Nativity Activity

The Pirton Boxing Day Run was a great opportunity to burn off a few Christmas calories for the triathletes and family members of FVS TRI. The adult finishers over the  3.2 mile off road course were rewarded with a specially brewed bottle of beer from the Buntingford Brewery supporters of  the race. There were also shorter races for the under 11 and under 5 family members with prize winners for FVS TRI across all races and categories!  Although the race was a fun filled family affair, it was still rather competitive with a winning time of 17:03. The ever improving Mark Robertson was rewarded with a first home for the club in 4^th (3^rd Male Senior) in 19:11, with Gavin May and Rob Wilson also managing top ten performances with 19:49 and 20:13 for 7^th and 9^th respectively, Rob lifting the Male Vet 40 prize for his efforts.

Andrew Mussett continued the theme with a win in the Male Under20, Jackie Perry and Lesley Dutton  1^st and 2^nd in the FV45 category with Kate Turner literally seconds behind to also take 3^rd Female Senior. Family member Jess Harris was 1^st FV35 in her first outing under the FVS TRI banner.

The Robertson family were also represented by dad John and sister Claudine who ran in together in 35:20.

The under 11 race was won by Alfie Laughton with Annabelle Shortland also representing FVS TRI. Elliot Sprawson &  Daisy Laughton raced in the Under 9 race and Tilly Turner won the first girl under 5 prize, rounding off a top day out for FVS TRI

Steve James and Paul Gibb were also racing on Boxing day and on the 29^th  in the Imperial Winter Racing Series at Hillingdon Cycle Circuit. The 4^th category race was a fast and furious multi lap event over 25km with  Steve James improving  from 9^th to 5^th over the two events. Unlucky Paul Gibb had a puncture on Boxing Day but finished 14^th in the second event after Christmas

The Buntingford Year End 10 was on the Sunday between Christmas and New Year  and provided another opportunity to burn off the Christmas pudding in unseasonal mild weather.  First home for FVS TRI was Simon Hall, 8th overall and 3^rd MV40  in 58:34.  Sam Tophill was 5^th FV35 and 69^th overall from 443 finishers in a time of 1:09:48.  Strong performances from Herts Fire Fighter Pete Bardell in 1:06:15 and Greg Evans under 70 minutes in 1:09:38. The improving Drew Lowrie finished in 1:15:32 matching Chris Suckling for time but one position behind on the run in.

Rob Wilson completed the Ely 10K in near perfect conditions and finished 41st out of 549 starters in 38:25, a PB by 50 secs on the mostly flat course despite being sent sprawling at the half way point by a clipped heel!

5K SERIES VETERAN HONOURS

Jackie Perry finished the 3 race Stevenage 5K Series with a strong performance to win the FV45  series gold . Lesley Dutton was second in the FV45 competition with Brian White and Simon Hall adding silver medals in the MV50 and MV40 categories to round off a great series for the vets at FVS TRI.  On the night Steve Harrison was 3^rd in 15.52 with Simon Hall(16.35)  and Mark Robertson (PB 16.52).  Alison Wood returned to racing after a long lay off to finish 1^st FVS TRI women in 19.58 just ahead of consistent Antonia Field in 20.01.  Although 34 FVS TRI athletes  completed  the Series, only Mark Robertson, Robbie Laughton, Mick Humphris, Simon Douglas and Graham Perry managed to complete all 3 races with improvement throughout the series.

RACE 3 RESULTS

SERIES RESULTS

FVS TRI travelled to North London for the 3^rd fixture in the Sunday Cross League at Southgate. The pre Christmas match is typically poorly attended due to festive pressures and seasonal illness and so FVS TRI men were able to capitalise overtaking Garden City Runners to now lead the Series with 2 matches remaining.  Leading the FVS TRI A team, Steve Harrison finished 2^nd overall in 29.00 for the 5 mile 3 lap course. Simon Hall was 2^nd with the ever improving Mark Robertson rising to the challenge to beat coach Brian White for the 2^nd time in a week!  In a women’s team depleted by illness, it was time for the team players to step up to ensure 2^nd position was retained in the competitive women’s competition. Jackie Perry was first home in 13^th closely followed by improving Gemma Sargent 14^th and Lesley Dutton 15^th. Helen Shulver, Anna Priestly and Brenda Bozwood -Davies completed a  great team effort to finish 3^rd on the day but good enough to retain the 2^nd position overall in the open and veteran competitions.  With a good turn out of men, FVS TRI are still 2^nd in the B team competition and hope to field enough athletes to complete the series and retain the 2^nd position overall behind specialist run club Garden City Runners.

Eight members of Hitchin based FVS TRI braved the mixed weather conditions on Sunday to tackle the Bedford Harriers Half Marathon. Starting in quite pleasant weather, heavy rain half an hour into the race left standing water on much of the course and together with high winds the race became a battle against the elements.

Gavin May was first home for the club in 1:20:38 for 30^th place. Rob Wilson earned a 2:56 PB with 83^rd place and a time of 1:26:14. Simon Shaw ran 1:34:04 with Sam Tophill first FVS TRI women in 1:36:17. Chris Suckling ran 1:39:44 with first timer Darren Greene completing the event in 1:41:20. Husband and wife team Lynne and Richard Allen ran in together in 2:01:50.

In a busy week ahead, FVS TRI will field over 50 athletes in the final Stevenage 5K and look to maintain their 2^nd place in the Sunday Cross Country League in the 3^rd fixture at Southgate.

3rd December 2007

29 members of FVS TRI raced the second Stevenage 5K of the three race series and 9 athletes scored PBs with many more showing improvements over their first race from 2 weeks ago.  Racing for the first time in the series, Simon Hall was first home for the Club 2^nd in the M40 category in a time of 16:49 which placed him 15^th overall. First women home for FVS TRI was Antonia Field in 19:54 with Lesley Dutton 2^nd in 22:02 which placed her 2^nd in the FV45 category

PBs for Mark Robertson(17:03), Rob Wilson (18:19),Sean Bradley (18:48) and Greg Evans (19:45) with the biggest improvement from Ellie Crowson PB (25:36) who improved by 2:29.Ryan Johnson PB (21:55) improved by 1:22 with PBs also for Darren Greene (21:38) and Simon Douglas (23:47) and Graham Perry (27:27)

With over 50 entered for the final race, FVS TRI look forward to another bumper night of results.

Naomi Woodland travelled back to her old Club in Sheffield to compete in the Percy Pud 10k which she completed in 48:13 collecting a Christmas pudding for her efforts.

Simon Patenall completed the Lanzarote Marathon on 324:14 to finish 44^th overall and 14^th in the 35-39 age group.

Steve James finished 14^th in his first mass start cat 4 cycle race at Hillingdon over approx  25 k. The race format was 35 minutes of racing plus 5 laps. Paul Gibb unfortunately had to retire with a puncture.

Triathlon coach Kevin  Ash delivered the individual performance of the day making up 26 positions for the Men’s B team finishing 35^th on leg 2, which was the highest ranking  finish of all for the Club. Husband and wife team Clive and Paula Adams running on the same team juggled 8  weeks old Oliver John between them showing  that there is a sporting life after childbirth.

Steve Harrison raced the Wolverton 5 finishing 4^th in a time of 25:42

Simon Hall and Sam Tophill competed in the Eynsham 10k near Oxford and both finished 10^th vet in the race which was hosted  the Oxfordshire County Championships and the last race in a Grand Prix Series. Hall was 19^th overall in 35:17 and Tophill was 164^th in 43:20 from 550 finishers.

