The racing season continued unabated on Saturday, as six Racing795 members journeyed to Cloghergead, Co Louth for Pulse Triathlon Club’s Sprint Distance Triathlon. Barry Byrne, Padraig Doyle, PJ Dunne, David Furlong and Martin and Siobhan Mimnagh all headed north with high hopes of good performances.
All the lads were off in Swim Wave 1, with Siobhan in Wave 2. The swim was a running beach start which made for some interesting manoeuvres. Martin and Padraig got off to a flier, with Martin rounding the first buoy in what looked like a top 10 position. Barry wasn’t far behind, with PJ and David in the ‘washing machine’ in mid-division. Martin was first out in 23rd place with Padraig not far behind, closely followed by Barry, David and PJ. Meanwhile, back in Wave 2, Siobhan sporting her new 795 trisuit was putting in a sterling effort.
On to the bike leg, and strong efforts by all, in what seems to be becoming the club’s forte. Martin was in under the magic 35 minute mark (yes that’s 35 kph!), with Padraig only marginally behind. Only 26 seconds seperated David and Barry, with PJ less than a minute behind. Siobhan clocked in at 46 minutes, improving by almost a minute on her bike time in TriAthy.
So, out of T2 and the race hots up. Martin out in front, Padraig chasing hard. Padraig trying his best to fend off Barry. Barry digging deep to catch Padraig. David looking over his shoulder trying to keep PJ at bay. PJ hunting David down. Siobhan pushing hard for that elusive PB.
So how did it all end? Martin stayed out in front, finishing a fantastic 24th overall after a strong run. Padraig managed to keep Barry at bay, finishing in an excellent 44th overall (in only his second triathlon) with Barry not far behind in 57th. PJ hunted David down on the run, finishing just inside the top 100 in 97th, with David less than a minute behind in 111th. Siobhan was in at 261st and 11th (out of 57) in her age-group.
Some super performances all round, in particular in the Age Groups. As well as 24th overall, Martin was 3rd in his age group, marking a historical moment for Racing795; the first club member to record a podium finish in triathlon. Hats off to Martin. No doubt he will continue improving, especially as right over his shoulder is one P Doyle, who at current rates of progress will be a live contender for big honours soon. He’ll be doing well to hold off Barry who is the big improver this year. And we all need lessons from PJ ‘Transition King’ Dunne. 26 seconds in T2? Whats’s that all about? Siobhan is leading the way for the female triathlete’s, although I hear rumblings that she will soon be joined by a few more.. As for David, he’s still trying to figure out whether he’s a triathlete or a mountain biker.
Thanks also to all the support – Lorraine and gang, Joy and bigger gang, the biggest gang of all – the O’Neills, and of course Mary the Photographer . Thanks also to James for his gazebo, which proved to be a big hit on the day.
Next up Courtown and the Eireman weekend!
Filed under: Tri Race Reports |
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