Local triathlon club members perform well in triAthlone 2011

THE 2011 Waterways Ireland triAthlone proved a most memorable sporting occasion for members of the local triathlon club. With an impressive total of 78 members taking part, Athlone Triathlon Club took three medals at the event, with chairperson of the club, Michael Macken, leading the way by taking gold in the 45-49 Age-Group Sprint. There were also medals for fellow Athlone natives John Bruton (silver in the 50-54 category) and John Reidy (bronze in the 20-24 category), while the outstanding Wayne Reid was unfortunate not to earn a medal in a hugely competitive 30-35 Age-Group, finishing fourth and joint-seventh in the overall race. Speaking after the event, Michael Macken said: "It's a great coup for Athlone Triathlon Club to take three medals, but just as importantly, all our members seem very pleased by their performances and results. We're delighted with the turn-out from our club, and medals at this level of competition don't come easy, so we're very satisfied. I'd like to congratulate all our members who took part, and I think it looked fantastic seeing so many Athlone athletes in the new yellow and gold colours." Buccaneers rugby player Marcus Madden was competing in the 25-29 Age Group for the third year running, and finished a credible 13th in his category. He also took a position of 60th in the overall standings, with a finishing time of 1hr, 10mins, 24secs. "I'm happy enough with my performance considering the large number of entries in my category," said Marcus. "I'm improving steadily every year and my best effort was in the cycling. The running was very tough due to the hot weather, We're used to competing in wind and rain, so that made it more difficult. The best thing about triAthlone is the close proximity of the crowd to the athletes, it really generates a good atmosphere. The organisers have everything spot-on, and the festival activities going on at the same time really made this year's event a great occasion," he added. Declan Moran was making his second appearance in triAthlone in the 35-39 category. "I improved by seven minutes on last year's effort, so that's a fair amount of ground to have made up. I was very happy with my bike ride, but found the running most difficult. The intense heat was a lot to contend with, but it was a great day and I'm happy with my time," said Declan. Thirty-seven year-old local Dave Martin was very complimentary of the triAthlone course. "I've done a number of these events around the country, and I think the Athlone course is very good. Maybe the cycle is a bit short, it's a fairly flat cycle route, but generally the course is extremely good and challenging. The crowd are so close and that really helps when you're going through tough periods with the running. It's great to compete in your home town, and I think everybody involved in the event should be very proud of another very successful triAthlone," said Dave. Gordon Brett, Sport & Recreation Manager at Athlone Institute of Technology, is also a keen triathlete, and was included in the 35-39 category on Saturday. Gordon said he produced "a reasonable time", and his strongest suit in the event is cycling. "The swim is still the weakest for me, but I gave it a good go, and was happy enough with my performance. It was a great event once again. I've been to such events up and down the country, and I promise you that nowhere experiences support like Athlone. The streets were packed and that's a great thing for Athlone. It's also of huge assistance to the athletes," said Brett. As a former competitive swimmer, local man Jarlath Naughton laid the foundations of a very solid performance in the river Shannon. Talking to the Westmeath Independent, Jarlath said: "I think the idea to make it an afternoon race (proceedings began at 3pm last Saturday) was a great one. "I thought the atmosphere was better, the weather was better, and it was a really good event. I swam well, but I'd expect to do that, and the cycling is probably the weakest part of my triathlon. "But I wasn't disappointed by any of my efforts, and I definitely hope to be back again next year. The fact the Elite athletes were in the Sprint distance this year meant everyone had to up their game. It was a fantastic day for Athlone Triathlon Club, too."