This weekend (July 30 and 31) saw the inaugural Snowdonia Triathlon Festival come to Plas y Brenin National Mountain Sports Centre in North Wales, with all the excitement and exhilaration that’s come to be expected of an Always Aim High organised event!
Social media was awash with praise for the fledgling event, with @alungjones on Twitter commenting:
“Can’t get enough of Snowdonia. Thank you @aahevents for another fantastic experience – what a day for a triathlon!”
SATURDAY
A damp start on Saturday saw the first running of the Legend Half Triathlon. This half Iron distance was a new addition the triathlon calendar for 2016. The Legend Half saw competitors take in a 1.2 mile swim, an epic 56 mile cycle race through the heart of North Wales and was finished off with a 13.1 mile, half marathon distance run through Snowdonia National Park.
In the men’s race, Peter Hogben emerged victorious, with a domineering run finishing with an incredible time of 04:45:14 – nearly 8 minutes ahead of second place Harry Smith. Chris Stirling rounded off the top 3.
Rhiannon Strickland won the women’s race with a very impressive time of 05:20:52, 18 minutes ahead of Lisa Soerensen in second. Claire Walton from Wallasey AC finished third with a time of 05:47:55.
Taking place at the same time as the Legend Half, were the Snowdonia Triathlon Sprint and Mini Sprint distances. These entry-level distances were fiercely competed, with Snowdonia Savage competitors participating in the Sprint distance as part of the weekend long triathlon challenge!
SUNDAY
Sunday saw the full distance of the Snowdonia Triathlon take place, and with a number of top class triathletes vying for the top sport, it was no surprise that the race turned into a thriller with seconds separating the top 2 men!
The full distance race consisted of a 1,000 metre swim, 60 km road cycle and a 10 km trail run, and with conditions perfect for a triathlon, the first wave set off into Llyn Mymbyr. After over 2 and a half hours of racing, Paul Hawkins took first place with only a 2 second gap to second place James Hockin with a time of 02:38:07 – one of the closest finishes to a triathlon you’re likely to see all year! Third place Alex Foster crossed the line a minute later with a still incredible time of 02:39:02.
Familiar faces dominated the women’s race with Suzie Richards controlling every sector of the triathlon to take top spot with a time of 02:56:13. Nuneaton Triathlon Club’s Helen Talbot took second place with a time of 03:08:51 ahead of third place Wendy Mcbride.
Helen Talbot also took top spot on the Snowdonia Savage women’s podium with Phil Lynes taking first place in the men’s race. The Snowdonia Savage distance was made up of the Sprint distance on the Saturday and the Full distance on the Sunday – the winners of this hugely challenging race being crowned at the end of the weekend.
A spokesperson from Always Aim High Events said: “We are absolutely delighted to see so many top class athletes compete at both the Snowdonia Triathlon and Legend Half Triathlon.”
“Thank you to everyone who took time out of the schedules to come and help marshall the event, and to everyone who came along to cheer on the triathletes at the event village in Plas y Brenin, the atmosphere there was fantastic. And thanks of course, to all the triathletes who took part over the two days.”
“We would also like to thank Plas y Brenin for hosting the event and our partners; Suunto, Visit Wales, AquaSphere, Conwy Council, Pedal Cover, High5 Sports Nutrition, Superfeet, Jones o Gymru, and Kon-x for their support which has contributed hugely to the success of the triathlon weekend.”
The Snowdonia Triathlon Festival is the third race in the 2016 Adventure Triathlon Series, the Sandman Triathlon is the third and final event of the series and takes place in Newborough Forest Anglesey, on the 17th and 18th September. Find out more at angleseysandman.com.
Full race results for the Legend Half Triathlon and the Snowdonia Triathlon Festival can be found at tdleventservices.co.uk.
The weekend’s race images can be viewed at sportpicturescymru.co.uk, melparryeventevents.com and danwyrephotography.co.uk.
Snowdonia Triathlon Festival Results:
Legend Half Triathlon
Top 3 Men:
1st: Peter Hogben: 04:45:14
2nd: Harry Smith: 04:52:08
3rd: Chris Stirling: 04:56:05
Top 3 Women:
1st: Rhiannon Strickland: 05:20:52
2nd: Lise Soerensen: 05:38:43
3rd: Claire Walton: 05:47:55
Snowdonia Triathlon – Savage Distance
Top 3 Men:
1st: Phil Lynes: 04:20:12
2nd: Leslie Tans: 05:07:12
3rd: Mark Scott: 05:29:00
Top 3 Women:
1st: Helen Talbot: 04:36:12
2nd: Kate Linsley: 05:02:54
3rd: Michelle Kenny: 05:49:42
Snowdonia Triathlon – Full Distance
Top 3 Men:
1st: Paul Hawkins: 02:38:07
2nd: James Hockin: 02:38:09
3rd: Alex Foster: 02:39:02
Top 3 Women:
1st: Suzie Richards: 02:56:13
2nd: Helen Talbot: 03:08:51
3rd: Wendy Mcbride: 03:17:14
Snowdonia Triathlon – Sprint Distance
Top 3 Men:
1st: Tom Greeves: 01:19:19
2nd: David Collins: 01:19:23
3rd: Michael Laxton: 01:21:00
Top 3 Women:
1st: Helen Talbot: 01:27:21
2nd: Jasmine Bowyer: 01:27:36
3rd: Emma Deakin: 01:32:09
Snowdonia Triathlon – Mini-Sprint Distance
Top 3 Men:
1st: James Clark: 00:47:23
2nd: Toby Hill: 00:51:06
3rd: Matthijs Verhagen: 00:53:29
Top 3 Women:
1st: Hannah Jones: 00:56:04
2nd: Maria Parra-Rodriguez: 01:01:52
3rd: Michelle Buchanan: 01:05:53