Last weekend 3 club members completed the St Neots Half Marathon with Marc Trussell leading home in 1:40:34. Kate Turner finished in 1:45:18 and Penny Wylie in 1:51:49

Earlier in the week a record number of FVS TRI runners took part in the opening race in 3 event  Stevenage 5K Series which also hosted the Herts County 5K County Championships.  Jackie Perry was the 1^st FV45 in the overall race with a time of 21.00 and received the County Gold Medal. Brian White was 2^nd MV50 in the race and the County Champs and first home for FVS TRI in a time of 17.19. Paced around by the coach, aspiring triathlete Mark Robertson showed his class with an identical time of 17.19 just beaten  for position on the run in.  More used to running the marathon at the end of an Ironman, Gavin May showed he can  perform over the shorter distances with a 17.34 and 3^rd placed finish for FVS TRI.  Rob Wilson and Jon Gillham showed good early season form with PBs of 18.25 and 18.26 respectively.  First home for the women with a quality performance was Antonia Field in a time of 19.50 for her debut over the distance. Racing for the club for the first time were newest members Darren Greene (22.05)and David Parsley (24.27) and Graham Perry (27.43).

The Ballbuster Duathlon (8M run, 24M bike, 8M run)

Hitchin based FVS TRI athlete  Samantha Tophill  put in a PB performance at the notorious Ballbuster Duathlon to win the Vet 40-49 prize and 6th female overall with a time of 3:25:09 for the 8 mile run, 24 mile bike, 8 mile run. The punishing course took in the famous Boxhill once on each run lap and then 3 time on the bike course.

First home for the Club was Simon Hall with an excellent 15^th overall from the 334 finishers with a time2:56:26. Ironman Mark Racher marked his return to winter competition with a debut 3:11:00 for the event with Drew Lowrie improving by almost 20 minutes on his previous best to record a PB of 3:41:40.

Robbie Laughton finally raced his first Ballbuster having last year turned up on the Sunday for the Saturday race! He finished in 3:35:33 with Darren Woodhall completing the list of finishers for FVS Tri with a 3:49:09. Not so lucky were Club Ironman Legend Gavin May and Ironman Marc Trussell who both failed to finish due to various mechanical difficulties on the bike leg.

5th November 2007

Eight members of FVS TRI took on the Stevenage Half Marathon and in  perfect race conditions Club  Run Coach Brian White led from the front winning the MV50 category and also securing 3^rd place overall in the Herts Open County Competition. His time of 1:19:04 was also good enough for 13^th place overall in the event which had 587 finishers.

Also competing was top Ironman  Gavin May who cruised comfortably to 23^rd overall in 1:22:12.  Aspiring triathlete Mark Robertson tested himself over the distance for the first time to record a creditable 1:27:45. Greg Evans also enjoyed his first race over the distance with a time of 1:35:10 and husband and wife team Lynn and Richard Allen ran together to record  PBs of just under 2 hours for their run times.

FVS TRI Club Chairman Keith Perry celebrated at the British Triathlon Annual Awards Dinner having won Eastern Region Referee of the Year. A previous winner of Regional Coach of the Year for 2005 and 2006, Keith concentrated on officiating more than 16 events in 2007 and qualifying as a Level 4 Senior referee in preparation for duty in 2012 should he be required! Keith recently retired as Triathlon England Eastern Regional Chair and has been succeeded by another FVS TRI member, Paul Dutton.  Keith will stay on the Regional Committee to support Paul as he drives the growth of the fastest growing sport in the region!

International Duty for FVS TRI couple Sam Tophill and Simon Hall.

FVS TRI couple Sam Tophill and Simon Hall were on international duty at the weekend representing GB in the ITU Age Group Long Course Duathlon Championships in Virginia USA.  The tough run/bike/run format was held over a 2 lap 15k run, a twisty and technical 4 lap 80k bike and a single lap 7.5 run to finish. The tough race conditions were made even harder with high humidity and temperatures in the 80s.  Both representing GB in the 40-44 category, Sam was 12^th female and Simon was 19^th both enjoying the experience and vowing to train harder for next year!

Steve Harrison won the opening match in the Sunday Cross Country League held in Cheshunt.  Both men and women came second in the team competition with Antonia Field leading the ladies in her first outing in the country since school days. Specialist run club Garden City Runners, winners of the league in recent years, lead with FVS TRI second overall, the position they have managed to hold since they joined the League over 3 years ago.  The men managed to put out 2 teams with 8 to score and lead the B Team Competition ahead of rivals Garden City Runners.

 Pete Timmins completed the Lady Godiva Half Marathon in Coventry in 1:47:38 nearly a 10 minute improvement on 2006

15th October 2007

Hitchin based triathlon club FVS TRI held their annual awards evening at Arlesey Town Football Club with over 110 members and guests enjoying the evening.

Chairman Keith Perry presented awards to:

• Male Triathlete of the Year – Steve Harrison
• Female Triathlete of the Year – Kerri Renshaw
• Most Improved Male – Mark Robertson
• Most improved Female – Helen Shulver
• Junior - Andy Musset
• ActionPoint Novice Award (Donated by Penny Wylie) – in his absence Max Lepoutre
• Chairman’s Award – Tony Shortland – services to the web and forum

There was no racing at the weekend as members had a weekend off in anticipation of the first Cross Country League fixture at Cheshunt on Sunday

8th October 2007

FVS TRI beat the record for the highest number of Club finishers at the Standalone 10k with 60 athletes making the distance. More used to running the distance at the end of a triathlon, many were making their debut in a road race event and some showed amazing improvements following their debuts last year and a training programme under the guidance of specialist run coach Brian White.  Top triathlete Steve Harrison took 2^nd place again with an improvement of 21 seconds on last year to finish in an excellent time of 32.35.  Simon Hall was 2^nd home for the Club in 10^th and took the V40 silver for the race and the Herts County Championships in a time of 35.11. Over 2 minutes faster than last year, Brian White was 21^st overall in a time of 36.18 for 2^nd M50 in the race and the County Championships.  First female home was Antonia Field who recorded a chip time of 42 minutes. Darren Woodhall was the 1^st local runner in a time of 39.27 over a minute faster than last year and a new PB. Andy Mussett was the 2^nd placed Male under 20 athlete in the race and for the County and broke 40 minutes for the first time with a super 39.29, beating friend a rival junior Sean Bradley  who was 3^rd in the same category in 40.37.  Drew Lowrie and Richard Thomas battled again for the 2^nd year running, with Drew taking victory again with a 44.50 but both benefiting from new PBs and nearly 4 minute improvements on last year. Kevin Bradley improved by nearly 3 minutes to finish in 46.25.  New members Gemma Sargent, Mark Malone and Meliné Fletcher completed the event for the first time and Kate Turner made a welcome return to the Club after producing her 3^rd junior potential triathlete.

Full results 

Danny McGuigan ran the Felixstowe Half Marathon in his build up to the Dublin Marathon and finished 108^th from 455 finishers in a time of 1.38.07.

Andrew Forster went it alone and completed the Abbots Langley Tough 10k in 40.34 to finish in the top 20

Tim Smith and Ian Hobbs tackled the tough cyclo-cross at Welwyn which was the 4^th fixture in the Eastern Cyclo-Cross league. They were 43^rd and 49^th respectively. Tim Smith then went on to run the Standalone 10k the following day and recorded a time nearly 3 minutes faster than last year.

