A Strong Start To The 2020 Triathlon Season

September and October have been a busy couple of months at CLTC! Our squads are back in full swing with training, racing, supporting and having fun.

Bribie Triathlon

Our 2020 triathlon season kicked off at Bribie Triathlon which saw not just the Age Groupers racing again but also brought back professional racing in Queensland. We had a fantastic turnout with athletes from our Junior Squad, Adult Squad and Adult Performance Squad competing and racing well. Congrats to everyone and well done to those who placed in their age category: Kaldor, Coach Jordan, Maddie, Oscar, CLTC President Leanne and Rubi.

Ironman Sunshine Coast 70.3

Next up was Sunny Coast 70.3. This is a popular event for many of our Adult long coursers and this year we had record representation with 16 members! For many of those who participated, this was their first race for the season which is a little unusual. We have COVID to thank for that. It was a challenging day with heavy rain to contend with, flat tyres, lost contacts, and general pain and suffering which is all part-and-parcel of long course racing. Our athletes are made of tough stuff though and overcame (with cheering from supporters and help from a good samaritan with a spare bike!) to run down the red carpet and collect their prized Ironman bling and towel. Awesome effort and results for all who competed especially to our 70.3 first timers: Chelsea, Chris, Sean, Travis, Emma, Laura and Liz. Congratulations to all!

Ironman Cairns

Usually held in June when the weather is mild, this year Cairns IM and Cairns 70.3 was postponed to September due to COVID. Long course events are always tough but the hot and humid conditions in Cairns on race day made it even more so for our 2 triathletes Stuart and Jordy.

Racing in his first ever Ironman, Stuart’s original goal race was Ironman Australia. No thanks to COVID, Ironman Australia was postponed and then altogether cancelled in 2020. Not to be deterred, Stuart set his sights on Ironman Cairns. It was smooth sailing this time. He got to the start line in Cairns and was able to put all his long hours of training into action. Despite the challenging weather conditions, he made it through a gruelling day that started with a 3.8k swim, followed by a 180k ride and finishing with a 42.2k run. There’s a brilliant pic below where you can see the emotion in his face as he runs down the red carpet to the finish line, knowing months of hard work and commitment have paid off. Congratulations Stuart on completing your first Ironman!

Moreton Bay Triathlon- QTS ROUND 1

Moreton Bay Triathlon hosted the 2020 Club Championships. What a great atmosphere it was with so many Queensland triathlon clubs coming together to compete. CLTC had a good turnout with Juniors, Adults and even Parents there to race for club points. We placed 5th in the Medium Club category and hope to improve on this next year with an even bigger turnout of our Juniors and Adults. And of course we welcome all Parents to join in on the fun too.

Raby Bay Triathlon - QTS Round 2

We love racing at Raby Bay! This event always has a great vibe and it’s close to our home base which means a few more minutes of sleep for our triathletes on race day ;-) So proud of our Junior Squad who turned out in full force. Members of our Adult Squad and Adult Performance Squad were also eager to race, including a rare appearance by Coach Damo who collected a 3rd place on the podium. Leanne, Tim, Kitty and Liz also smashed the course and collected podiums. Well done! We recently welcomed Martina into the CLTC fold and she chose Raby Bay to make her Age Group debut. She showed grit and determination and crossed the finish with a big smile. We think she’s hooked! Read about Martina’s reflections of Raby Bay >>