In order to help the novice triathlete or the triathlete moving to this region this page will eventually contain brief details of all triathlon clubs in the north-east and links to their own websites where appropriate. Currently the following clubs are featured below:- Alnwick Tri Club Blyth Triathlon Club Cleveland Bike Traks Tri Club Durham Tri Club East Coast Tri Club FIBA Racing Team Gosforth Road Runners Hartlepool Triathletes NE31 Tri Club Newcastle University Tri Club One Life Racing Tri Club Ryton Tri Club Stokesley Duathlon Club Sun City Tri Club Tyne Tri Club Alnwick District Triathlon Club Club Secretary:- Tracey Sample ( info@alnwicktriathlon.co.uk ) Alnwick District Triathlon Club is the first club in Northumberland to be affiliated to the British Triathlon Association. It has two coached swimming sessions in the Willowburn Pool on Monday evenings between 8 and 9pm and Friday mornings between 7 and 8 am. The Club will be arranging cycling and running sessions in 2005. Alnwick Tri Club have taken over the running of the Alnwick Triathlon and the second edition of this race will be held on May 15th 2005. Members come from all three triathlon disciplines including keen runners, cyclists and swimmers, it costs £15.00 per year to be a member. Membership forms can be picked up at Willowburn Sports and Leisure Centre or contact Club Secretary Tracey Sample on 01665 712006 for more details. Club Website:- Alnwick Triathlon Club

Blyth Triathlon Club Club secretary:- Geoff Robinson (lonetrier2000@aol.com) Affiliated to the BTA and CTT. Though recently affiliated to the BTA we have been established as a triathlon swim club for over 15 years. The club meets for a coached swim session at Blyth Sports Centre each Saturday 5.30 pm till 6.30pm. Other clubs and masters swimmers use this session and are welcome. Coaching is planned to cater for different levels of ability. Members also organise swim sessions at local pools during the week and open water swimming is arranged during the summer. Track run sessions are organised though most members are also members of a running club, Blyth Running Club also based at the Sports Centre has coached sessions Mondays and Wednesdays. A weekly bike ride meets at the Three Horse Shoes, Horton on Sundays at 8.00 am and then onto Morpeth for 8.30 am. Members can take part in the local CTT arranged cycle time trials. The club has assisted each year with the council run Blyth Triathlon. To the future we also plan to promote our own event. Membership is £10.00 per year (£5.00 students) and membership forms can be obtained at the Saturday swim session or for further information contact the club secretary on the above email or telephone 07723016421.

Cleveland Bike Traks Triathlon Club Club Secretary:- Sandra Main (Sandramain_41@MSN.com or sandramain@clevelandtriathlon.co.uk) Cleveland is affiliated to the BTA and holds both Clubmark and STAR accreditation (the 1st STAR club in the country). The club meets for swim training at the Rainbow Centre, Coulby Newham on Wednesdays (9pm to 10pm) and Sundays (6pm to 7pm). There is an informal social gathering in the bar after each session. Bike training is arranged informally between members. There are currently 4 club coaches( 2 at level 1; 1 at level 2 and 1 at level 3). The club caters for all levels of ability. Several members are current GB age-group internationals and there is a separate junior section which meets on alternate Saturdays at Acklam Sports Centre with experienced club coaches. There is a welfare officer and junior co-ordinator. The club organises five open events each year – Sprint Triathlon; Short Course Triathlon; Children’s Aquathlon (swim/run); the very popular Cleveland Relays and in 2006 the club is promoting what will be the first Half Ironman-distance race in the region - the Cleveland Steelman. The club’s website is at:- Cleveland BikeTraks Tri Club

Durham Triathlon Club Club Secretary:- Kay Wilson (kayathlon2003@yahoo.co.uk) Durham Triathlon Club is affiliated to the BTA and CTT. The club caters for all levels of age and ability and meets for coached swim training at Wolsingham Swimming Pool every Friday evening from 7.45pm until 8.45pm with a social hour afterwards at the the Colliery Inn, High Job’s Hill between Crook and Willington. Bike and run training is very informal between members but something is arranged every weekend through the forum on the club website. Several members are also members of local cycling and running clubs and train as well with those clubs. Several members of the club have competed at the World Age-Group Championships (Duathlon and Triathlon). Durham jointly promotes (with Ryton Tri Club) the Prince Bishops Standard Distance Triathlon at Derwent Reservoir which is the only standard distance event in the region. This year (2006) sees the introduction of two new club promotions – the Hamsterley Forest Spring Duathlon, incorporating the North East Region Team Duathlon Championships on 30th April and the Hamsterley “Hammer” Duathlon on 22nd October. The club also organises two series (winter and summer) of duathlon handicap races each year. The winter series is on the third Sunday morning of each month (Oct to March excepting Dec) and the summer series is on the third Thursday evening of each month (May to Aug). Social evenings are held at the conclusion of each series. The club's website is at:- Durham Tri Club

