Thanks go to Neil Walton for the following report from last Saturdays action -for anyone that missed it, Neil took a well deserved third place in this National Series event. Overall it was a great day for the club, which had athletes finishing well in every division. Another race report will follow from Dermot Cunningham who picked probably the most difficult olympic in Ireland as his first attempt at the distance, and finished comfortably.
"The Vodafone National Series wrapped up in Blacksod today, with William McCormack and Marie Boland taking line honours.
The Mayo sunshine was out and shining for the nearly 300 strong field, but the wind was still gusting with great force. Competitors reported that the bike out to the turn around was swift with a handy tail wind, and "absolutely brutal" and " a real test of mental toughness" coming back. The run course is also famed as one of the toughest of the National Series, taking in a variety of terrain including several sandy sections.
First home for the Men was William McCormack of Belpark, from Colm Sheehan in second and Neil Walton of Sligo Tri Club in 3rd. Marie Boland was first home for the ladies, with Joanne Doran and Julie Anne Bowden second and third respectively.
This is a tough hard race, the swim is in Blacksod bay, it is a triangle shape 1500 meter swim which was choppy on the way back into transition. The bike course is nothing put painful, you have a long 1500m climb steeper in parts than the glen road, with a sharp dangerous steep descent back onto the Bellmullet Road. The course then goes straight out to Bellmullet, turning at the sea wall just before Bellmullent Town, and then straight back into a massive head wind to Blacksod Bay.
The run was beautiful, from transition there was a 1000m steep climb which lead down to a beach run and back onto to back roads, which was a tough but scenic road.
All in all the competition was well run, excellent post refreshments, however safety on the bike course will have to be addressed next year.
There was also a club section for the best overall club performance, and on paper Sligo Tri Club were the clear winners, unfortunately the club was not awarded with the prize to which not a clear answer was available from the race director after the event.
The prizes where extremely poor at the event, age groupers and 2nd and 3rd in both female and male overall only receive a small cheap medals, which is not good for a National Series Event.
The was great turn out of club members on the day. With great performances from all athletes. The club had five members in the top 20 which was very good considering the high standard at the event. Neil Walton managed to get 3rd overall, next was Eamon Mc Andrews in 6th, then Garry Higgins in 8th, Brian Sexton 17th, Colm Casey in 19th and Jason Mc Morrow 26th. Saoirse O Donoghue was the first Sligo female home, and 4th overall in the ladies category and first in her age group.
Also great performances from Sean Flannery, Trever Mc Sharry, Alan French, Any Hamilton,Tommy Sheridan, Conal Sexton, Greg Kelly, John Burrows, Martha Van Der Meulen (1st in her age group), Shelia Ryan, Timothy Mc Carthy (2nd in his age group), Dermot Cunningham, Rory Raftery , Jonathan Fahey, Enda Madden, Caroline Brennan, Carmel Regan and Michelle Henry."
Full results can be found here.
