The Age-Group champions of IRONMAN 70.3 Staffordshire 2019

Team Bottrill top the Age-Group podiums at IRONMAN 70.3 Staffordshire 2019

(Photo credit above: Huw Fairclough for IRONMAN)

As well as Lucy Charles-Barclay and George Goodwin topping the Pro podiums in Staffordshire (full report HERE), I also wanted to take a look at the Age-Group performances at the fifth edition of the race.

Looking at the overall picture first, the fastest female AG athlete was Victoria Kenny. If that names sounds familiar, we spoke to Victoria earlier this season (HERE), shortly after she had won the Triathlon England National Duathlon Championships at Ashridge House, Hertfordshire. Since then Victoria has won her category (and second AG athlete overall) at IRONMAN 70.3 Barcelona, and now she goes one step better by topping the overall amateur field inn Staffordshire.

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1st Amateur, 6th in the pro field … ironman 70.3 staffs you were great After a disappointing race in Barcelona i had definitely a lot to prove to myself. The reasons for a bad race in Barcelona had been rectified, a swanky new water bottle and socks for the run… simple but oh so important I discovered. 💥🤪 Heading up to staffs on Thursday in my van after bidding farewell to my puppy I was excited… the days before were going well until I ate some ham on Friday night which hadn’t been refrigerated since Thursday .. big mistake. 🤢🤢 Come race morning I was ready to rock and roll, feeling surprisingly fresh as someone who rarely sees two 7 clocks in a day let alone 4am. 🤦‍♀️ The swim went ok, slightly longer than expected and I did seem to be swimming on my own for 90% of it so either I went wrong… or everyone else took a really long way around. I am going with the Vicks was right approach 🤓🤓 Onto the bike… my unexpected favourite. I LOVE riding. I never have before and only started 18 months ago but I just love being on a bike. I knew what I had to do on the bike. I still get a little scared when moving at speed but tried not to shit the bed … and I didn’t 🥳🥳 Knowing I had made up a lot of ground on the bike but unsure how much it was time to win or loose the race. In Barcelona I went off at 3:50m/km and blew up spectacularly. So this time 4:10 min/ km was the goal. As coach caught me running at this speed on his second lap I fought the urge to chase him down and stuck to what I knew. Dad confirmed it, leading woman. Dig in, hold the pain and SMILE. 13 miles later I had done it. Big grin, arms up, tongue out Amateur Winner 4:46 a 48 minute drop on the time I did in Weymouth 2017 (the event that started this madness) 🤫💥🥰

A post shared by Victoria Kenny (@vicks_kenny) on Jun 11, 2019 at 1:50am PDT

It was a close race however a Rebecca Duxbury – also from the F18-24 category – finished less than a minute and half behind, the pair running almost identical 1:28 half marathons. Rebecca recently won, overall, the Age-Group race at the ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships in Pontevedra.

Third place overall – and winning F35-39 – was Rebecca Rimmington, second recently at the Outlaw Half and a member of the Specialized Zwift Academy Triathlon Team in 2018.

It was a good day for Team Bottrill as Victoria’s coach, Ian Dempsey, was also the fastest amateur male, winning the 35-39 category in the process. Ian was also the fastest British athlete (and 35-39 champion) at IRONMAN 70.3 Mallorca this year and second 12 months ago overall at the Outlaw Half Holkham.

The joy of winning… what a day yesterday was Still absolutely buzzing from taking the amateur win & 9th overall @IM703STAFFS massive congrats to everyone who raced many thanks for all the support on the course#livethedream@TeamBottrill @tri247

📸 credit: @shortandrounduk pic.twitter.com/hLwrOrXY3l

— Ian Dempsey (@IanDempseyTri) June 10, 2019

Tenby-based Oliver Simon was second, proving he has still got plenty of pace in the 40+ ranks, with Dan Blake (35-39) running through to third place with a swift 1:18:58 half marathon.

Fastest Age-Group athletes overall

Age-Group Men

1st – Ian Dempsey (GBR) – 4:15:00 (35-39)
2nd – Oliver Simon (GBR) – 4:16:34 (40-44)
3rd – Dan Blake (GBR) – 4:17:07 (35-39)
4th – Will Munday (GBR) – 4:18:10 (18-24)
5th – William Draper (Isle of Man) – 4:18:27 (18-24)

Age-Group Women

1st – Victoria Kenny (GBR) – 4:46:11 (18-24)
2nd – Rebecca Duxbury (GBR) – 4:47:40 (18-24)
3rd – Rebecca Rimmington (GBR) – 4:53:06 (35-39)
4th – Claire Danson (GBR) – 4:54:19 (30-34)
5th – Elizabeth Duncombe (GBR) – 4:56:02 (30-34)

Looking through the listing of Age-Group champions below (and fourth fastest overall), was Claire Danson. Claire’s Weymouth win comes a week after winning the ETU European Triathlon Championships in Weert – and will also put to bed her nightmare finish / collapse at IRONMAN 70.3 Dubai earlier this season.

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🥇🏆Sunday was a big day for me personally. I am so delighted to have come away with the 30-34F win, 4th non professional and beating one of the 7 pros. However for me it was a lot more than that. The first picture shows my finish in Dubai compared to my finish yesterday. What a difference 4 months can make. Dubai was a pretty terrifying experience. It left me with a big knock to my confidence. And a fear I would never be able to get back to the physical shape I had been in. I questioned if I could really do this. It took me 5 weeks of recovery followed by what felt like an impossibly difficult return to training. I had to get picked up from my first club ride back because I couldn’t continue and every session I felt weak and awful. However I was lucky I had the support and help that I did @jjjohn1allen @lucyje_physio rehabbed me back brilliantly and soon I was feeling stronger again. I also had the best teammates @precision_race_team supporting me the whole time as well as friends and family. I couldn’t have got back to where I am without them. I still can’t quite believe it after last weekend at europeans as well. Thank you so much to @pedalheaven for looking after me and my bike. The BEST bike shop. Thank you also to @easportingchamps for access to such fantastic facilities and support. Final thank you to everyone who supported and tracked. Especially to number one supporter and best mum @dansontricia and also @rpnz78 – best finish line feels seeing you. #journey #recoverstronger #rhabdomyolysis #believe #grateful #triathlon #swimbikerun #bestsupport #lucky #comebackstronger #ironmanstaffordshire703

A post shared by Claire Danson (@cdanson10) on Jun 11, 2019 at 1:31am PDT

IRONMAN 70.3 Staffordshire Age-Group Champions