East Coast Triathlon Club Club Secretary – Karen Smith ( buzzsmith@ic24.net ) East Coast Tri are quite a new club having been formed for only two years. Members are drawn from a large area covering all of east Durham and training takes place in several locations in that area. Swim training takes place each Sunday evening at Peterlee Leisure Centre from 6.15pm – 8.00pm with an ASA approved coach. East Coast Tri also run with Peterlee and Houghton Running Club on Tuesday and Thursday evenings each week, meeting at East Durham and Houghall Community College (Howletch Site) at 6.30 pm. Swim and run training takes place each Thursday evening from 7.00pm at South Hetton Leisure Centre. Members meet for Sunday morning rides on an ad-hoc basis. The club is affiliated to the BTA and runs two duathlon series each year, both at Shotton Recreational Grounds. The winter series (Oct – March) takes place at 10.00am on the first Sunday in each month and the summer series takes place at 6.30pm on the first Friday of each month (April – September). The club does not currently have a BTA qualified coach but several members of the club hold qualifications in resistance gym work, cardio-vascular work and YMCA Fitness Instruction and one is training as a swim coach. East Coast Tri host the Peterlee Triathlon which in its first year in 2003 was hugely successful and will take place for the third time again on May 22nd 2005.

FIBA Racing Team
Club Contact:- Dave Gamble
( relax@daveandali.fsnet.co.uk )

No further details available.

Gosforth Road Club Club Secretary:- Peter Harrison ( peterson@btinternet.com ) Recently affiliated to the BTA, Gosforth Road Club (R.C.) is one of the largest and most active cycling clubs in the North East. Through the club secretary, Gosforth R.C. has a long association with triathlon and in recent years the number of club members competing in triathlon has steadily grown. The club has a dedicated triathlon liaison officer, Richard Dodgson (rmdodgson@aol.com) and is planning to organise triathlon specific training sessions in the future. Members of the club meet on both a Saturday and Sunday morning for rides of varying length and intensity around scenic Northumberland. In addition to triathlon, the club can act as a friendly introduction to other cycling activities – road racing, time trialling, track racing and mountain biking, as well as holidays and other social activities. The club’s website is at:- Gosforth Road Club

hartlepooltriathletes.com Club Secretary - Tony Weed ( tonyweed@hartlepooltriathletes.com ) Hartlepooltriathletes.com are quite a small club, the smallest in the region and possibly in the country with less than 15 members. However two years ago they were National Club Champions, beating over 200 other clubs in a race they dominated from start to finish. Hartlepool have also been North East Region Grand Prix Team Champions and boast among their members European and National Champions. They also have a strong Ironman pedigree with several members active at this distance, three of whom finished in the first four at last year's Longest Day ironman distance triathlon. The club is affiliated to the BTA and CTT and is open to all, drawing members from all around Cleveland County and east Durham. Training is informal and arranged between members. Hartlepool's club website is at:- hartlepooltriathletes.com

NE31 Tri Club Club Secretary:- Stephen Green ( stepheng@robson-brown.co.uk ) NE31 have a significant Fire Service contingent and train at Hebburn Baths on Mondays (9pm), Thursdays (8pm) and Sundays at 8am. The club’s website is at:- NE31 Tri Club

Newcastle University Tri Team
Club Contact:- Emily Rowbotham
( e.c.rowbotham@ncl.ac.uk )

Newcastle University Tri Team has been formed on the back of the Newcastle University Swimming & Water Polo Team. Swimming under the guidance of Paul Hogg at Newburn, the university triathlon team will compete in regional events as well as those which form part of the BUSA championships. The club’s website is at:-

