Whitsunday Triathlon Club

TESTIMONIALS

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on the 2008 Airlie Beach Festival of Sport. Here are some of the comments you made:

“I have raced all over the world for the last 25-years as a Professional Triathlete and I am a bit biased about the races in Australia. However the Airlie tri is up there with the best of them. Fantastic location, great people and the organisation was faultless. I judge a race by the experience you take away from the weekend to determine if I would go back or not. The Airlie Beach race ticked all the boxes so it is definitely on the calendar for next year. (Brad Beven, professional triathlete and coach, Brisbane)

“The Airlie Beach Triathlon is a truly unique event held over what can only be described as one of the most breathtaking courses on the Australian triathlon race calendar, an event not to be missed,” (Sam Betten, professional triathlete and 2009 winner)

“…..Thank you so much for a fantastic event. I came two years ago with my son Simon who competed when he was 15 and I never thought that I would give it a go myself. The running course is truly beautiful and it takes your mind off the pain of running! Thank you for a truly great experience” (Mackay)

“…Ladies and gents of the Whitsunday Triathlon Club…well done. Great day, great organization and fantastic volunteers. See you in 2009! “ (Townsville)

“It was with regret that i left Airlie Beach this Week, i had such a wonderful time there. i want to send you a special thanks for all your hard work over the last weekend, and no doubt the weeks before in order to prepare a so organize race. I haven't done a triathlon in a long time, and this one was my first in Australia. I guess that i was lucky with the choice, after this race i can't wait for the next one. Well done to you and all your team, including the volunteers and marshals. Fantastic job promoting the sport, enough evidence to those like me watch the power kids on the saturday racing for the first time. If it wasn't enough promoting the sport, the race was a nice way to visit one of the most beautiful places that i have been in Australia so far. No doubt that the Whitsundays are in my top places of recomendations to my portuguese friends willing to visit Australia”. (Ricardo Nuno Goncalves Barbosa)

“………we had a marvelous weekend in Airlie and found the triathlon extremely well run, and would recommend the event to prospective competitors.” (Toowoomba)

“Thanks again for the great opportunity for my junior athletes to compete in your event. They loved every minute of it. A perfect chance to break free of winter and kick start your triathlon season. A professionally run race in the world’s best Triathlon destination! I and my crew will be back every year.” (Dan Atkins-Coach Dat Racing, Brisbane)

RACE RESULTS

The Whitsunday Triathlon Club would like to thank all contestants of this year's race for making it our biggest and best ever. Congratulations on your achievement and we look forward to seeing you all again next year!

We would also like to again thank our volunteers who worked tirelessly throughout the year and on the day to ensure the 10th Annual Airlie BeachTriathlon was a huge success.

PLEASE NOTE RESULTS HAVE BEEN AMENDED (from 24/09/08)

Click here for final overall race results.

Click here for final category results.

Click here for team results.

RACE PHOTOS

Photos from the event are available now from Tropix Photography.

Click here to see pictures of the:

Junior Tri

Senior Tri

CHRIS RAWLING UPDATE

As you are all aware now, a cyclist was seriously injured during the Airlie Beach Triathlon. Chris and his family are now set up in Brisbane ahead of the further rehabilitation Chris will require. The surgeons are happy with his facial fractures and he is walking much better though still tires after about half an hour on his feet. If you would like to send him a card or message, please contact Wendy Downes for the information.

HAVE YOU GOT SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT YOUR AIRLIE TRI EXPERIENCE?

If you do, then we would love to hear from you! Whether it is a pat on the back, a suggestion for next time, or something you felt could have been done better, please let us know.

Send your testimonials to admin@whitsundaytriclub.com

RACE MEMORABILIA FOR SALE

In the mad activity of the weekend some of you may have forgotten to take home a piece of the 10th Annual Airlie Triathlon home with you.

Still available for sale following the event are some race singlets and junior t-shirts.

A memento DVD of the entire Festival of Sport will also be available soon, we will keep you updated.

For more information on these items, please contact Wendy Downes on

4946 5256.

