ANOTHER Isle of Bute Triathlon has come and gone, but not without a great deal of enthusiastic splashing, pedalling and running about, with countless smiling faces crossing the finish line with a mixture of relief and achievement.
There’s a huge amount involved in making this event happen, but the Bute Wheelers are event management experts at this stage. Many familiar faces come back every year to take part. One feature of the event is that participants’ family and friends tend to make the trip over to Bute too, and this all feeds into a great atmosphere with lots of cheering and hugs at the finish line. This year was easily the biggest field yet, with approximately 150 people taking part.
Triathlons are very popular and, contrary to the impression people may have of the sport, they are accessible. With the Sprint and Novice distances on offer at the Bute event, all levels of ability and ages can get involved; this year, the youngest was 12 years old and the oldest was 70. The Sprint involves a 750m swim followed by a 20km cycle and a 5km run; the Novice distances are 400m, 13km and 3km respectively. This year, the event had significant participation from Brandanes, with Rothesay Academy staff in particular right in the thick of it. There were triathletes from clubs as far afield as Grangemouth, Lomond, Moray, Edinburgh and Glasgow, with people from London and the US signed up.
The course for this event is very popular with participants. After their pool swim, they cycle out past the Academy as far as St Blane’s junction and back again, with the country roads and views of Arran a real hit, while the run course around the Meadows/Lovers Lane is also idyllic. The organisers received support from the council, local businesses and individuals, not to mention a small army of volunteers on the day who are absolutely vital for the event to go ahead.
Though the weather was great overall, there was quite a headwind and, coupled with a few loose cattle on the road, times were a bit slower this year. Prizes were given across age categories for both Sprint and Novice distances.
Full results
Sprint overall winner (male) – Barry Sturrock (01:09:03); Sprint overall winner (female) – Zoe Pflug (01:13:17); Sprint winner (female junior) – Alice Stewart (01:21:14); Sprint winner (female para-athlete) – Natalie Jamieson (02:32:18); Sprint winner (local male) – Alan Poole (01:15:59); Sprint winner (local female) – Kate Canavan (1:26:49); Sprint winner (team) – Threesy Cheesy (1:15:01); Novice overall winner (male) – Reece Holmes (00:52:51); Novice overall winner (female) – Harriett White (00:56:18); Novice winner (local) – Nisha Middleton (1:08:21); Novice first team – Kilchattan Bay Kryptonite (00:42:26).
One of the organisers, Murray Doyle from Bute Wheelers, wished to thank those who were involved in putting the event together, adding: “We would like to thank the following for helping out in many different ways: Ross McLaughlin and his team for the fabulous support by ensuring the cycle and run routes were in great condition and for use of council railings; John Gilchrist and the unpaid work squad for a big helping hand; Bute Access Services for the terrific bike racks; Bute Resilience for delivering top-class event marshalling; Rothesay Leisure Centre for being excellent hosts as always; Scottish Water for helping keep everyone hydrated; For Bute for their very generous support; Distinction Hospitality for excellent catering and Co-Operative for donating provisions; David Cameron at Rothesay Academy for promoting the event within the school; and the small army of marshals and helpers on the day.”
