FVS TRI’s Chris Penfold left it very late in the season to complete his first ever Olympic distance triathlon at The Dorney Lake Classic. Chris came to triathlon late only taking up the sport in his 50s and is living proof that with dedication and effort you can achieve your goals. He completed the race in 2.54.01 and won his age group with a 34.06 for the 1500m lake swim, 1.21.26 for the 40k bike and a 10k run to finish in 58.28.

Paul Dutton moved up to the half Ironman distance competing in the New Forest Middle Distance Triathlon over a 1.9k swim, 91k bike and a 21k run. He finished in 288^th in a time of 7.00.13 on a tough course which saw 15 competitors fail to finish.

Chris Baxter raced the XTT off-road triathlon based at Camberley over a 1500m lake swim, 24k mountain bike and 10 k cross country run finishing in 2.46.48.  Stewart Kay was an excellent 6^th in the St Paul’s Warden 10k in a time of 42.01 for the hilly off road course.

Steve Harrison became the 3^rd FVS TRI athlete to qualify for the World Age Group Olympic Championships in Vancouver 2008 with a superb 2^nd place overall and age group win at the Bala Olympic Triathlon. Steve will now join Jackie Perry and Mark Robertson who both qualified last week at the penultimate World Qualifier at Northampton, and Richard Melvern who qualified at The Dambuster Triathlon in June.  The weather in North Wales was not so kind this week with the race having to be shortened due to extreme weather conditions. The lake swim was reduced to 1000m allowing Steve to record a super time of 1:49:53 to secure his place on the plane to Vancouver where he has a real chance at Age Group Gold in the 35-39 category. Jeremy Lintott also raced at Bala recording a time of 2.26.23 having returned to competition for a season closer after an injury lay off

Four members braved the South Coast weather to race in the sea at Brighton. In the Sprint Dawn Green finished 18^th with a 1.34.41 with Helen Robinson completing her first sea based triathlon in 2.02.01 for 34^th. Husband Dave competed for the first time after a super long injury lay off completing the Male Sprint Event in 1.49.33. The 750m sea swim was a beach start which proved interesting trying to enter and exit the water with the rough sea. The bike was 20k and the run 5k.  The Olympic event was exactly double the Sprint distances and was completed by Sue Gipson in 3.15.40 who finished 20^th in the ladies race

Tony Shortland completed the New Forest Marathon in 4.25.06 and Ryan Johnson completed the Half marathon in 1.48.27 to finish 467th from 1504 runners on a tough hilly off road course.

Simon Shaw completed the Asics Severn Trent Water Lake Vyrnwy Half Marathon in 1.36.54 to finish 255^th from 1336 finishers

Five members of FVS TRI competed in the 1^st Eastern League Cyclo Fixture in Stevenage.  Helen Shulver was first home for the ladies finishing 5^th in the ladies race closely followed by Jackie Perry in 6^th and Lesley Dutton in 7^th. In the men’s event Keith Perry was 46^th overall with Paul Dutton finishing in 57^th. The event was a fast and challenging 1 hour event based on grass and technical sections in the woods of Fairlands Valley Park

With another win for Steve Harrison and 2 World Championship Qualifiers, the weekend proved to be a success for Hitchin based triathlon Club FVS TRI.  Steve returned to his Lancashire roots to win the Rivington Olympic Triathlon in a time of 2.04.18. The bike course was suitably hilly providing a strong test for all competitors. Steve will finish his season with a trip to North Wales to race the last World Championship Qualifier at Bala.

Mark Robertson and Jackie Perry were successful at the Northampton Olympic Triathlon event which was also a World Championship Qualifier for the 2008 Age Group Championships in Vancouver. Mark Robertson  just back from the Sprint World Championships in Hamburg  was pleased to qualify for the 20-24 Age Group for the Olympic Distance in 2008. Veteran triathlete Jackie Perry will seek to improve on her top 20 finish from the 2006 World Championships in Lausanne qualifying in the 45-49 age group.  Mark was first home for FVS TRI in 2.09.26 for 57^th overall and 3^rd in the 20-24 age group. Jackie Perry was 6^th in the 45-49 age group in 2.35.17 beating husband and Club Coach Keith Perry who finished in 2.38.10. Brenda Bozwood Davies completed her first Olympic event finishing in 3.12.17 to take first place in the 60-64 age group 

Guy Adams completed the Sprint event on the Saturday in 1.40.21

Andy Mussett raced his dad Steve at the London Duathlon based in Richmond Park and was first home for FVS TRI in 1.44.35 for the 10k/20k/5k run/bike/run event. Dave Welch returned to competition after injury to finish in 1.51.10 ahead of Ryan Johnson and Steve Mussett who finished in 2.01.12 and 2.03.54 respectively, with Ryan just taking it on the last run leg. 

Sam Tophill raced the Vitruvian Middle Distance Event based around Rutland Water completing the 1900mswim, 85k bike and 21k run in 5.38.10.

Penny Wylie tackled the Helvellyn Triathlon and made it a tougher challenge by forgetting her wet suit and having to compete in a hired wind surfing suit! She finished the tough 1 mile swim, 38 mile bike and 9 mile run up Helvellyn in 5.09.

3rd September 2007