RACE REPORT

10TH TRIATHLON ROCKS AIRLIE

by Steve Athey

This weekend saw a fabulous mix of events unfold around the foreshore in the Airlie Beach Festival of Sport. Saturday kicked off at midday with The Coral Sea Resort open water swim program including 750m and 1500m distance races and for the first time a team sprint race of 3 x 200m legs. As large numbers of excited kids with bikes and parents in tow began to swell the lagoon area it could mean only one thing The Ergon Energy Junior Triathlon was about to “go off” and did it go with a bang! Well over 100 kids competed in three age group races with swim legs in the Airlie lagoon, a closed bike course on Broadwater Avenue and a run around the Lagoon precinct utilising this fabulous community facility to its absolute maximum.

With Sabot sailing demonstrations and the a beach volley ball tournament included in the mix the Whitsunday Triathlon Club have created very comprehensive weekend of family sport for the local community and what has become an icon event on the calendar attracting many visitors to the area.

Under perfect blue skies on Sunday morning the 10th Anniversary Airlie Beach Triathlon, centerpiece of the Festival of Sport weekend, attracted a record field of competitors exceeding all expectations. With almost 170 individuals and over 20 teams registered, by 7.30 am the transition area in Broadwater Avenue was bristling with 190 race bikes neatly racked in two extremely long rows.

A cosmopolitan field included competitors from as far afield as South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia together with overseas entrants from Florida and Japan lined up with Queenslanders and locals to listen to the pre race briefing on the water sport beach.

A hush descended on the athletes as Hamilton Island junior Sebastian Martin-Wallace sang a moving, unaccompanied rendition of the National Anthem before the hooter sounded on the first of the three wave starts. Following last years successful introduction of a handicapped system to give the female competitors a seven and a half minute lead out on the males, an extra wave was added this year to begin the team race five minutes after the females.

A large crowd lined the transition area to cheer the swimmers leaving the water with the fastest time for the 750m swim course in an amazing 9 minutes 40 seconds going to race winner Sam Betten. The triathletes hurriedly mounted their bikes to head out on the 20km bike course which takes in the challenging Airlie Beach hills with the handicapped start ensuring the riders were kept close together. The leaders in the male field began picking up the tail end of the females on the outward leg of the bike and the race was well and truly on.

Among the team riders this year, fresh from the grueling “Tour of Murray” was Mackay cyclist Karl Marwood who streaked ahead of the rest of the field covering the 20km in an amazing 29:30 or an average speed of 40.67km/hr. Leading the individual race for the males was last years winner Sam Betten, but despite his impressive cycle split of 30:17 he started the run still behind the lead female, Rachael Paxton from Cotton Tree in Queensland, who was eventually overpowered to see Betten taking out the race for the second year in a time of 56:39. Paxton lead home the female field in 1:06:01.

With strong local representation in the race some impressive results were recorded. Fastest Whitsunday male was Hamilton Islands Ryan Palazzi finishing 6th in a time of 1:04:06 with Hamilton’s Steve Jackson some two minutes behind in 13th place overall and fastest mainlander Bob Nu’u finishing 20th in 1:08:43.

Quickest local female was Michaella Trigg of Hamilton Island whose amazing time of 1:12:05 earned her an overall podium place in the race finishing 2nd behind the semi-professional Paxton.

Amongst the Age-Groupers, Kyle Rose of Airlie Beach topped the 16-19 year old category in 1:17:17 and Hamilton Island’s Tess Martin-Wallace took out 1st place (1:13:52) in the 40-49 category with Janelle Eastwood from Airlie Beach coming home in 3rd place (1:19:08). With more than a three minute margin Steve Athey also took out his age group for the 2nd year running in a time of 1:09:56.

The team competition this year was red hot with the townships of Proserpine, Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island each fielding their own versions of “The Dream Team” in a tightly fought race. Despite a strong swim from Christie Leet putting the Airlie team in the driving seat for the bike leg, former Olympian Miles Stewart was overpowered by super-biker Karl Marwood racing for Proserpine with Hamilton Island’s NZ Multisport racer Dougal Allan hard on his heels. Courtesy of Marwood, Proserpine’s runner Justin Buckley started the run with a two minute lead and despite a creditable 22:07 for the 5km, Allan from Hamilton Island ran him down, his 18:09 run good enough to take out the team’s race in 1:01:39.

