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Posted: May 6, 2005 Multisport: Selection Race Puts Duathlon on the Map in Australia
(Craig Alexander & Leon Griffin - Triathlonphotos.com) Duathlon has been firmly put on the map in Australia! The Herald Duathlon Selection Race on 24th April had an unprecedented turnout from age groupers with 523 entrants, and 485 starters. For a first time event these numbers are HUGE, and they stack up pretty well compared to other triathlons in Australia. Australian Sprint Tri Champion, Craig Alexander, stole the show, and stormed his way into the Australian Elite Team. Craig dominated over the final 5km run, winning in a time of 1:52.44 ahead of Leon Griffin and Klayton Smith. Brendan Sexton was fourth elite and first Under 23 elite competitor. In the elite women's race Sarah Fien was first across the line in 2:11.24, and in doing so, earned her spot in the Australian team. She was followed by Belinda Halloran, and New Zealand Under 23 competitor, Victoria Beck. There were many top age group performances. 26 year old Kirra Rankin showed excellent form to win the age group females race overall in 2:11:58, posting a time only seconds behind the elite winner. Bev Thomas (30-34) was the second female, and local Newcastle athlete, Kristen Molloy, was 3rd. Congratulations to 32 year old Matthew McDonough who ran his way to victory as the first age grouper across the line, finishing in 1:58:45 with an incredible 30:27 first 10km run. He was followed by Luke Bendall Taylor (20-24) and Stephane Brindel (25-29) who won their respective age groups. Full results are on our website www.worldduathlon2005. com. Important: Course Changes What a course in Newcastle! It proved to be a true duathlon with an impressive and extremely difficult bike course, and a flat run. The majority of athletes raved about the intensity, and thankfully the oldest age grouper, Rad Leovic, finished the race at 78 years of age! With comments from athletes such as "that was way tougher than an Ironman" and "That bike is the toughest ever after 18 years of racing", we know September will be a winner! Following our April Test Event we are making some small changes to the bike course, and significant changes to the run course to ensure a safe and technical course in September. The final certified course maps will be released in July, after being ratified by our ITU Technical Delegate, Jane Seaborn, and Race Director, Garry Muir. NBN Television Promotional Campaign We hope to have a great atmosphere in September with thousands of people lining the course and cheering the competitors across the finish line! NBN Television have agreed to provide an advertising campaign across Newcastle and NSW to encourage spectators to attend the free event. NBN Television Promotions Manager, Mike Rabbitt, has been a active supporter of our sport "NBN Television is delighted to play its part in the overall assistance in promoting this prestigious event". The network will provide an advertising campaign throughout September with daily advertisements across the entire network. They will also provide extensive coverage of the event for news purposes. Accommodation Information Crowne Plaza Newcastle is the Official Hotel of the ITU World Duathlon Championships, and will accommodate the ITU, Great Britain and USA Teams. To book your accommodation please contact your national federation's travel agent: - Australian Team Travel Agent, www.tritravel.com.au (Best Western Capri Plaza & Boulevard on Beaumont) - Great Britain Team Travel Agent, ww.nirvanaeurope.com (Crowne Plaza Newcastle & Noahs) - USA Team Travel Agent, www.premiumplus-sports.com (Crowne Plaza Newcastle & Quest Apartments) - New Zealand Triathlon Federation (Quest Apartments) - Belgium Triathlon Federation (Quest Apartments) - French Triathlon Federation (Quest Apartments) Other national federations can pre-book their team accommodation at a group discount through the local organising committee. Venues range from 3 star to 5 star accommodation. Email info@worldduathlon2005.com Volunteers Still Needed for September Thanks to all the people who showed up bright and early in the morning to assist our race preparations in April. We couldn't have done it without each and every one of you! The organising committee and race management are undertaking an evaluation, and examining things that we can do better come September, which realistically fit into out race budget. We are in dire need of many more volunteers to man the bike course, run course and aid in athlete and spectator flow, and would appreciate offers of assistance. Sponsor Thankyou As with every major event in our nation, our races would not be possible without our sponsors. Over the past six months these businesses have provided more than financial assistance, they have become a support network for our organisation, and truly want to see our events reach the highest level. The race was proudly supported by The Herald, Timothy Industries, Broadley Signs, Newcastle Port Corporation, Triathlon & Multisport, Pro 4 Sports Nutrition, Redback Solutions, Thrifty Car Rentals (Newcastle), Newcastle City Council, NSW Sport & Recre ation, and Snap Printing. Other Snippets The ITU World Cup in Mooloolaba was the final ITU race in Australia before our event. Australians dominated the races with Simon Thompson and Loretta Harrop the winners. The April race crew was a TACT reunion with the majority of key helpers making their way up from Canberra for the weekend. Two of our sponsors were seen racing in our Test Event - Matt Freedman (Managing Director - Redback Solutions) and Greg Broadley (Managing Director - Broadley Signs) We now have over 1,100 athletes, national federations and supporters subscribing to this monthly electronic mailout! Comment on this story. |
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