One Life Racing Club Secretary:- Paul Jones ( pauljones@britishtriathlon.org ) Founded in 2004 and based in Druridge Bay Country Park, Northumberland, One Life Racing is a British Triathlon - sanctioned team dedicated to helping North East cyclists & triathletes. Our members include novices looking for support before completing their first triathlon, to veterans of Ironman competition. The club is run by the members; they organize all the activities, social events, and workouts. Workouts are geared to multi-sport athletes of all abilities. One Life is affiliated to: British Triathlon; Cycling Time Trials & British Cycling. In 2006 the club will be affiliated to the governing body for athletics too. One Life has been identified as an outlet for kids in schools who are interested in cycling & triathlon by Northumberland County Council. This means the kids club is coming fast and will be up and running in March. Initially the plan is to have a two hour session once a fortnight (more if the interest is there). One Life is looking for volunteers to help with the club and get involved. Training. Run Sessions are at 2pm on Saturdays at Druridge Bay (Lakeside Car Park). Run for about an hour, slow and easy. Cycle session is at 9am Sunday mornings from the same place for about 3hours, steady ride. The club organises the annual Northumberland Triathlon Festival which this year (2006) is on the weekend of 17th/18th June with the Kids Duathlon and the North East Aquathlon Championships on Saturday and the Castle Morpeth Triathlon on the Sunday. The club's website is at:- One Life Racing

Ryton Triathlon Club Club Secretary - Sue Richmond (tri.sue@virgin.net) Ryton is affiliated to the BTA; CTT and NofEAA. There is a club running session on Wednesday evenings, meeting at the Tri-It Gym at 6.30pm. Swim (coached) training is on Saturdays at Dunston Swimming Pool from 3.45pm (be there at 3.30pm) until 5.15pm and an all levels training ride on Sundays at 10am leaving from the gym. There is an advanced bike ride at 9.00 am on Saturday mornings leaving from Tri-It Gym and coached turbo sessions in the gym on Fridays at 7.30pm. The gym also has a range of spin classes which are utilised quite a bit by Tri-Club members. There is a junior section and the club has ClubMark accreditation. The club has two BTA Level 2 coaches and two BTA Level 1 coaches. There are also coaches with specific swimming, cycling and weight training qualifications. Several members of the club have competed at the World Age-Group Triathlon Championships. Ryton also promote cycling time trials and jointly promote (with Durham Tri Club) the Prince Bishops Triathlon. The clubs website is at:- Ryton Tri Club

Stokesley Duathlon Club
Club Secretary:- Rob Wilkins
( rob@duathlon.co.uk )

Stokesley Duathlon Club are based at Stokesley Sports Centre, and organise the popular series of mid-week duathlons each season. The club’s website is at:-

Sun City Triathlon Club Club Secretary – Ian Walker ( e-mail-softrider@tiscali.co.uk ) Sun City Tri Club are affiliated to the BTA. Swim (coached) training takes place at Newcastle Road Swimming Pool on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7.30pm until 8.30pm. Club bike rides are held on most Sunday mornings and midweek by agreement. Run training is at Monkwearmouth School at 6.30pm. There is a junior section and the club is currently working to gain child welfare officers. There is currently one BTA Level One coach. You can find Sun City's website at:- Sun City Tri Club

Tyne Triathlon Club Club Secretary – David Bell (TriDavidB@aol.com) Tyne Triathlon Club is affiliated to the BTA and is currently working towards STAR accreditation. Tyne was one of the very first triathlon clubs in the country and has an envious history of producing many current and past elite and age-group internationals. The immediate past BTA chairman, Peter Coulson is a founder member of Tyne Tri Club. The club meets for swim training at the Elswick Leisure Pool, Beech Grove Road, Newcastle on Wednesdays (6-30pm to 7-30pm) and Fridays (5-30pm to 6-30pm). There is also a session, in association with Blyth Tri Club, at Blyth Sports Centre on Saturdays (5-30pm to 6-30pm). There is a weekly club bike ride on Sundays meeting at 9-30am at Regent Centre Metro Station, Gosforth. There are currently 4 club coaches (3 at level 1 and 1 at level 2). There is also a welfare officer. The club caters for all levels of ability, from the non-competitive looking to improve fitness to the serious competitor, with several members as current GB age-group internationals. The club's website is at:- Tyne Tri Club