A huge crowd of competitors and spectators travelled to Wagga's Charles Sturt University (CSU) on Sunday for the inaugural Wagga Triants 'Come & Try' Triathlon. Participants travelled from as far away as the Shoalhaven and Canberra to contest the event which consisted of a 1.9km run, 11km cycle, 200m swim and a further 1.9km run. All roads utilised during the event were closed to vehicular traffic, making the 'Come & Try' event ideal for newcomers to the sport of triathlon. Event organiser Stephen Trevaskis said that the aim for the club was to conduct an event with distances achievable for people wishing to compete in a triathlon for the first time. “With the lack of water in Lake Albert at present, the CSU pool complex fitted the bill perfectly and the University was keen to embrace the concept” Mr Trevaskis said. The format certainly proved popular, with a total of 141 individuals and 23 teams (of up to four members) lining up for a race start line at 8am. Mr Trevaskis said the club would have been happy with pre-event entries of 90 individuals and 15 teams but to have over 200 participating on race day confirms that the people of Wagga & district are keen to experience more of the sport in the future.
Whilst up to 75% of the field represented first time competitors, quite a number of the area's more experienced triathletes competed on Sunday and duly demonstrated their vast array of skills. Wagga’s multi Ironman World Championship finisher, Marcus Smith proved why he is such a force in the sport with a comprehensive victory in the men's race. Despite directing his training towards the sport's longer discipline, Marcus showed he is still capable of mixing it with the sprint specialists. After trailing a number of his opponents in the first run leg, Marcus was able to power away on the bike to win by more than a minute (38m40s ) ahead of Wagga's Ben Roberts (39m50s) and Geoff Breese (40m46s). The 'Come & Try' format may have been a short event by his standards, but Marcus still considered the race to be tough non the less. “The wind was quite strong on the bike and with the shorter distances you tend to push yourself a lot harder” said Mr Smith. Mr Smith was quick to praise the 'Come & Try' initiative saying that "this event was excellent for all standards of competitors and the course was sensational".
The women's race was also closely contested, with less than a minute separating the top three placegetters. Morven's Sarah Finlay was first home in 45:17 followed by Eurongilly's Jenny Hart (45:32) and Leeton's Clare Webb (45:59). "The race was fantastic and I would love to come back next year" said an elated Mrs Finlay. This looks certain to happen with Charles Sturt University and Wagga Triants indicating their intention to make the 'Come & Try' Triathlon an annual fixture on the Wagga sporting calendar.
Mr Trevaskis acknowledged the efforts of race crew, volunteers, university staff, local authorities and residents by saying that “a huge number of people were involved in pulling this race together and I would like to thank them all very much for their respective contributions”.
The Wagga 'Come & Try' event begins a run of triathlons in the local area over coming weeks. These events, which are being held at Temora (13th Feb), in conjunction with the Temora Golden Gift, Ganmain (14th Feb), Cootamundra (20th Feb), Holbrook (14th Mar), Leeton (20th Mar) and Albury (21st Mar) will also suit first time and experienced competitors alike. Further information can be obtained from the Wagga Triants website www.waggatriants.org.au or by calling Neil on 0428 325 576.
Results by Category below
Results:
MALE: 1st Marcus Smith 38m40s, 2nd Ben Roberts 39m50s, 3rd Geoff Breese 40m46s.
FEMALE: 1st Sarah Finlay 45m17s, 2nd Jenny Hart 45m32s, 3rd Clare Webb 45s59s. MIXED TEAMS: 1st Team Judd 37m49s, 2nd Wagga Cycle Club 44m46s, 3rd McIvacs 45m07s.
FEMALE TEAMS: 1st Bleakley Girls 47m08s, 2nd Four Thommos 48m01s, 3rd Nicky’s Team 53m51s.
MALE TEAMS: 1st The Boys 51m23s, 2nd Speed Deamons 53m11s, 3rd Tri-Hards 53m16s.
We thank all competitors for their participation and hope you are now hooked on triathlons.
Images courtesy of the Daily Advertiser.
