Omagh Triathlon Club members tackle challenging weekend of events

OMAGH Triathlon Club (OTC) had a busy couple of days last weekend, starting in Mallorca where Seamus Arkinson, and Meabh and Ruairi McConnell were racing at Challenge Peguera.

The trio’s Saturday began on the Tora Beach off the Southwest coast of Mallorca, with a 1,900m swim in the seawater.

Once stripping the wetsuits off, the competitors could don their cycling helmets and grab their bikes before setting off on the 90km cycle.

The cycle route would be made up of two laps, with each lap taking them through Es Capdelia and Palmanova, before hitting the town in Magaluf and Santa Ponsa.

Finally, they could finish with the half-marathon.

This 21.1km was four laps within the main hub of Peguera, with fans cheering every competitor on the entire way.

Each lap consisted of a number of out-and-back sections, and a long stint along the beach.

Results: Seamus - 05.31.35, Ruari - 06.07.41, and Meabh - 06.25.41.

Conor Daly was also racing and completed IRONMAN CASCAIS this week, with sisters, Elaine Mallaghan and Sharon Hurson, completing IRONMAN 70.3 CASCAIS.

Both the full-distance and the middle-distance races began on Ribeira Beach with a single-lap swim taking the athletes into the protected Cascais Bay and finishing at the Fortaleza at Clube Naval.

Elaine and Sharon had the 1,900m swim to complete with Conor having to swim 3,800m.

When everyone grabbed their bikes, they could head out for their respective cycles, with the ladies taking on the 90km route, and Conor having to complete 180km.

The bike loop takes the athletes away from Cascais and on an inland loop before heading for the coast again and completing a long slog towards the turning point at Lisbon.

The rolling roads are broken up by stunning views of the Portuguese Riviera and the Natural Park of Sintra-Cascais, with iconic venues to be cycled past such as the Tower of Belem and even a full lap of the Estoril Formula One Circuit.

Finally, the trio could rerack their bikes and slip into the runners shoes before heading out to see the sights about Cascais and the Cabo Raso coastline.

Leaving transition, the run routes take the competitors along the Guincho Road and back through Cascais. Conor's marathon would be made up by three of these laps, with the ladies’ half-marathon a slightly shorter loop to be completed twice.

Results: Conor - 13.57.18, Elaine - 08.01.52, and Sharon - 08.09.21.

Vinnie McAtee and Niall Heaney were in the Netherlands this weekend to take part in the Amsterdam Marathon.

The marathon began at the Olympic Stadium and headed through Vondelpark before passing the Van Gogh Museum and passing through the passage underneath the iconic Rijksmuseum.

A mix of views in the city-centre is contrasting to the 12km out-and-back section where the competitors can take in the sights of passing windmills and houseboats before turning at Ouderkerk aan de Amstel.

Returning through Amsterdam’s canal district, the runners got to see more of the vibrant city as spectators cheered them the entire way to the finish on the Olympic Stadium track.

Results: Vinnie - 03.11.29 and Niall 03.39.45.

Also on their travels were Darran Lagan and Cathy Cunningham who were in Croatia this weekend for IRONMAN 70.3 POREC.

The pairs day began with a 1,900m swim in the sheltered Uvala Mulandarija - a small inlet of the Istrian Peninsula.

After drying off in front of the Hotel Molindrio Plava Laguna, the competitors could grab their bikes and head out for the 90km out-and back course through the Western Istrian countryside.

The bike began with around 20km of climbing towards the town of Visnjan, before the cyclists could settle into the undulating roads through olive groves and vineyards, and finally descending back into Porec for transition two.

They then had to complete a half-marathon looking out at the scenic Adriatic Sea.

A rare one-loop run would make up the 21.1km, leaving transition and heading towards the centre of Porec, before turning and coming back and PAST the finish line before one final turning point lets them cross the carpet and earn their medal.

Results: Darran - 05.04.23 and Cathy - 05.21.19.

Cathy’s time earned her third in her age group.