Gavin May, determined to race the last triathlon of the 2007 season, travelled to Ibiza to compete in the Long Course event over 4k sea swim, 110k bike and a 30k run.  In very hot conditions, Gavin completed the event in 7 hours 9 minutes and was amused by a particularly tough hill which was made even harder by the fact it was over cobblestones, not ideal for a highly tuned athlete and carbon race machine!

1st October 2007

FVS TRI has a new World Champion

Natalie Barnard won the Female Junior event at the World Championship Biathlon held in Monaco. The Loughborough University Student won the 1500m run/200m swim/1500m run event, which  is part of the Modern Pentathlon multi discipline race format, with a welcome return to the racing scene having been laid up with injury and illness for most of last year.

Top veteran triathlete Ian Mackerness continues to shine with a 2^nd overall and winning the 40-44 age group at the TriSports Bedford Autumn Sprint Triathlon. Ian completed the 400m pool swim, 24k bike and 5k run in 1.05.56 in cool but bright conditions. Charlie Harris and Mark Robertson completed an excellent 2007 season with both having represented GB in the Sprint Age World Championships in Hamburg. In a close tussle lasting the whole race, Charlie led after the swim and builing a lead on the bike leg with Mark closing him down rapidly at the end  with the fastest FVS TRI run on the day the run to finish just 28 seconds behind.  Simon Douglas and Kevin Bradley both completed their first triathlon and were probably a little surprised to emerge from the warm swimming pool to find the air temperature was still only 5 degrees! Most finally got the feeling back in their toes only part way through the run with the bright sun shine finally lifting the cool temperatures experienced on the bike.

Mike Russell and Darren (Woody) Wood hall raced the Saffron Walden 10K  finishing 30^th and 45^th respectively in 39.41 and 40.58 from 312 finishers

Lynn and Richard Allen raced the Biddenham 10K River Run  finishing in 45.06 and 52.25 for the multi terrain event.

Mike Utton travelled to Germany to compete in the Berlin Marathon and finished in 3.17.03

12 FVS TRI cyclists completed the new Herts and Essex Cyclosportive that took in many of the hills in the two counties. Jon Gillham was first home for the club in just over six hours, followed by Robbie Laughton and Tim Smith in 6.22.45 in the 111 mile event . The main group all road together to share the 111 mile experience, most only used to racing typically 25 miles and training up to 50!

111 Mile Option

79 mile option

Next week the focus switches to running with over 50 members of FVS TRI will be racing at Standalone on Sunday

Season Finishers

FVS TRI’s Chris Penfold left it very late in the season to complete his first ever Olympic distance triathlon at The Dorney Lake Classic. Chris came to triathlon late only taking up the sport in his 50s and is living proof that with dedication and effort you can achieve your goals. He completed the race in 2.54.01 and won his age group with a 34.06 for the 1500m lake swim, 1.21.26 for the 40k bike and a 10k run to finish in 58.28.

Paul Dutton moved up to the half Ironman distance competing in the New Forest Middle Distance Triathlon over a 1.9k swim, 91k bike and a 21k run. He finished in 288^th in a time of 7.00.13 on a tough course which saw 15 competitors fail to finish.

Chris Baxter raced the XTT off-road triathlon based at Camberley over a 1500m lake swim, 24k mountain bike and 10 k cross country run finishing in 2.46.48.  Stewart Kay was an excellent 6^th in the St Paul’s Warden 10k in a time of 42.01 for the hilly off road course.

17th September 2007

Worlds Qualification part II

Steve Harrison became the 3^rd FVS TRI athlete to qualify for the World Age Group Olympic Championships in Vancouver 2008 with a superb 2^nd place overall and age group win at the Bala Olympic Triathlon. Steve will now join Jackie Perry and Mark Robertson who both qualified last week at the penultimate World Qualifier at Northampton, and Richard Melvern who qualified at The Dambuster Triathlon in June.  The weather in North Wales was not so kind this week with the race having to be shortened due to extreme weather conditions. The lake swim was reduced to 1000m allowing Steve to record a super time of 1:49:53 to secure his place on the plane to Vancouver where he has a real chance at Age Group Gold in the 35-39 category. Jeremy Lintott also raced at Bala recording a time of 2.26.23 having returned to competition for a season closer after an injury lay off

Four members braved the South Coast weather to race in the sea at Brighton. In the Sprint Dawn Green finished 18^th with a 1.34.41 with Helen Robinson completing her first sea based triathlon in 2.02.01 for 34^th. Husband Dave competed for the first time after a super long injury lay off completing the Male Sprint Event in 1.49.33. The 750m sea swim was a beach start which proved interesting trying to enter and exit the water with the rough sea. The bike was 20k and the run 5k.  The Olympic event was exactly double the Sprint distances and was completed by Sue Gipson in 3.15.40 who finished 20^th in the ladies race

Tony Shortland completed the New Forest Marathon in 4.25.06 and Ryan Johnson completed the Half marathon in 1.48.27 to finish 467th from 1504 runners on a tough hilly off road course.

Simon Shaw completed the Asics Severn Trent Water Lake Vyrnwy Half Marathon in 1.36.54 to finish 255^th from 1336 finishers

Five members of FVS TRI competed in the 1^st Eastern League Cyclo Fixture in Stevenage.  Helen Shulver was first home for the ladies finishing 5^th in the ladies race closely followed by Jackie Perry in 6^th and Lesley Dutton in 7^th. In the men’s event Keith Perry was 46^th overall with Paul Dutton finishing in 57^th. The event was a fast and challenging 1 hour event based on grass and technical sections in the woods of Fairlands Valley Park

10th September 2007

Worlds Qualification for FVS TRI

With another win for Steve Harrison and 2 World Championship Qualifiers, the weekend proved to be a success for Hitchin based triathlon Club FVS TRI.  Steve returned to his Lancashire roots to win the Rivington Olympic Triathlon in a time of 2.04.18. The bike course was suitably hilly providing a strong test for all competitors. Steve will finish his season with a trip to North Wales to race the last World Championship Qualifier at Bala.

Mark Robertson and Jackie Perry were successful at the Northampton Olympic Triathlon event which was also a World Championship Qualifier for the 2008 Age Group Championships in Vancouver. Mark Robertson  just back from the Sprint World Championships in Hamburg  was pleased to qualify for the 20-24 Age Group for the Olympic Distance in 2008. Veteran triathlete Jackie Perry will seek to improve on her top 20 finish from the 2006 World Championships in Lausanne qualifying in the 45-49 age group.  Mark was first home for FVS TRI in 2.09.26 for 57^th overall and 3^rd in the 20-24 age group. Jackie Perry was 6^th in the 45-49 age group in 2.35.17 beating husband and Club Coach Keith Perry who finished in 2.38.10. Brenda Bozwood Davies completed her first Olympic event finishing in 3.12.17 to take first place in the 60-64 age group 

Guy Adams completed the Sprint event on the Saturday in 1.40.21

Andy Mussett raced his dad Steve at the London Duathlon based in Richmond Park and was first home for FVS TRI in 1.44.35 for the 10k/20k/5k run/bike/run event. Dave Welch returned to competition after injury to finish in 1.51.10 ahead of Ryan Johnson and Steve Mussett who finished in 2.01.12 and 2.03.54 respectively, with Ryan just taking it on the last run leg. 

Sam Tophill raced the Vitruvian Middle Distance Event based around Rutland Water completing the 1900mswim, 85k bike and 21k run in 5.38.10.

