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30th June 2008
Mark Robertson , FVS TRI’s most improved triathlete of the year, continues to shine with a second place at the Dorney Lake Evening triathlon. Strong winds on the 5 lap bike course meant some really fast action on the outward sections with the resulting headwind on the homeward stretches acting as a real leveller and a test of spirit for the competitors. Robertson completed the 750m lake swim, 20k bike and 5k run in 1:02:15, just 11 seconds ahead of the athlete in third
Mike Bridge was an excellent 7th in the Welsh national Championships at Park Bryn Bach over the Olympic distance of 1500m lake swim, 40k bike and 10k run. Mike was second out of the water in 18:24 after a strong swim but lost places on the tough multi lap bike course(1:12:38) and the 10k run (42:07 ) to finish in 7th in a time of 2:13:08.
The evening Hitchin Nomads 10 mile Cycle Time Trial provided an opportunity for in form Jon Gillham to earn a course PB with 25:47. Also in PB form at the Stevenage Evening Time Trial were Rob Wilson 24:37, Tim Smith 25:59 and Drew Lowrie 27:32 all recording their fastest times for the 10 mile sporting course.
FVS TRI have relocated their run sessions to the new sports facility at Hitchin Boys School on Fishponds Road which opened for business this week. Chairman Keith Perry is delighted with the new set up which means that the club now meets in Hitchin four times a week at Hitchin Boys and also Hitchin Swimming centre.
23rd June 2008
FVS TRI’s Ironmen Mark Racher and Marc Trussell travelled to Nice to compete in the 2008 Ironman France Championships. Top club swimmer Mark Racher was an incredible 14th out of the swim from a mass start of 2000 competitors completing the 3.8k sea swim in 50:26, the mountainous 180k bike leg in 5:42:44 and a 3:59:06 marathon to finish in a total time of 10:43:18 and 229th overall. Marc Trussell was 1090th overall with a 1:10:20 swim, 6:30:09 bike and 4:44 marathon to finish in 12:46:04 which is an impressive time for such a difficult course.
Will Long completed his first standard distance or Olympic triathlon at Rutland water in the Dambuster event finishing 300th overall in 2:45:04 completing the 1500m swim in 29:05, 42k bike in 1:24:31 and the 10k run in 47:51. Gerry Corrance was 340th in 2:50:12 (35:09 swim, 1:27:14 bike 45:09 run)
Rob Bester and Graham Perry completed the Saffron Walden Sprint Triathlon with times of 1:33:10 and 1:46:06 for the 750m pool swim, 28k bike, 5k run
Stewart Kay raced the Mid Sussex Sprint Triathlon and finished 60th overall in 1:16:13 for the 400m swim, 25k bike and 5k run.
Mark Robertson was 3rd overall in 24:06 for the St Albans Midsummer Aquathlon based on a 500m pool swim and 5k run. Suzy Hawkins was 29th in 29:51 and Ian Hobbs was 32nd in 30:22 with a 3 minute PB improvement on 2005 performance.. Vicki Goulding had to retire after a collision in the swim, but she enjoyed the post race breakfast which sort of made up for the early 05:30 race start!
Lynn and Richard Allen ran the Colworth 8.1 mile Trail Run in difficult wet and muddy conditions finishing in 1:14:35 and 1:06:15
Ryan Johnson made his debut in the Stevenage Wednesday night TT in blustery conditions and was pleased with his 32:01.Rob Wilson was first home for FVS TRI in 25:25 with Tim Smith improving to 26:09 and Suzy Hawkins 27:14.
16th June 2008
FVS TRI’s Charles Harris was 22nd at the Windsor Olympic Triathlon from over 1680 age group finishers in a time of 2:13:49 despite the strong currents in the River Thames making the swim tougher than usual. Chris Baxter was 200th in 2:27:36, Jeremy Lintott 2:32:06, Robbie Laughton 2:35:38 and Mike Russell 2:38:34. The race also featured Jensen Button taking a break from Formula 1 and finishing 117th in 2:22:43.Earlier in the elite race, Mike Bridge was disappointed with his 18th place in a time of 2:07:34.
Mike Utton was the first home for FVS TRI at the UK 70.3 Half Ironman Championships based around Wimbleball Lake, Exmoor completing the 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and half marathon run on the tough hilly course in 5:38:24. Neil Coombes finished in 6:09:07, Ian Ellery 6:28:03 and Richard Thomas 6:39:53. Although the sun came out for the run, the hard course was made even tougher by heavy rain and hail on the bike leg.
Sarah Broadbent completed her second triathlon at Dorney Lakes to finish 4th female in the 35-39 age group in a time of 1:28:02 for the open water sprint event.
Dil Wetherill finished 12th overall and 5th vet in the Canvey Island Making Waves off Road triathlon completing the 300m pool swim, 15k bike and 5k run in 1:11:02
Lynn and Richard Allen ran the Abbey 10K at Ramsey in Cambridgeshire with Lynne improving her 10k PB by 55 seconds to 49:41. Richard finished in 42:57
Gemma Sargent ran the Bluewater 10k in 44:01, over 3 minutes faster than last year.
In the Stevenage CC Evening 10 Mile TT, Rob Wilson was first home for FVS TRI in 25:24 ahead of Tim Smith 26:14,Mike Russell 27:13 and Penny Wylie 28:31
Pete Timmins completed the Dragon Ride Sportive covering the 112 miles in 6:54:27 in preparation for Ironman Austria
2nd June 2008
World Championship Medal success for FVS TRI and Greg escapes from Alcatraz!
