 7th female overall and first in her age category with a new personal best of 2 hours 32 minutes 11 seconds. Marsh, tackling the olympic distance for the first time showed he is made of the tough stuff as, despite being hampered by blisters during the run he managed to finish with a superb time of 2 hours 35 minutes 57 seconds.
Club member Sheila Shead took on her most competitive triathlon of the season on Sunday morning, travelling to Emberton park in Milton Keynes to compete at the Sprint Triathlon Nationals. Shead put on a solid performance over the 750 metre open water swim, 21K undulating bike course and 5K run to finish 8th in her age category (60- 64) with a time of 1 hour 47 minutes 24 seconds.
Meanwhile, three club members stayed on local turf to run the Newmarket 10K staged in Stetchworth. The challenging course proved no problem for the trio with Maxine Lane first across the line for the club finishing third female overall in a time of 43 minutes 30 seconds. She was chased down by new member Kate Adams who recorded a personal best of 47 minutes 38 seconds with Jake Woolf having a strong run crossing the line in 57 minutes 52 seconds.