Penny Wylie tackled the Helvellyn Triathlon and made it a tougher challenge by forgetting her wet suit and having to compete in a hired wind surfing suit! She finished the tough 1 mile swim, 38 mile bike and 9 mile run up Helvellyn in 5.09.

3rd September 2007

World Championships in Hamburg

Win at Clacton

Third in the Big Woody

In a busy weekend for FVS TRI, 3 athletes competed in the Age Group World Championships in Hamburg, Kerri Renshaw ended her season on a winning note at Clacton and Gavin May was 3^rd overall in the new English Long Distance Triathlon Event called the Big Woody!

Veteran Triathlete and seasoned GB Age Group campaigner Richard Melvern continued his excellent record with a 6^th overall in the World for the 60/64 age group. He completed the Olympic event in 2.29.45 recording the fastest run in his category but was disappointed with the 38th fastest swim. Still something to work on over the winter.

 Charlie Harris and Mark Robertson both qualified for the inaugural World Sprint Age Group Triathlon held at the same venue in Hamburg but over a shorter course. Charlie was a fantastic 9^th in the 35-39 age group with Mark finishing 20^th in the 20-24 category with times of 1.11.28 and 1.12.50 respectively. Charlie was particularly pleased to be first out of the water having worked on his swim training in the build up to the event.

 Kerri Renshaw won the ladies race at Clacton having dropped down to the shorter Olympic distance to finish her season. The relatively calm sea conditions and fast bike course set her up for a super fast 2.11.32 and gold in the ladies event. Chris Baxter earned a PB with a 2.15.55 and Stewart Kay and Helen Shulver both beat their previous Olympic bests with 2.24 and 2.27.16 respectively. In his first Olympic event, Greg Evans managed a super 2.32.49 to end his first season in the sport. 

 BIG WOODY

A new long distance event based around Ross on Wye proved to have the hardest bike course on the circuit and was a great test to all competitors.  Ironman Supremo Gavin May conquered the course to finish a superb 3^rd overall in a time of 9.31.51.  Chris Suckling, John Burgess and Mark Young all completed their first long distance event and may be back for more!  4 FVS TRI Teams raced the relay event with each member doing one discipline. The A team of Mike Utton (swim), Steve James (bike) and Brian White (run) were 2^nd overall just missing out on the top prize by a little over a minute. The main competition was the battle of the sexes with the Womens team of Dawn Green/Lesley Dutton and Ellie Burton just beating the Mens Team of Mick Humphris/Paul Dutton/Richard Easterbrook. The race was very close with the gap down to under a minute until the last lap of the race with Ellie Burton finding an extra gear to pull clear and seal victory for the ladies. The Mixed Team of Robbie Laughton/Jim Rees/ Antonia Field were unlucky with Jim going off course on the bike through poor signage and Antonia being wrongly directed missing out a section of the run course.

Darren Woodhall and brother in law Gavin May were not satisfied with doing just the Big Woody, they also completed the 3 race challenge set down by the organiser completing a 5k road run on the Friday and a 5mile run/15 mile bike/5mile run Duathlon on the Sunday the day after the main race!

Jeremy Prodger raced the Garden City 10 in 1.11.50 and husband and wife team Richard and Lynn Allen completed their first race for the Club running together in 1.28.14

Keith and Jackie Perry were joined by Pete Timmins to complete the 54.1 mile Tour of the Cornfields off road Cyclosportive in 5 hours 23 minutes. The event was a combination of off road tracks, bridleways and road sections around the Cambridge area and was a fund raiser for the Eastern Cyclocross League which has its opening event at Fairlands Valley Park on Saturday 15^th September.

Steve retains gold

Top FVS TRI triathlete Steve Harrison retained his title at the Bedford Olympic Triathlon with a time of 1.59.49 collecting a £500 cash prize for his efforts. Still trying to balance a busy work life with his triathlon career, Steve had to miss the prize giving as he dashed off to the airport to catch a plane to Sweden for work!  The overall race was closer than expected as Steve struggled with dehydration caused by a lost water bottle on the bike. This meant water stops on the run course costing valuable time and reducing the eventual winning margin to just over 30 seconds having been 2 minutes ahead after the bike leg. Despite his problems, the TRISPORTS supported athlete was still the only competitor to break the 2 hour barrier.  Newest member Natalie Barnard was 4^th in the ladies event and winner of the 20-24 age group in her first outing at the Olympic distance. This was her 2^nd event in 5 days having earned a 2^nd overall in the Team Outrageous Midweek Sprint Event on Wednesday. A strong swimmer, Natalie led the ladies race by nearly 2 minutes out of the water but was chased down by the stronger cyclists and runners more experienced over the Olympic distance of 1500m swim, 40k bike and 10k run finishing with a time of 2.14.17, 2^nd fastest overall for the Club.  The event was based around the river in Bedford town centre and FVS TRI were the biggest club represented by 24 competitors and a dozen marshals and officials making the event run smoothly.  Mark Robertson was 3^rd home for club in the main event making it a family affair with sister Claudine Robertson 3^rd home for the club in the super sprint event in her first triathlon. The super sprint ran at the same time as the main event with a 200m river swim, 15k bike and 3.3k run with the swim being completed without a wet suit for most, which was a bit of a shock as the water was a little cool. New member Meliné Fletcher completed her first event in the super sprint and was first home for the club in 1:02:20.  Nick Downing home from Birmingham University was 3^rd male for the Club in 2.19.18 and In the ladies race Natalie Barnard led the way with a 2.14.17, with Chris Yuill  second (2.40.22) Helen Shulver (2.41.08)and Jackie Perry (2.47.45)

BEDFORD OLYMPIC RESULTS 

BEDFORD SUPER SPRINT RESULTS

 Martyn Hynes continues to excel at the sprint distance achieving qualification for the 2008 Age Group Sprint World Championships in Canada despite going off course on a poorly organised bike course at the Birmingham Sprint triathlon based around the NEC. His time of 1.10.44 was still good enough for a new PB and Martyn was happy with his performance securing his slot in the GB Squad for the 25-29 age group

Ryan Johnson completed his second triathlon returning to the Thames Turbo Sprint Series and seeing a huge improvement of over 15 minutes for the sprint distance. Although the weather was much better than first time out, Ryan was rewarded for his training with an improvement from 1.44.33 to 1.27.31 for the 426m swim, 21k bike and 5k run.

20th August 2007

Kevin & Kerrie GO LARGE

Three members of Hitchin based triathlon Club FVS TRI travelled to Sherborne in Dorset to take on the challenge of Ironman for the first time. Ironman means a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and a 26.2 mile marathon to finish. With 1250 starters all fighting for clear water, the swim start in an Ironman event is always frenetic. Kevin Holt was first out of the water in 60^th position in 54:06 with Kerri Renshaw just behind in 54:36 and on  the leader board as 7^th female and 63^rd overall. Max Lepoutre came out of the water in a very respectable 1:08:06 for 458^th.  The hilly bike course around the grounds of Sherborne Castle proved to be a challenge with all 3 recording similar times around 6 ½ hours. The last leg was a full marathon and Kevin excelled with 3:32 to give an overall time of 10:56:09 and 23^rd in the 25-29 age group and 148^th male. Delighted with his time, Kevin will now drop down to focus on racing the shorter distances and world championship qualification.  Kerri finished with a 4:15 marathon to earn a 5^th in 30-34 age group and 23^rd female overall in a time of 11:47. Having suffered with a painful foot injury for much of the season, Kerri was pleased not only to complete the event but to beat her own target time.  Max finished with a 4:16 marathon and a super debut time of 12:16 in his first proper season of triathlon having joined FVS TRI late last year with little experience in swimming and running and no bike!

