Eurocoast Triathlon Club members will be able to race close to home this weekend, with Capital Coast Triathlon Festival being held on Saturday.
In a departure from previous years, Shoalhaven based Elite Energy, who have run the Batemans Bay Triathlon Festival since 2012, plus other events throughout NSW and the ACT, have based this years race at Tomakin, with race headquarters being at the Tomakin Sports Club.
Four races will be held, the longest being the Capital Coast Ultimate, consisting of a 2km swim, 60km bike leg, and finishing with a 15km run. Also included on the program is the Standard (Olympic distance), with a 1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10km run, the Sprint distance (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run), and also a Super Sprint race (300m swim, 10km bike, 2km run). Last year, almost 600 athletes competed in the various races.
Racing will be much faster this year, with flat course based on George Bass Drive. This is in stark contrast to last year, when a failure of Traffic Control Contractors to show up forced a hasty re-design of the course. In the Ultimate race, competitors rode the Tomakin Road climb five times, as well as a trip back and forwards along Dunns Creek Road and Tallgums Way.
Eurocoast Triathlon Club President, Rod Bradley, said “This is a great event, particularly for our club members. It’s their only local event, they don’t have to travel, and it also means family and friends can see them race”. “It also highlights the beauty of this area to visitors, and also injects money into the local economy”, Rod said. “Unfortunately, its towards the end of the season, when some of our members are carrying injuries, and others are preparing themselves for the Port Macquarie Ironman race early next month”.
Currently, only Ivo Ahlquist and Peter Cox are entered in the Ultimate race. Peter is still recovering from last month’s Ironman New Zealand race, but he felt it important to support the local event. Claudine Bradley is expected to enter this week.
In the Olympic distance race, Lachlan Brown, Vic Lendzionowski and Gary Ashton have entered. Lachlan is using this race as part of his preparation for the Ironman 70.3 race at Port Macquarie next month.
In the Sprint race, Dan Lloyd Jones, Paul Searson, Anthony Miles, Kim Young and Julie De Ernsted have all entered. Dan represented Australia last year in the World Championships for this distance, and is again aiming to qualify to represent Australia this year in the World Championships to be held on the Gold Coast in September.
Other club members, including Nicole Rattenbury and Adrian Connor, have volunteered in official and support functions, while others will support club members and enjoy the experience.
Volunteers for this event are welcome, any inquires should be to race organisers, Elite Energy, through their website:
https://www.eliteenergy.com.au/volunteer
Any inquiries about the Eurocoast Triathlon Club should be forwarded to Club Secretary, Ray Davidson, via email to aztec@southernphone.com.au
Above: Dan Lloyd Jones, representing Australia in the ITU World Sprint Championship in Mexico last year.
Above: Ivo Ahlquist nears the finish of the bike leg at the Batemans Bay race.
Above: Eurocoast Triathlon Club members, Peter Cox, Donna Phillips and Lachlan Brown, all place getters in their age groups at the 2017 Batemans Bay Ultimate Triathlon.
