High fliers felt the heat but still shone in 2009

Award-winning Tri Club looks forward to 2010

It’s been a successful year for the members of Chester Tri Club, and not just in triathlons. Steve Brearey swam the Channel in less than 12 hours; Julian MacDonald won the Snowdonia Marathon and Kenneth Svendson was victorious at the Conway Half; Pete Brook and Gill Mead triumphed at the Sandstone Trail Race, and just to be different, Jean Ashley and Adele Blakeborough of Chester Canoe Club were first women home in the Devizes to Westminster Canoe Marathon, beating their nearest rivals by 3hrs 30mins.

In the swim/bike/run events that are the main focus for many of the club’s members, Chester Tri hosted three successful events and had winning relay teams at both Bala Middle and Bala Standard triathlons; Kelly Crickmore won at Northampton, and Sophia Rees, winner at the Cheshire Triathlon and third at Nottingham, was regularly inside the top 5 at all her races this year.

European Qualifiers

Some, though, had set their sights further afield, having already qualified for the European Olympic Distance Championships in Holten, Netherlands. On a blisteringly hot July day, Jan Morgan, Chris Standidge and Chris Morgan raced over the Olympic distance of 1.5 km swim, 40km bike and 10km run. With the water so warm that competitors were not allowed to wear wetsuits – a rare occurrence for UK-based athletes – Chris Standidge put in a particularly strong performance to come second in his age group by a mere 14 seconds.

Barely two months later, and it was time to qualify for next year’s European Championships in the decidedly cooler conditions at Bala. Some, though, faced a nail-biting wait until winter for a decision. Eight Chester Tri members, representing age groups from 30-34 to 60-64, have just had confirmation that they will join the GB team in Athlone next year. Chris and Jan Morgan will each represent Britain in their age groups for the fifth time, where they will be joined by Ruth Isaacs, Sophia Rees, Gill Mead, Malcolm Sloane, Dave Taylor and Kenny Begley.

World Championship Contenders

For Kenny this will be his second GB appearance, having also represented Britain at the World Long Course Championships in Perth, Australia, this year. Kenny described the 3km swim, 80km bike and 20km run in the 37°C heat as ‘the toughest race I have ever done‘, but nonetheless outperformed every other GB athlete in his age group to finish 23rd.

Kenny’s achievement over the Long Course was bettered only by Jill Wilkinson, at the European Championships in Prague. Having never previously competed over this distance, Jill just ‘kept it steady’ throughout the 4km swim, 120 km bike and 20km run. This tactic enabled her to complete the bike 15 minutes faster than her nearest rival and to win her age group, after which she modestly concluded that she was ‘very pleased with my physical condition’.

Following on from this stunning performance, Jill and clubmate Nick Rose took on the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii in October. The Ironman race takes places over a 3.8km swim/180 km bike/marathon run course, and this particular event is only open to those who can prove that they’re among the world’s 1800 best triathletes. Both Nick and Jill put in excellent performances in an atmosphere that Jill called ‘electric’. Nick later said that ‘I loved every painful, salt rubbed, windswept and sunburnt minute. Nothing could take the feeling away that I had just completed something special’. Quite.

Race of the Year

At the other end of the spectrum, Chester Tri achieved national recognition for the beginner-friendly Deva Divas Sprint Triathlon, voted Race of the Year by the British Triathlon Federation. The club’s coaches offer expert advice on all aspects of triathlon to participants in the women-only event in the months leading up to the race, which ensures an enjoyable experience for all on race day. Regular volunteer at the Deva Divas as well as at club junior and track sessions, Mike Kane was also singled out for praise when he won the North West Young Volunteer of the Year Award.

As the success of the Deva Divas race proves, experience, fitness and youth are all optional extras if you’re thinking about taking part in triathlon. Chester Tri offers a variety of coached swim, bike and run sessions suitable for all abilities, and will be hosting a number of events next year.