Island Games athlete Charlie Swales recorded a convincing win at Manx Tri Club’s 1886-sponsored sprint triathlon in Ramsey on Sunday. 

Any fatigue from racing in the British Super Series the previous day before was youthfully ignored and pre-race favourite Swales completed the course comfortably under the hour, faster than his time the day before.  

Although race conditions were dry on the road, a gusty wind made transition especially perilous with loose kit creating various trip hazards for the unwary. 

The reward for successfully navigating the debris was a tailwind up to the top of Bride Hill and a route back to Ramsey along relatively sheltered roads.  

After a fast swim and transition, Isle of Man Sport Aid recipient Swales led second-placed Dominic Dunwell onto the bike leg by nearly two minutes, a lead which he extended by a further 40 seconds into the second transition before the run.   

Although Swales’ run time was the fastest of the day (18 minutes 3 seconds), fellow IoM Sport-supported athlete Corbyn Schade was only one second slower.  

But triathlon is about combining all three disciplines successfully and the top handful of triathletes all posted excellent times across the swim, bike and run sections of the event.  

Josh Knights was a good example of this consistency, rounding off the podium in third place, but the strength in depth was evident with the next 12 positions all finishing within five minutes of each other.   

Within this mix, Clara Isaac - competing in her first triathlon in the strongly-supported female category - was top woman and 14th place overall (from a finishing field of 53).  

As before, a shorter swim course option was available (400m versus 750m for the standard course) and was won by Hollie Quaye ahead of a field of experienced triathletes and newcomers.  

Nearly 40 percent of this year’s overall entry were female, reflecting the growing cross-gender appeal of this exciting sport.   

In the ever-popular team event, eight teams competed for glory. The top end of the team event is usually dominated by leading lights from individual swim/bike/run backgrounds and this year was no exception with outstanding performances from swimming’s Josh Brooks, cycling’s Andrew Roche and running’s Alan Corlett, the latter leading his NSC Team 2 to victory in a collective time of 56m 47s alongside Maddie Hemuss and Gianni Epifani

Although the headlines favour the fastest athletes, the majority of competitors in the team category do it for pure enjoyment and the rare chance to race with friends and family.  

The team event usually adds enormously to the atmosphere on the day and this year was no exception. With nearly 100 participants in and around the pool, this was yet another tremendous Ramsey tri.  

It is also one of the few events on the British calendar when triathletes set off together in a pool rather than on a time trial basis, all adding to the stress/fun.  

Organisers wish to thank sponsor 1886, Bikestyle for support and prizes, marshals, the Manx Tri Club committee and the residents of Ramsey for the continued support. 

- The next Manx Tri Club event is the Manx Middle-Distance Triathlon just over a month away followed by the inaugural running of the team super sprint relays in July, both in the Mooragh lake and park.    

RICH GEORGE