Llandudno hotels were buzzing for the last weekend of June. They were host to excited spectators and nervous participants of The Llandudno Sea Triathlon 2013!
The Ffit Conwy Llandudno Sea Triathlon is an important event in the world of sports, triathlons and distance races. People flocked to Llandudno hotels from around the UK to participate or support their friends and families.
The race took place on Saturday the 29th June starting with the first batch of racers at 14:30. It is the 5th time this triathlon has taken place in Llandudno and this year was record breaking both in the race times and in the turn out and support by the crowds.
There were great conditions for the race on Saturday. The atmosphere was electric as the last batch of racers pushed themselves to the limit and the spectators cheered wildly. The athletes certainly were brave and committed to the race as they plunged into the cold waves of the bay and later in the evening many jellyfish gathered under the Pier! This and their exhaustion did not deter them and an amazing race was witnessed by all present.
The cyclists zipped at incredible speeds through the town. Several roads were closed to accommodate the race so tourists could even see the racers from their Llandudno hotels. As well as speeding through the town roads the cyclists head up and around the Orme. This is an impressive display of fitness as they have already swam 1500km and after riding around the Orme have to endure a further on foot race of 10km.
The sprint distance Triathlon was a 750km swim, a 19km cycle and a 5km run. There were a total of 1200 places available for race entrants for both the standard and sprint distance races and both were fully filled by February, 4 months before the race. This really does show the UK’s enthusiasm for sporting excellence.
The winner of the men’s standard distance was Phil Wolfe from Staford Tri Club. He was clearly ahead in all 3 aspects of the race. He finished in 02.07.04. Rhian Roxburgh from Carneddau Tri Club won the women’s standard in 02.27.25 a whole 10 minutes before any others crossed the finish line. Chris Standidge won the men’s sprint in 01.05.08 and Nicola Boyd won the women’s sprint in 01.13.44. 185 of the competeing atheletes finished the standard race with 707 completing the sprint.
This triathlon was the last chance for athletes to qualify for the Sprint Distance World Championships. The standard race at Llandudno included the Welsh Triathlon Championships. This gives you an idea of the importance of this race in the field of triathlons.
The race was an impressive and exciting event for all present and brought swarms of people to Llandudno hotels and the Promenade on the 29th June.