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SUNDAY, 4 OCTOBER
2009.
A warm, fine day welcomed the competitors
to this year’s Gold Coast Sprintman and Half Ironman races at Calypso Bay on Sunday, 4
October.
The Sprintman Race (1k/30k/7k) got under
way a little after 6am with the waves of competitors only one minute apart. For AG
competitors the swim was deemed “wetsuits optional”. The bike was on a mainly flat course
although the road surface was a little rough at times. The run leg was one lap of a fast,
perfectly flat course with competitors finishing off with a sprint along the
boardwalk.
Club President, Brad Dalrymple finished
second out of 43 competitors in the 30-34 AG category. Never happy with anything but
perfection, Brad was a little disappointed as the winner was only 7 seconds ahead of him.
Pete McDonald got a release from his Aged Care Facility for the day and also finished second
out of three in the 60-64 AG.
By the time the Half Ironman competitors came out of the water the wind and
the temperature had picked up to make the bike and run legs hot and unpleasant. Even experienced
competitors were showing obvious effects of dehydration and sunburn by the end of the
race.
Our Club quiet achiever, Sara Finch looked
like she was doing it easy in her first “Half” and came in second out of 28 competitors in
the 40-44 AG. Although Sara was our only podium finisher in the “Half”, special mention
should go to :-
Andrew Schmidt
6th out of the large 25-29 AG with 112
competitors.
Anne Garton who finished in the top half of
her AG despite carrying a serious back injury which meant she could only run at a pace she
called her “easy jog.”
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