Sam Tophill and Simon Hall travelled to the West Mids to compete in the Wolverhampton Classic Triathlon over the Olympic distance.  Based around scenic Cannock Chase the wet and windy conditions provided an interesting choppy swim in Chasewater Lake and a challenging hilly bike and off road run course. Sam was 1^st female vet 40 in a time of 2:40:01 and Simon was 13^th overall and 2^nd vet 40 in 2:16:47, just 15 seconds behind category winner

Ian Mackerness  rode the Bedfordshire Road Club 25 mile Time Trial in an excellent 58:56 to average more then 25 mph for the event.

Ian Hobbs on holiday in Australia took the opportunity to improve his PB by 17 minutes to 1:57:49 in the Viridian Noosa Half Marathon and finished 630^th from 933 finishers.  Seems a long way to go to get a PB!

13th August 2007

FVS TRI triathletes were largely resting at the weekend after a busy few weeks with a few members entering road racing events across the South.  Alison Wood ran The Bassingham Bash 5 mile road race in 32.13 with the hot weather conditions made more interesting by the mini tornado that preceded the race and wreaked havoc with the village fair car boot sale!  New member Gemma Sargent went to Bluewater and not just to shop! She ran the Bluewater 10k in 47.08 to finish 235^th from 1338 finishers and 39^th female.  Simon Hall and Sam Tophill ran the Bearbrook 10k near Aylesbury. Simon was 6^th overall and 3^rd vet 40 in a time of 34.49 and Sam was 109^th overall from 421 finishers in 44.06

6th August 2007

Steve mixes it with the best at London

Letchworth based triathlete Steve Harrison was on top form at the London Triathlon competing in the Elite Race for the second year running and improving dramatically from 33^rd last year to a top 20 finish in 18^th. The FVS TRI athlete was invited back to London on the strength of his continuing good performances particularly in the British Triathlon Corus Elite Series this year. Racing against the best in the world, Steve recorded a huge PB with a 1:51:28, a 4 minute improvement on 2006  with the race being won by World Champion and Olympic Gold Medal hopeful Tim Don in a blistering time of 1:42:01.  Unlike the professional triathletes making up the majority of the field, Steve still works full time as a specialist programming engineer for Stevenage based Aeroflex International. Steve is supported by Letchworth specialist triathlon retailer TRISPORTS and they provided him with a new top of the range race bike for this season which has helped both financially and also in terms of performance.  The London Event was again declared a no wetsuit race which Steve had prepared for by training twice a week in club open water sessions at the Blue Lagoon. This enabled him to be much better placed in the swim this year just coming out on the heels of the second group. Although slightly isolated on the bike leg he was able to make up a number of positions with a very strong run recording the 8^th fastest second lap as many were wilting in the heat!

In the age group events, 13 members of FVS TRI joined over 9000 other athletes in officially the worlds largest triathlon event spread over the weekend.  Charlie Harris recorded a superb 1^st in the very competitive 35/39 age group from 462 competitors in a time of 2:01:33. Charlie hopes to improve his run time next year to get ever nearer the magical 2 hour barrier but in the meantime will concentrate on training for the shorter Sprint distance as he is representing GB in the Age Group Sprint World Championships in Hamburg next month.  2^nd home for the Club was Herts Fire-fighter Peter Bardell in a time of 2:18:37. Showing consistent improvement with good training, Darren (Woody) Woodhall was 3^rd out of the swim in his age group and recorded an excellent time of 2:21:15. Also benefiting from consistent training, Robbie Laughton moved down a distance from his recent Ironman race to improve 14 mins on last year for a PB of 2:23:11.  Sean Bradley had a super race in the Junior wave with a time of 2:28:50.  Mark Beaver completed his first Olympic in a time of 2:47:49 and also completing his first standard distance for FVS TRI was Greg Blount who finished in 3:11:46 competing n he 50/54 age group.

LONDON SPRINT

Martyn Hynes continues to excel at the Sprint distance finishing 1^st in his age group (25/29) and an incredible 7^th from 1399 athletes. He completed the 750 swim/20k bike and 5k run in 1:12:03. Carol Young completed her first triathlon in a time of 2:18:46. Carol spends her working day encouraging others to raise money for charity by competing in events such as the London Triathlon and decided she better actually do one this year!

CAMBRIDGE TRIATHLON

At the Cambridge Triathlon there were age group wins for both Ian Mackerness (40-44) and Penny Wylie (45-49). In marked contrast to the 2006 treacherous rainy conditions, the 2007 event took place in the baking heat which turned the dusty off road run into near desert like conditions. Ian finished3^rd overall for the second year running in a time of 2:08:08 and returning from GB Age Group duties, Penny dropped down to the standard distance and was fast enough to finish 6^th overall in the ladies race in a time of 2:29:11.  2^nd home for the Club was Chris Baxter in a new best time of 2:20:08. Gerry Corrance completed his first open water event in a time of 2:56:47 and appeared to enjoy the experience despite the heat! Second and third home for the ladies were Michelle Pratt and Sue Gipson who both cam 3^rd in their respective age groups. 

ANTWERP 70.3

Pete Timmins travelled to Belgium to compete in the Half Ironman 70.3 championships and just beat the 6 hour mark for the 1.9k swim, 56 mile bike and half marathon to finish in a time of 5:58:57 

TESCO CHARITY TRIATHLON

Jon Gillham, Chris Yuill and Colin Cumberland competed in the Tesco Charity Triathlon with Jon and Chris both finishing 3^rd in their respective races in times of 2:17:38 and 2:35:43. Colin recorded a time of 2:37:36 for the 1500m swim, 40k bike and 10k run.

European Bronze for Katy

FVS TRI’s Katy Pike won a Bronze Medal in the Belgium based ETU European Long Distance Triathlon Championships in the 30-34 age group. Katy completed the 3k swim, 80k bike and 20k run in 5:19:16 which was good enough for 257^th overall. Also competing for GB was Kevin Smart who completed the race in 4:43:03 and was 25^th overall in the 35-39 age group. Kevin will now rest up before competing over the full IronMan distance in Austria in early July.

IRONMAN SWITZERLAND

Marc Trussell became the latest member of FVS TRI to claim his IRONMAN status completing the Switzerland race in an excellent first time of 12:32:41. The 3.8k swim was completed in 1:15:35, 112mile bike in 6:35:08 and the full marathon to finish in 4:22:11. Marc is delighted with his performance in the ultimate test for a triathlete.

DAMBUSTER

9 members of FVS TRI competed in the Rutland Water based Dambuster Olympic Triathlon which doubled as an age group  world championship qualifier for 2007 and 2008, ensuring a high quality field.  Charles Harris was first home for the club in an excellent 2:10:28 for the 1500m lake swim, 42k bike and 9.6k run. Seasoned GB age group campaigner Richard Melvern achieved a qualifying slot in the 60-64 age group with an excellent 2^nd place in age group with a 2:26:18.  First female was Samantha Tophill in 2:38:23, just beating Chris Yuill who finished in 2:39:37.