FVS TRI’s Richard Melvern won the bronze in the 60/64 age group in Vancouver in an event that was devastated by poor weather conditions. Early competitors in the Olympic event had their sea swim cut short in the cold Pacific Ocean but as weather conditions deteriorated, the ITU officials had little choice but to abandon the traditional swim/bike/run and replace it with a duathlon format of 3k run/40k bike/10k run. Richard completed the revised course in 2:00:03 to add another age group medal to his collection. Mike Bridge also represented GB in the 25/29 age group but as yet they have been unable to complete the official results due to all the weather problems. In the Sprint Age Group World Championships at the same venue, Martyn Hynes was first GB home in the World Sprint 25/29 age group finishing 5th in a time of 1:14:36 and only an agonising 18 seconds off bronze position. This event was held earlier in the week and so was not so badly affected by the weather.
Greg Evans completed the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon which as the name suggests is a race which starts with a swim across the notorious stretch of water which surrounds the former prison in San Francisco. Greg completed the 1500m swim in freezing water, gruelling 18 mile bike and 8 mile off road run in 3:00:43 to finish 597th from the 2000 starters.
Bradley Baynham and Penny Wylie both competed in the Weymouth Middle Distance event using it as preparation for Ironman Switzerland later in the summer. In contrasting temperatures the freezing cold swim was offset by the really hot run!. Bradley had to repair a puncture but still finished in a time of 5:32:29 just seconds behind Penny in 5:32:13 who won the 45/49 age group.
Kerri Renshaw was 3rd female at the 2nd Bedford Sprint Event sponsored by Trisports Letchworth in a time of 1:09:07 winning the 30/34 age group ahead of Suzy Hawkins who was 2nd in 1:12:53.Brenda Bozwood won the 60/64 age group in 1:33:09. First home for FVS TRI overall was Simon Patenall in a time of 1:07:50 for 12th overall and 3rd in 40/44 age group. Ed Manson 1:15:50, Dil Wetherill 1:19:05 for his first triathlon, Simon Douglas 1:19:46, Tim Smith1:24:00 also in his first triathlon event. Alyson Sprawson 1:30:35, Kevin Bradley 1:33:02 and Meli Fletcher 1:40:38 who both went wrong on the bike course.
Sam Tophill was 2nd female in the Wantage Ultra Triathlon especially long to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the race. She finished in 4:34:30 for the 1600m pool swim,70k bike and 17.5k run. Simon Hall was 6th overall for the standard event of 800m swim 35k bike and 11k run in 2:06:05
Drew Lowrie and Graham Perry competed in the St Albans Triathlon finishing in 1:15:06 and 1:25:39. Richard Thomas also completed but had the misfortune of being sent the wrong way by a marshal along with 20 other competitors finishing 10 minutes off the pace with a 1:24:22!
Richard Easterbrook and Pete Hodgson competed in the Blenheim Sprint Triathlon finishing in 1:28:23 and 1:31:25 for the event based in the grounds of Blenheim Palace.
Gavin May recorded a new PB on the A1 for 50 mile cycle time trial with a 1:54:41 finishing 6th overall in the event organised by Finsbury Park CC. Tim Somers finished in 2:28:44.
In midweek Mark Robertson was 1st home for the club in the Stevenage Cycling Club Evening 10 in a time of 24:47 for the sporting course. Tim Smith 26:17, Drew Lowrie 28:00 and Suzy Hawkins with a course PB of 28:20
Tim Gilbert completed the St Albans Half Marathon in a time of 1:31:12 and Mark Malone completed his first half marathon in a time of 1.51.58.
2nd June 2008
Kerri Renshaw ,FVS TRI’s female triathlete of the year 2007,returned to competition in winning style for 2008 with a win at the Mazda National Age Group Aquathlon Championships held at Emberton Park near Milton Keynes. Kerri completed the 750m open water swim and 5k run in 22:23 to take gold in the 30-34 age group and 4th overall. The event was part of a weekends multi sport festival with the headline Sprint triathlon held over 750m open water swim, 20k bike and 5k run. Mark Robertson continued his excellent form with a 2nd place overall in 1:03:54 ahead of top veteran triathlete Ian Mackerness who finished in 3rd overall and winning veteran gold in 1:05:38. Robbie Laughton was 47th in 1:15:24 and veteran Mike Blanden returned to competition after a long absence with a 1:18:53,Will Long 1:20:38 Greg Blount 1:36:54 and Brenda Bozwood Davies 1:40:18
Clare Chapman completed the 1000m swim event in 22:01
Rob Wilson made a triumphant return to competition after the disappointment of having to withdraw from the Lanzarote Ironman through illness. Winning the La Santa Sprint Triathlon in 53:49 for the 400m swim, 15.2k bike and 4.4k run, he improved his PB for the course by 2:45 and beat the 2nd place athlete by almost 5 minutes thanks to a strong performance on the bike leg.
Gavin May and Mark Young travelled to the New Forest to compete in the Beaulieu Middle Distance event over the half ironman distance. Despite 3 punctures and jelly fish hazards in the swim, Gavin finished in 4:39:51 for 46th overall. Mark was 180th in 5:12:47 for the 1.9k swim, 54 mile bike and 14 mile run.
Neil Coombes and Graham Perry competed in the Braintree Sprint finishing in 1:12:56 and 1:27:19 for the 400m pool swim, 20k bike and 5k run
Jon Gillham finally broke through the one hour barrier competing in the popular Hitchin Nomads 25 Mile Cycle Time Trial on the A1 between Sandy and Buckden. His PB time of 59:28 was recorded despite the rain and poor visibility. Rob Wilson also recorded a PB of 1:03:16 despite a 2 minute penalty for late start. Chris Yuill recorded 1:16
Richard Allen ran a 42 second PB in the Whipsnade 10K in 42:22 for the flat 3 lap course in perfect weather conditions