Walden TRI's annual triathlon got off to a flying start in fine weather, proving a huge success despite the shadow of the pandemic.
The triathlon is the first of 11 events that make up Triathlon England's eastern championship league.
For the first time, the club decided to work with race event organiser ATW, which paid off handsomely - enabling the team to overcome a number of challenges, including the new lights and road layout on the Thaxted road.
This year the variety of events was also broadened to include a Sprint Aquabike, Super Sprint and Sprint triathlons
The pool swim commenced on time and the Sprint Aquabike competitors were finishing in under an hour.
The male winner Mike Bailey in 49 minutes, hotly pursued by two Walden Juniors, Jake Latham just shading out Josh Vail by 10 seconds. Louise Kedge of Harlow Tri won the women’s race in 51 minutes.
The Ladies Super Sprint was won by Antonia Jubb in 37 minutes chased home with an incredible effort from Meisha Trend – Evans of Walden Juniors who is still in the 15-16 year age group. In the men’s event, Nick Coombs and Andrew Wilson, both from Meridian Tri, completed the top two places
The main event, the men’s Sprint Triathlon went to Matt Jacobs in one hour six minutes chased by Themi Petrides from Stortford Tri and Thomas Ballard of Blackwater Tri.
Victoria Coe of Cambridge Tri took the ladies race in 1hr 11 minutes. There were also excellent performances by Grace Mason in 3rd place and Morgan Neeves in 8th place, both members of Walden Juniors in the 15-16 age group.
Walden TRI's chairman Ben Bely said: “As well as all the competitors who travelled to Saffron Walden, our special thanks goes to our very important local sponsors, Saffron Motors, Greenwood Financial and YakYak personal training, to ATW and our club committee for their combined management, preparation and first class delivery on the day and of course the large team of 48 volunteer marshals, without whom we could not stage this event.
"Thanks also to the Lord Butler Leisure Centre management and staff for providing all the necessary facilities.”
To join contact membership secretary Emma Williams at membership@waldentri.co.uk.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here