The Cleveland Sprint Triathlon, promoted by Cleveland Biketraks Tri Club is one of the oldest triathlons in the region and is unique in it’s format of three separate time trials with a break in between each discipline of - swim 400m, bike 15 miles and run 3 miles, the times added together for the final result. This makes it an ideal race for novices to try their hand at triathlon for the first time and many of the region’s top triathletes have been introduced to the sport in this race. This year’s race was in doubt right up until the start because of heavy overnight rain making parts of the bike course unsafe. Fortunately the rain eased off just before the start to enable the event to go ahead although many competitors suffered because of the cold.

Andy Hardy of hartlepooltriathletes.com has been competing in triathlons for at least 12 years (that we know about!) and has many age-group awards to show for his high level of consistency over that time. However he has never quite made that vital breakthrough into overall winner, until now.

Left - Andy Hardy

Newly entered into the veteran ranks Andy has clearly set about his training with a sharper focus last winter and following two M40 wins in duathlons at Meadowfield on 16th April and Hamsterley Forest two weeks later, he produced his best-ever performance at Acklam on Sunday to come out a very popular and well-deserved winner overall. The key to his win was the fastest bike split of the day of 37.38, over a minute ahead of next best Michael Dunne (M50) of the host club and a run time only 1 second slower than clubmate Gary Wilson who had the fastest run of 16.04. Hardy’s overall time of 59.43 was the only time under the hour.

In the ladies race Donna James of Durham Tri Club, also a veteran, added to her tally of two wins so far this season with an equally dominating display. Her bike and run times were the fastest ladies times but more impressively were also the 15th and 12th fastest overall, resulting in a final top ten position overall.

Right - Donna James

In the age-group sections it is increasingly becoming a family affair in this race. Brothers Paul and Roger Godley, father and son Michael and Declan Dunne and husband and wife partnerships of Tony and Sandra Main (all of Cleveland Biketraks Tri Club) and Mike and Kim Hall of Durham Tri Club all won awards while Paul Foley was first junior with father Paul competing in the M40 category.

Worthy of special mention were newcomer Axel Schuppenhauer of Tyne Tri Club who won the 20-29 mens age group and evergreen Erika Enisz who won the first-ever ladies age group award for hartlepooltriathletes.com

Photographs of (nearly) all competitors can be seen in the usual place at:-

Leading Results

1st Male Overall – Andy Hardy (hartlepooltriathletes.com) – 59.43
1st Female Overall – Donna James (Durham Tri Club) – 1.04.01

Junior Men
1.Paul Foley - Cleveland Biketraks (8.29/49.18/24.48/1.22.35)

Men 20-29
1.Axel Schuppenhauer – Tyne Tri Club (5.27/40.07/17.37/1.03.11)
2.Gary Wilson – hartlepooltriathletes.com (5.48/42.47/16.04/
3.Declan Dunne – Unattached (5.34/42.54/17.53/1.06.21)

Ladies 20-29
1.Victoria Annis – Unattached (5.20/46.44/22.08/1.14.12)
2.Andrea Henderson – Cleveland Biketraks (6.56/47.24/24.24/1.18.44)
3.Katherine Hopson – Cleveland Biketraks (6.21/51.01/22.23/1.19.45)

Men 30-39
1.Tony Weed – hartlepooltriathletes.com (4.50/39.13/16.42/1.00.45)
2.Eddie Cooper – NE31 Tri Club (5.20/39.27/16.54/1.01.41)
3.John Turner – Sun City Tri Club (6.45/40.12/17.52/1.04.49)

Ladies 30-39
1.Jen Milsom – Cleveland Biketraks (6.50/45.06/17.52/1.09.48)
2.Denise Parkin – Ryton Tri Club (7.29/41.57/21.35/1.11.01)
3.Carol Murray – Unattached (8.03/47.23/20.42/1.16.08)

Men 40-49
1.Andy Hardy – hartlepooltriathletes.com (6.00/37.38/16.05/59.43)
2.Paul Godley – Cleveland Biketraks (5.21/39.31/17.02/1.01.54)
3.Roger Godley – Cleveland Biketraks (5.13/39.54/17.05/1.02.12)

Ladies 40-49
1.Donna James – Durham Tri Club (6.12/40.37/17.12/1.04.01)
2.Diane Chaney – Ryton Tri Club (5.53/46.54/21.30/1.14.17)
3.Louise Davison – Unattached (8.56/50.50/22.12/1.21.58)

Left - Michael Dunne

Men 50-59
1.Michael Dunne – Cleveland Biketraks (6.38/38.40/18.53/1.04.11)
2.Rob Wilkins – Cleveland Biketraks (6.35/40.59/19.01/1.06.35)
3.Tony Main – Cleveland Biketraks (7.21/42.44/19.36/1.09.41)

Ladies 50-59
1.Roz Layton – Durham Tri Club (7.57/49.25/20.23/1.17.45
2.Anne Faulder – Ryton Tri Club (7.58/46.16/25.01/1.19.15)
3.Sandra Main – Cleveland Biketraks (9.14/61.41/27.58/1.38.53)

Men 60-69
1.John Kettle – Stokesley Duathlon Club (10.06/46.52/19.49/1.16.47)
2.Richard Hatfield – Cleveland Biketraks (6.06/49.10/22.58/1.18.14)
3.Allan Seheult – Durham Tri Club (9.43/47.54/22.46/1.20.23)

Ladies 60-69
1.Erika Enisz – hartlepooltriathletes.com (9.34/50.52/24.43/1.25.09)

Men 70-79
1.Mike Hall – Durham Tri Club (13.42/57.59/25.40/1.37.21)

Ladies 70-79
1.Kim Hall – Durham Tri Club – (12.44/69.37/41.49/2.05.10)

Full results are available at:-