Bumper field chase results in hot contest

Athletes of all skill levels and ages raced to Gratwick Aquatic Centre last Saturday to try their luck in Hedland’s latest triathlon.

The event, hosted by Hedland Tri Sports, attracted 15 competitors who limbered up bright and early to beat the heat in the latest round of swimming, cycling and running.

Nine youngsters competed in the children’s division, in which they swam 100m, cycled 3km and ran 1km.

Coming out on top was Trae Peters with an overall time of 21min.36sec., followed closely by Emma Schmich in 23:18 and Charlie Schmich in 25:16.

In the adults’ super sprint, which consisted of a 300m swim, a 10km bike ride, and a 3km run, David Smith reigned supreme, finishing with an overall time of 46:31, 3:56 ahead of Kirsty Kubala.

Hedland Tri Sports secretary Hannah Castledine said it was an excellent turnout.

“It’s good to see some new faces as well as some old faces who’ve been coming for a while and getting better and better times — it definitely encourages kids to keep coming back and top their personal bests,” she said. “I think triathlons are a very unique sport that requires a lot of different skills, so it’s good to put yourself to the test and see what you can do.”

Ms Castledine said she encouraged children and adults to come down and join in on the fun mornings. The next and final triathlon will be the RSL Port Hedland Triathlon on November 21.

To get involved, residents can follow Hedland Tri Sports on Facebook or email hedlandtri sports@hotmail.com.