As I highlighted in the Weekend Preview, domestic racing this past weekend included the Scottish Sprint Triathlon Championships which were once again being held in Monikie Country Park, Dundee.
Close racing saw the men’s overall win decided by just 20 seconds, while in the women’s race a familiar name added another national title to her C.V.
Here is the full report from the race courtesy of Sean Martin, Triathlon Scotland.
Scottish National Sprint Championship Results 2019
On Sunday the 14th July Triathlon Scotland was at Monikie Country Park for the 2019 Scottish National Sprint Triathlon Championships part of the M3 – Triathlon Festival, which also had European Age Group Qualifiers, Tri Star 1 – Youth races and the 2019 Scottish National Mixed Relay Team Championship.
The race conditions were warm with temperatures around 20 degrease and water temperatures allowing for a wetsuit optional swim.
At 9.30am the Scottish National Sprint Championships began with a self-selective wave with the main waves going of at regular intervals after 10.00am. It consisted of a 750m Open Water swim, 21km cycle and 5km run.
It was a completely different morning for the Sprint Championships compared to the Mixed Team Relay with athletes arriving at Monikie Country Park in beaming sunshine and warm conditions. Over 260 competitors had travelled from around the British Isles and some from the continent to compete in the Championships or for ETU Age Group qualifying.
This was the fourth consecutive time the Scottish Sprint National Championships had been held at the park and again like the Mixed Team Relay it was an optional wetsuit start. The athletes were divided into four waves with a self selective wave setting off first at 9.30am before the first of the two male waves which went off at 10am. The second men’s wave and the female wave went off shortly after. Conditions were ideal, with little wind out on the water and sunny skies the competitors would be hard pushed to find a more scenic race location. A mass beach start, the horn set the athletes off, sprinting and stomping into the water to begin their single lap, 750m swim.
Thomas Dalgarno (Aberdeen University Triathlon Club) was first quickest in the water just ahead of Andrew Rolland (Edinburgh #3), Luca Fanottoli (Stirling University Triathlon Club) and Craig Dale (Hartree Jets).
Once out onto the bike Craig pushed hard and created a lead of just over a minute to second place Luca by the time they came back in for their final transition. Andrew was a minute further back in third and only 30 seconds ahead of fourth place Nicholas Allen (Edinburgh University Triathlon Club).
The 5km run route was a 2 lap course. The first lap was the biggest, going around both the north and south ponds before the final lap around just the south pond, leaving a long straight sprint for to the finish. Once on two feet Luca pushed hard to chase down Craig, by the end of the first lap Luca had taken the lead in the race. Back in third Andrew and Nicolas was also moving at a high speed trying to close the gap to the leaders.
Luca was the first to appear through the trees and crossed the line to take the title in a time of 1:02:10, Craig was close behind in second (1:02:30) and Andrew was third (1:03:33).
Luca said on the race “I was just trying to focus on myself, with the non drafting I could just focus on myself and do the best I could.“
On his next race, “At the beginning of August I am going to go to Italy for the second stage of the Italian Grand Prix. It’s going to be a fast race so I am looking forward to that.”
In the women’s race multiple Scottish Sprint Champion Natalie Stewart (Pentland Triathletes) was the first out of the water and was out of the first transition (T1) with a lead of over half a minute. Second out of T1 was Eilidh Thomson (Edinburgh University Triathlon Club), closely followed by Kirsty O’Brian (Lanark Triathlon Club).
Once on the bike Kirsty closed the gap to Natalie and was just a few seconds behind going onto the run with Eilidh in third place two and a half minutes back. Lauren Wilson (Edinburgh RC) had moved up the field on the bike but was three a half minutes back on the leader.
Natalie was able to push the pace on the run and break clear of Kirsty by the second lap came around and took the tape at 1:10:06 and two minutes quicker than second place. Behind Natalie was where the action took place. Lauren put in a fantastic run (18:43) and had overtaken Eilidh for third but she was not done there, on the last lap she managed to catch Kirsty to take second place by six seconds (1:12:11). Kirsty came in third with a time of 1:12:17.
Natalie said on how she felt coming into the race “I was feeling quite relaxed, I was just doing this as a fun race. Yesterday [in the Mixed Team Relay] it was good to be involved in that and then get to come back today is even better”
On being a past winner was she feeling any pressure she said “I was just coming to enjoy myself… come in and have fun and enjoy the venue and the weather.”
The next event in our Scottish National Championship series is the Aquathlon Championships on Saturday 27 July at Loch Lomond.
Overall Male
1st Luca Fanottoli (Stirling University Triathlon Club) 01:02:10
2nd Craig Dale (Hartlee Jets) 1:02:30
3rd Andrew Rolland (Edinburgh #3) 01: 03:33
Overall & Senior Female
1st Natalie Stewart (Pentland Triathletes) 01:10:06
2nd Lauren Wilson (Edinburgh RC) 01:12:11
3rd Kirsty O’Brien (Lanark Triathlon Club) 01:12:17
Youth Female
1st Rosie Mitchell (Edinburgh #3) 1:23:00
Youth Male
1st Cameron Fordyce (Edinburgh #3) 1:09:27
2nd Ritchie Gardiner (Edinburgh #3) 1:11:36
Junior Male
1st Andrew Rolland (Edinburgh #3) 01: 03:33
2nd Sam Burton (Stirling Triathlon Club) 01:13:09
Junior Female
1st Ailsa Macarthur (Edinburgh #3) 01:22:44
2nd Chantel Thomson (Grangemouth Triathlon Club) 01:23:38
3rd Lucy Roberts (Dundee University Triathlon Club) 01:46:23
Senior Male
1st Luca Fanottoli (Stirling University Triathlon Club) 01:02:10
2nd Craig Dale (Hartlee Jets) 1:02:30
3rd Nicholas Allen (Edinburgh University Triathlon Club) 1:04:01
Veteran Male
1st Stephen Clark (Fife AC) 01:07:49
2nd Andy Turnbull (Stirling Triathlon Club) 01:08:33
3rd David Horne (TrYthan) 01:08:46
Veteran Female
1st Lorna Todd (Ayrodynamic Triathlon Club) 1:14:14
2nd Sian Tovey (Unattached) 1:16:11
3rd Rachel Fagan (Hartree Jets) 1:16:17
Super Veteran Male
1st Derek Simpson (Grangemouth Triathlon Club) 01:10:29
2nd Mike Harvey (Perth Triathlon Club) 01:10:38
3rd Martin Duthie (G72 TRI) 01:10:56
Super Veteran Female
1st Sally Rolland (Edinburgh#3) 01:19:44
2nd Anne Peat (Edinburgh RC) 01:20:43
3rd Helen Winton (Stirling Triathlon Club) 01:21:53
Vintage Male
1st Graham Whyte (G Squad Triathlon) 01:16:01
2nd Derek Thomson (Flying Monk Triathlon Club) 01:18:11
3rd Eddie Turnbull (David Lloyd) 01:18:36
Vintage Female
1st Penny Rother (Edinburgh RC) 01:16:17
2nd Joyce Mark (Tweed Triathletes) 01:19:24
3rd Julie Hector (Stirling Triathlon Club) 1:29:01
Super Vintage Male
1st Mike Godard (Hartree Jets) 01:24:15
2nd Dougla Wood (Stirling Triathlon Club) 1:28:30
3rd Ian May (Pentland Triathletes) 1:32:08
Super Vintage Female
1st Mary Welsh (Cheltenham Triathlon Club) 02:22:24