CYCLING

3 members of FVS TRI completed the tough Dragon Ride, taking in 200k of Welsh scenery and over 2800m of climbs including 3 UK category 1 climbs, all great preparation for the upcoming Etape event which is a race over one of the hardest stages of the 2007 Tour De France. Paul Gibb was first home in 7:03:52, Steve James 7:15:09 and Pete Timmins in 8:05:54

John Burgess was 2^nd in the Ashwell Mid Week 10 mile TT in a time of 25:44, slightly slower than previous due to newly gravelled road surface.

RUNNING

Brenda Bozwood Davies was 3^rd FV55 in the Marston Forest 5k in a time of 27.21

18th June 2007

EUROPEAN DUATHLON CHAMPIONSHIPS

FVS TRI’s Lesley Dutton represented GB in the 45-49 Age Group at the European Duathlon Championships hosted in Edinburgh. The tough, technical, windy and wet course saw many seasoned competitors retiring before the finish. Lesley finished 9^th overall in the competitive veteran’s age group for the run/bike/run event but found the 25 mile bike circuit tough having to climb Edinburgh’s famous Arthur’s Seat 4 times in wind and driving rain. With the ambulance out on the course to attend to a number of incidents, Lesley was pleased to negotiate the bike safely and finish the event with a strong 5 k run placing her 7^th in age group, the same as for the opening 10k run. Particularly pleasing were her fast transition times between the run and bike sections which gained her invaluable time with 2^nd and 4^th fastest times in age group for the 2 transitions.

WINDSOR OLYMPIC

Kerri Renshaw continued her excellent form with a win in the 30-34 age group and 3^rd place overall in the women’s event at the Windsor Triathlon. The 1500m swim was in the River Thames and was followed by a 40k bike and 10k run around the grounds of Windsor Castle. Kerri completed the event in 2:22:15 just behind Mike Utton who was first home for the club in a PB of 2:20:27. Chris Baxter earned a PB with a 2:24:36 just ahead of Jeremy Lintott (2:26:21) and Darren “Woody” Woodhall (2:27:40). Christina Meade made her debut at the distance and finished in an excellent 3:13:18 for 1489^th from the 1600 entrants.

 HALF IRONMAN UK

Penny Wylie and Mark Robertson competed in the UK Half IRONMAN championships on Exmoor, part of the World 70.3 Series and a qualifier for the Florida based World Championship finals. The 70.3, so called as it represents the number of miles competed (1.2 swim, 56 bike, 13.1 run) is a tough event that attracted over 1200 starters. Mark Robertson was an excellent 163^rd overall and 10^th in the 18-24 age group with a time of 5:46:56. Penny Wylie continues to show form over the longer events with a 6:21:21 which placed her 6^th in the very competitive 40-44 age group and 369^th overall, only just missing out on qualification for the World Championship final later in the year.

TOUR OF COTSWOLDS

Tanya Morris-Jones completed the 102 mile Tour of the Cotswolds which included 2500m of climbing in 7hours and 12 minutes

11th June 2007

FVS TRI WINNING WEEKEND!

FVS TRI’s Steve Harrison had a big weekend winning the second Trisports Bedford Sprint on Sunday morning having competed in the British Elite Championships at Tredegar in Wales on the previous afternoon.  Steve managed 23^rd overall in a time of 2:00:30 for the National Championships racing against the best triathletes in the UK and won by current World Champion and Olympic Gold Medal hopeful Tim Don. The race was a tough 10 lap bike circuit and fast 4 lap run following a 1500m swim in lake previously used for coal and iron ore mining before regeneration and redevelopment. Steve hopes to qualify for the final showpiece event of the Corus Elite Series based around the 2012 Olympic course in Hyde Park in July. 

Despite the exhaustion of competing in Wales, Steve drove home in the evening to represent his Club the following morning at the 2^nd of 3 Trisports Bedford Sprint events. He won for the second month running over the 400m pool swim, 24k bike and 5k run and now leads the series sponsored by Letchworth based triathlon retail specialist Trisports who also support Steve with a full triathlon package including bike.  Kerri Renshaw was 2^nd female overall for the second month and consolidated her second place in the Series. Anna Priestly and Brenda Bozwood Davies continued their excellent form to take age group wins in the veterans. Mark Robertson improved to gain a second in the competitive 20/24 age group with 8^th overall. New member Peter Bardell was 23^rd overall just behind returning member Kevin Holt in creditable 16^th. FVS TRI supported the local race organiser with marshals and officials as well as entering 20 competitors for the event.

 Full Results

Simon Hall recorded his fastest time in 5 years to finish 7^th in the Wantage Triathlon over a 800m pool swim, 30k bike and 12k run. The event also incorporates a “King of the Hill” competition on the run to the top of the Ridgeway and Simon was a best ever 3^rd. Sam Tophill won the female vet category and Helen Shulver was 10 minutes faster than her previous best despite a slower swim.

Mike Russell was 13^th from 206 finishers in the St Albans Sprint Triathlon and Mark Young was 46^th in a time of 1:38:58 for the St Albans Half Marathon held on the same day. Also competing over the half marathon distance was John Burgess who finished the Southend Half in 1:35:40.

FVS TRI cyclists Dave Hard ,Kev Smart, Kev Ash, and Tim Smith completed the 118 mile Highclere Castle Victor Ludorum Sportive, in 6:50:03 including over 6400 feet of climbs in 80 degree heat through the countryside of Hampshire and Berkshire.

2nd June 2007

FVS TRI WINNING WEEKEND!

Athletes from Hitchin based FVS TRI triathlon club recorded 4 wins over the weekend with members racing at 9 competitive events at 5 venues.

Martyn Hynes won the Blenheim Male Supersprint event beating 162 other males over the 400m lake swim,12.9k bike and 2.6k run all based in the grounds of Blenheim Palace.

Kerri Renshaw was 2^nd female overall and winner of the 30/34 age group in the Weymouth Middle Distance Triathlon over 1.9k sea swim, 54 mile bike and half marathon run over 13.1 miles.

Ian Mackerness (40/44) and Richard Melvern (60/64) were both age group winners at Milton Keynes Sprint in the World Championship Qualifier over the 750m lake swim 20k bike and 5k run

MILTON KEYNES TRIFEST

The main competition over the weekend was at the Milton Keynes TRIFEST with 4 separate events held over the weekend culminating in the main World Championship Qualifier Sprint Triathlon Event.  Jon Gillham took up the challenge and completed all 4 events coming 2^nd overall for the combined times for the Aquathlon (750m swim/5k run), Open Water Swim (1k), 10k run all completed on the Saturday with the Sprint Triathlon finishing off the weekend events! Not only did Jon complete all 4 events in style he also managed to have the 2^nd fastest transition from swim to bike in the Sprint event completing the changeover from wetsuit to bike in just 40 seconds!  FVS TRI was well represented in the sprint event with 25 members competing across all the age groups from 364 starters. In addition to the age group winners of Ian Mackerness (1:02:54) and Richard Melvern (1:09:34), Chris Yuill was first female for the Club in 1:15:42 over 5 minutes faster than the May event over the same course. Charlie Harris was 2^nd home for the club in 1:03:33 in 24^th overall and 6^th in 35/39 age group. Mark Robertson was 3^rd with a 2 minute improvement from May with a 1:05:09 for 45^th and 7^th in the 20/24 age group. Coach Mic Clark made a welcome return to form in his 40^th year in which he intends to compete over all the triathlon distances from sprint to Ironman. He finished 106^th in 1:10:05.

