The 9th Wilmslow Triathlon took place on Sunday 17th May in ideal weather conditions and saw more than 600 athletes cross the finish line at the Wilmslow Leisure Centre.
First across the line was Wilmslow resident Simon Parker, who is currently in his final year at Leeds University.
Simon has competed in the Wilmslow Triathlon for the past five years, he began competing at the age of 17. Over the years his form has steadily improved and this year he finally clinched the title.
His swimming career was nurtured by head coach Simon Clapham from Wilmslow Scorpions swimming club who also introduced him to the world of triathlon. A former captain of the University of Leeds triathlon team Simon, who is studying Chemistry, graduates this year. He is delighted to have won the title.
Racing in the 20-24 age group, the ex-pupil of Wilmslow High School clocked the fastest time in the water. Parker was chased down on the cycle leg by Mat Stephenson but managed to hold on to the lead and his fast run allowed him to claim the winning title in a time of 01:07:09, 2 minutes and 19 seconds faster than his Wilmslow Triathlon 2014 finish time. Stephenson crossed the finish line in a time of 01:07:32 and Phil Ellison took third place in 01:08:23.
Simon Parker said "Wilmslow is my local race and actually one of my favourites. I have raced at large events all over the country and the atmosphere here is unique. Training-wise, it fits in really well as a sharpener for some bigger races in a few weeks so I come back every year for another crack and finally this year, after 5 attempts, I clinched the win. I'm delighted to represent the University of Leeds and Scarab Tri Club and feel like my 100 consecutive days of running this winter have finally paid off!"
The women's race was a battle between U20 triathlete Lucy Scott of Knutsford Triathlon Club and Kathrine Bancroft, with Scott securing the title in the final phase of the run leg and crossing the finish line in 01:20:12, just 33 seconds ahead of Bancroft. Rebecca Brand of Manchester Triathlon Club came third in a time of 01:23:01.
The Wilmslow Triathlon is based at the Wilmslow Leisure Centre with the 400m swim taking place in the 5 lane 25m indoor pool, followed by a picturesque and mainly flat 24.2 km cycle ride around the Cheshire countryside and a 6.3km run around East Wilmslow's leafy roads.
It is one of the most popular sprint distance triathlons in the region, attracting athletes of all levels. Many of whom were raising money for The Christie charity, the Official Charity Partner for yesterday's Wilmslow Triathlon and the South Manchester Triathlon which will take place on 20th September.
Race Director Simon Hill commented: "The Wilmslow Triathlon is one of our most popular events, with hundreds of triathletes taking part each year. A big thank you to everyone who took part, and to all our sponsors, partners, volunteers and marshals who contributed to the success of this year's event."
The South Manchester Triathlon takes place on the same course on 20th September, offering a great opportunity for all competitors to see if they can beat their time at the end of the season.
Go to www.xtramileevents.com for full results to register for all 2015 events.
Photos: Simon Parker and Lucy Scott, courtesy of Tim Waterworth Photography
Comments
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It would be great if the organisers would take a leaf out of the Parkrun book and organise a Junior tri event.
My 10 yr old is a competing runner but junior tri events are few.
A Wilmslow junior event would be fantastic.