Ealing Triathletes Sarah Richardson and Christine Meek, both associate members of ESM, have tasted success this month, writes Fiona Kennedy.
Sarah realised one of her dreams last Sunday as she made her GB triathlon debut at the European Championships in Kitzbühel, racing against top class talent from across Europe.
Heading into the race, Sarah said she was “hugely nervous” about the challenging and technical bike course. “I just wanted to do a good swim, get through the bike without any mechanicals or incidents and get to the run (where I feel most at home)….although it was a really hilly 10k to finish”.
Sarah’s total time was 2:45:14 (1.5km open water swim in 26:56, transition in 1:43, 40km bike in 1:30:06, 10km run in 46:28).
A week earlier, Christine Meek won the W55-59 age group title at the British Aquathlon Championships in Roundhay Park in Leeds, having won bronze last year. Her swim was a minute quicker than last year, perhaps helped by the agreeably mild water temperature, but there was no easy ride in the run, which remained a “hilly, twisty little 5km”. (Some of us who have run cross country at Roundhay Park may well recognise that description!) Her total time was 41:27 (750m swim in 13:44, transition in 3:41, 5km run in 24:03). The event was staged alongside the British Triathlon Championships – won by Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee – and a total of 3,000 amateurs took part. Rumour says Andy Dodd and Alison Hopkins might have been among these, though I haven’t been able to find any results.
Just a week before that, Christine also won her age group in the English Triathlon Sprint Championships at Thorpe Park in a total time of 1:17:10 (750m swim 14:26, transition 1:01, 21km bike 38:54, transition 0:59, 5km run 21:58).
Inspirational stuff! Well done.