In the Aquathlon event over 100 competitors raced the 750m lake swim and 5k run.  Anna Priestly achieved qualification for the World Aquathlon Championships and received her Bronze Medal from British Triathlon Federation President Sarah Springman

Jon Gillham times for the other 2 TRIFEST results were 40:52 for the 10k road run and 16:25 for the 1000m open water swim race.

WEYMOUTH MIDDLE DISTANCE TRIATHLON

Kerri Renshaw didn’t quite mange to achieve her aim of winning the 2007 event, repeating her 2^nd place overall and age group win from 2006. The event was tough with a 1.9k sea swim to start followed by a 54 mile bike and half marathon to finish. Kerri finished in 4:39:24 just behind Mike Utton who was first home for the club in 4:34:40 for 52^nd overall from the 299 starters. Simon Patenall was 01^st in 4:50:22 and distant members Katy Pike and Pete Timmins also flew the FVS TRI colours in Dorset finishing with 5:15:25 for 179^th and 5:27:24 for 220^th respectively.

 BALA MIDDLE DISTANCE TRIATHLON

Also competing over the middle distance event, Robbie Laughton travelled to Wales and completed the Bala event in 5:05:17 for the 2k lake swim, 78.5k bike and 20k run. Robbie was 170^th from 385 starters

BLENHEIM SPRINTS

In addition to Martyn Hynes lifting the overall win in the Blenheim Supersprint event, 3 members of FVS TRI also competed in the Sprint event over the longer course of 750m lake swim,19.3k bike and 5.2k run. Ed Corbett was first home for the Club in 1:25:37 with Tony Hewitson making his debut with a 1:32:05. Distant member Neil Rose recently returning back to the UK  from California finished in 1:32:46.  All Blenheim events are famous for their long transitions with a 600m run up hill from the lake in your wetsuit  to collect your bike form within the palace courtyard before heading off to cycle on the closed road circuit, 

HITCHIN NOMADS 25 Mile CYCLE  TT

Alex Turner continued his good form in the build of to the Etape with another sub hour 25 mile TT performance. In the Hitchin Nomads A1 based event Alex managed a 59:06 to average over 25 mph despite riding too and from the event!

FVS TRI’s Steve Harrison competed in the Elite National Sprint Championships in Glasgow based around the Strathclyde Country Park.  Steve is supported by Letchworth Triathlon specialist retailer TriSports and was invited to race against the top pro-athletes in the UK and invited international guests as a result of his excellent 2006 form, having won the  National Age Group Championships and a number of other major events at age group level.  The step up to racing at elite level saw Steve manage a fantastic 20th from 56 finishers in a time of 58:35.with the race being won by Cambridgeshire athlete and Olympic hopeful Will Clark in a time of 55:10.  The event was over 750 open water swim with a pontoon dive start, 20k undulating technical bike and a 2 lap 5k run and is part of a 3 race Elite Series sponsored by Corus. All events are being recorded for later showing on Channel 4 with the Olympic Distance championships in Wales in 2 weeks and the final Super Sprint show down in July in Hyde Park, the 2012 London Venue for triathlon. TriSports are supplying Steve with a new lighter and faster bike for the 2007 season and this should be ready for the remainder of the Corus Elite series.

Max Lepoutre chose the Hayle Middle Distance Triathlon for his first ever triathlon event. Not only did this involve a trip to Cornwall but the swim was also over 2.1k in the sea! The bike was over 84k on a fast but undulating course with a 3 lap 20k run to finish. Max managed 72^nd overall in 5:39:32. Just ahead in 69^th was seasoned Ironman veteran Ian Ellery who finished in 5:34:47 for his 2007 season opener.

Simon Hall was 15^th overall at the Hatfield Broad Oak 10k in a time of 34:28. Samantha Tophill was 163^rd in 42:14 and David Welch 204th from 915 finishers in 43:22.

FVS TRI’s Mark Racher made a stunning debut at Ironman Lanzarote, universally recognised as the worlds hardest Ironman Triathlon. With the race also hosting the Spanish National Championships the quality of the field was high making Mark’s 10^th out of the swim even more remarkable following the mass start of over 1000 triathletes.  The 2.4mile ocean swim was followed by a 112 mile bike which climbed 2 mountains in often rainy and misty conditions. The final leg of a full 26.2 mile marathon although flat was affected by high winds and as well as searing heat. Mark managed a 5:31:53 for the bike and a sub 4 hour marathon to finish (3:54:39) to give an overall time of 10:27:14.  Following his excellent 2006 debut at Ironman Austria, Rob Wilson completed his second Ironman at Lanzarote in a superb time of 11:39. Although a little slower than his Austria time, the tough Lanzarote course is recognised as at least 30 mins harder than any other Ironman making Rob’s time even more special. His swim of 1:07:18 was followed with a 6:20:03 bike and another sub 4 hour marathon in 3:59:37!  The 3^rd intrepid member of FVS TRI to compete was James Grierson who was 8 minutes faster than his last attempt in 2004 and only having trained enough to “get around”. His time of 12:19 was made up of a 1:12:22 swim, 6:44:20 bike and a 4:11:12 marathon. A superb showing by all 3!

Racing over a shorter distance at the Salisbury Fast Twitch Triathlon, Sue Gipson and Michelle Pratt were 2^nd and 4^th in their respective age groups of 50-54 and 40-44. Michelle finished the 400m pool swim; 19 mile bike and 4 mile run in 1:44:40 and Sue 2:00:30.

Ed Corbett, having recovered from his world record London Marathon performance chained to lots of other people, recorded a 1:06:44 at the Eton Super Sprint based over 400m swim, 20k bike and 5k run. Brenda Bozwood was 3^rd in the vet 50+ category in her second open water event of the season.

Helen Shulver completed the Sheffield Half Marathon in 1:47:55 and Alex Turner earned a well deserved PB for a 25 mile Cycle Time Trial with a 58:23 in the undulating High Wycombe CC event.

Hitchin based FVS TRI triathletes braved the cold water in the first open water triathlon event of the season at Milton Keynes. The race was over the super sprint distances of 750m lake swim, 20k bike and 5k run.  Ian Mackerness was the second male veteran and 10^th overall in a time of 1:05:17. Mark Robertson was 22^nd overall from the 205 starters in a time of 1:07:25. Also racing were Mike Diggins (1:13:55) Chris Yuill (1:20:39)Richard Thomas (1:22:44), Richard Easterbrook (1:29:58) and Brenda Bozwood (1:43:01)

Top running couple Simon Hall and Sam Tophill were both victorious in their respective races at the Codicote 10k multi terrain event in times of 35:07 and 42:25

Robbie Laughton and Antonia Field both completed the Halstead Marathon with Antonia leading the way home in 3:45:06 and Robbie in 3:47:21.

Alex Turner just missed out on the magical hour for the Wisbech Wheelers 25 Mile Cycle Time Trial with a time 1:00:15.

7th May 2007

FVS TRI Dominates TriSports Bedford Sprint

FVS TRI took top honours with a 1^st and 2^nd overall, 2^nd in the ladies event and 4 age group wins in the opening event of the 3 race Bedford Sprint Triathlon Series sponsored by Letchworth based specialist triathlon retailer TriSports.