Local member Jan Jarrett, who was race starter again this year and addressed the crowd at presentations congratulated Race Director Wendy Downes and the Triathlon Club organizing committee on their hard work and professionalism in creating and developing this spectacular festival for the benefit of the Whitsunday region.

The only downside of what was otherwise a fantastic day was a serious accident on the bike leg when a Brisbane based triathlete was involved in a head on collision with a non competitor, also on a bike. The local man has since been charged by police, who were in attendance as traffic control for the race, for being under the influence and allegedly riding down the wrong side of the road. The badly injured triathlete was flown to Townsville hospital with the full extent of his injuries unknown.

The organizers of the annual Festival weekend, The Whitsunday Triathlon Club, have expressed their extreme regret that such an incident should have occurred in what has previously been an event free race.

THE WORD IS OUT
By Steve Athey

From humble beginnings in 1999 the Airlie Beach Triathlon, brainchild of Race Director Wendy Downes and the then fledgling Whitsunday Triathlon Club, has grown to become the annual “must do” event for all triathletes north of Brisbane. 13 -14 September 2008 will see the running of the 10 year anniversary race which forms part of a vibrant multi sport festival weekend encompassing the ever popular Ergon Energy junior triathlon, Coral Sea Resort open water swim and Beach Volleyball challenge.

The triathlon which is the culmination of the weekend’s activities is a 750m/20km/5km sprint distance format race over one of the most scenic courses in the country. Based around Airlie Beach’s famous lagoon complex the race begins with a beach start triangular swim course off the water sport beach in the sheltered blue waters of Pioneer Bay. The bike leg follows a challenging technical course which takes in the Airlie Beach township before heading out and back over the scenic hills, with their beautiful sea vistas, though Cannonvale and Cannon Valley on partially closed roads. The run course is a beauty, following the bicentennial coastal walkway around the bay on landscaped footpaths and elevated boardwalks suspended just above sea level.

The race committee is meticulous in its planning and details like the race commentary, barricading, signage, flags and finish chute all add up with the spectacular backdrop to make this race just look so good. Community support for the event is very evident with the large number of volunteers, marshals, traffic controllers, SES and police personnel ensuring a safe and enjoyable day for competitors and spectators alike. Not surprising then that the Queensland Events arm of the State Government has had the confidence and foresight to award the festival weekend a grant on three separate occasions to fuel the growth already established by the organizers.

So who comes to the event? Well over the years in addition to age groupers from the length of Australia’s east coast, many of triathlons biggest stars have jumped on a plane to race and enjoy the many activities and sights the area has to offer. A glance at the hall of fame on the Whitsunday Triathlon Club’s very schmick website at www.whitsundaytriclub.com will turn up names like Stewart, Shortis, Atkinson, Keat, Ashton and Hackett but the real appeal of this race is the small town ownership the community feels for the event. It is the type of interest which year after year draws in more and more local trades people, shop workers, business owners, housewives and high school students to form teams or chance their arm in the individuals just to get a piece of the action.

This year Brad Bevan ‘The Croc’ will be making the trip north with some of his Croc Squad members including the inspirational Anne Garton who has used her love of triathlon to help in overcoming her disabling Dissociative Identity Disorder, a complex bundle of mental illnesses. Always on the look out for ways to include the community in the event, Race Director Wendy Downes has arranged for Anne to present a talk while she is town to share her message of surviving mental illness. Bevan, who’s sporting achievements are legendary including no less than four ITU World Cup Championships and 17 ITU world cup race wins, will also be co-opted by the race organizers to lead a jogging tour of the run course on the Saturday and present medals in the junior race and it’s a sure bet he wont be the only elite triathlete lining up on race morning.

Triathletes have voted with their feet to make the Airlie race one of the largest sprint distance events outside a capital city with competitor numbers heading towards the 200 mark.

The event, which numbers dictate now requires a two wave start, trialed an exciting new format last year which saw women competitors and teams head off in the first wave with males starting with a carefully determined time delay designed to place the lead male and lead female in the finishing straight at the same time, hopefully to battle out a sprint finish for line honours.

The word is out, this is a race that has it all, size, location, value for money, organization and atmosphere and if you haven’t done it yet the 10 year anniversary edition is coming your way this September. Don’t miss it!