TriSports supported athlete Steve Harrison started his season where he left off with a win over 90 seconds ahead of 2^nd placed Mark Racher, also from FVS TRI who used the event as a last minute sharpener for Ironman Lanzarote where he will be expecting to race nearer 10 hours than one!  Top FVS TRI female triathlete Kerri Renshaw,  also preparing for Ironman this season, took 2^nd place in the women’s event and 31^st overall from a record entry of over 250.  Brenda Bozwood-Davies won the 60-64 age group gold in her first race for the club and Mark Robertson was 1^st in the 20-24 age group. Mark Racher and Steve Harrison also won age group gold in the 25-29 and 30-34 age groups respectively.  Excellent results also for first time racers for the Club Charlie Harris (12^th) Mark Young (73^rd) Andy Chadwick (92^nd) Greg Evans (130^th) Matt Hickman (161^st)

FVS TRI members also provided over 20 marshals for the event showing their support for the triathlon community and also supporting local race organisers.

full results 

Also  preparing for Ironman Lanzarote, Rob Wilson spent a week training on the course and competed in the Club La Santa ½ Marathon and 10k races finishing 2^nd and 3^rd in 1:35:22 and 42:08 respectively.

Pete Eames raced on the track on Bank Holiday Monday and won the 45-49 age group Herts County AAA Vets Gold over 100m in a time of 14.5 . He then later won silver in the 5000m in a seasons best of 20:57.6

BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP MEDAL FOR FVS TRI

Newest recruit to FVS TRI Richard Melvern won a bronze medal in the 60-64 age group at the British Duathlon Championships at Ashbourne. He completed the 12k run, 40k bike, 4k run in a time of 2:37:12 and described it as the toughest Duathlon ever!  Richard has recently joined Hitchin based FVS TRI to take advantage of the excellent training programme offered by the Club and as a seasoned GB Age Group competitor he brings a wealth of experience to the Club.

INTER CLUB CHALLENGE

Many first timers competed for FVS TRI in the inaugural inter club challenge with St Albans based tri club Tri-Force at the University of Hertfordshire Sports Campus in Hatfield.  The early start was not enough to put of the new recruits who all met at 06:30am together with 18 club volunteers who ensured the event ran smoothly.

Mark Racher was first home for the men and second overall and Kerri Renshaw was first for the ladies, winning the ladies race overall. Not bad for a pair who mainly race over the Ironman distance and are used to racing for nearer 10 hours than just over the 1 hour it took to finish this event.  The race was a 400m swim in the University pool, 12 mile bike course and a 5k run. Tri-Force won the overall challenge but Chairman Keith Perry was delighted with how well the event went and challenged Tri-Force to a return match over the Club Duathlon training course later in the year. The challenge was accepted by multiple Ironman Tri-Force Chairman Howard Davis, who incidentally lives in Hitchin!

Husband and wife team Alyson and Stuart Sprawson won the “couples” race beating the Tri-Force husband and wife duo by over 3 minutes combined!

OTHER RACE NEWS

Mark Robertson finished 25^th overall in the Peterlee Sprint Triathlon over 400m swim, 20k bike and 5k run. Being a former student in the North East, Mark returned to his recent roots to compete against former club members. Although pleased with the overall result he is focussing on the Middle Distance Events this year culminating in the UK Half Ironman and so was a bit shocked at the speed of the event!

Mike Diggins was 6^th in the first race of the Hillingdon Summer Duathlon Series based on the traffic free cycle circuit. He recorded a time of 42:29 for the 2 mile run, 10 mile bike, 1 mile run race format.

23rd April 2007

FLM Weekend

8 members of FVS TRI tackled the Flora London Marathon with Kevin Sambridge first home in his debut marathon in a super time of 3:06:20. In last place for the Club was Ed Corbett in 5:25:26 although he was chained to 16 people and succeeded in breaking the World Record for the most number of people chained together to compete a marathon!  The heat was the main feature of the day with most members running slower than they hoped, most likely due to environmental conditions rather than lack of training! 

Full results

Top FVS TRI cyclist Alex Turner rode the Team Cambridge 25 Mile TT in a respectable time of 1:02:21 which was good enough for 14^th overall. Not bad considering he also rode too and from the event for extra training!

16th April 2007

In a busy weekend Hitchin based triathlon and multi sport club FVS TRI competed in 3 Duathlons (run/bike/run),aquathlon (swim/run), triathlon (swim/bike/run) a marathon and a cycle time trial!
 

Duathlon
Kerri Renshaw was first home for FVS TRI in the Cambridge Duathlon over the 7.5k run/40k bike/7.5k run multi event in a time of 2:17:30. With the event also hosting qualification for the European and World Duathlon Age Group Championships the event attracted a quality entry of over 300 athletes. Lesley Dutton achieved the qualifying status in the women’s veteran race and will represent GB in the 45-49 age group in Edinburgh at the European Championships later in the year.  Jackie Perry took the silver medal in the 45-49 age group with a time of 2:29:33 and Robbie Laughton was first home for the men in 2:20:51

Full Results

Andy Mussett and Sean Bradley competed in the National Junior Duathlon Championships in Warwickshire over 5k/24k/2.5k. Andy was first home in a time of 1:14:57 for 25th in age group with Sean finishing in 1:21:02 for 27th

Mike Diggins was 5th Vet and 23rd overall at the Dorney Lakes F3 Duathlon in a time of 1:15:28 for the 5k/20k/5k run/bike run event

Aquathlon

Ellie Burton won the Ladies Luton Aquathlon swim run event in a time of 32:39 for the 400m swim and 5k run

Triathlon

John Burgess was 4th in his category at the Sevenoaks Triathlon over 400m / 27km / 8km in a time of 1:29:50 which placed him 18th from 223 finishers

Cycle Time Trial

Jon Gillham competed in a 25 mile TT at Duxford against national champion Michael Hutchinson. Finishing in 1:03:21, Jon was pleased to be only 10 minutes behind the champion!

Running

Mike Utton completed the Paris Marathon in a time of 3:19
 

9th April 2007

WELWYN HILLY 50k TT

The Good Friday Welwyn Hilly 50k TT attracted a recorded a record entry of 142 cyclists this year boosted by the support of Hitchin based triathlon club FVS TRI who always endeavour to support local events. With 48 entries and 42 finishers, the FVS TRI colours were everywhere on the 50k loop from Welwyn through Hitchin and back to Welwyn.

Featuring top riders from local clubs and sponsored teams, FVS TRI were pleased to be rewarded not only with the largest turnout but also with the 3rd team prize behind Verulam CC who took 1st and 2nd team prizes. The FVS TRI trio were led by Alex Turner in a PB of 1:22:30, a return to form with a 13 minute improvement on 2006, top triathlete Steve Harrison (1:23:01)and Mark Racher (1:23:11)who recently returned to the Club to focus on the Ironman event with FVS TRI coach Gavin May.

Top veteran performance was from Ian Mackerness in 1:23:42 and top female was Penny Wylie in a PB of 1:38:20, over 7 minutes faster than her previous best.

John Burgess made a stunning debut on the course with a 1:23:58 which was good enough for 27th in a quality field won in 1:15:14. Other notable first time performances were from Robbie Laughton (1:31:00), Mark Shoobert(1:35:44) Mark Robertson (1:36:58) Marc Trussell (1:38:56) Mike Russell (1:39:01) Mark Young (1:39:24), Rob Bester (1:42:24) and senior club member Chris Penfold 1:44:25 who was delighted with his performance.

PB performances were prompted by near perfect conditions from Alex Turner,Steve James, Michael Clark, Bradley Baynham, Ian Hobbs, Penny Wylie and Pete Timmins.  In a sport dominated by male entries the Club were also delighted to field 7 of the 11 female finishers.