𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐢 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 𝐚𝐭 𝐑𝐮𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐨𝐧

Four members of Belvoir Tri Club took on the challenge of the Middle Distance Triathlon at Rutland Water, with three athletes making their debut at this distance.

The day began with calm waters at 7:30am, offering competitors two 950m swim loops in the reservoir. With water levels low from the recent drought, athletes joked about what the course might reveal beneath the surface.

First into the water were Tom and Steve, followed three minutes later by Andrew, and then Lisa. The wave starts ensured plenty of space, avoiding the chaos of a mass start.

Andrew led the club out of the water with an impressive 33:55 swim, transitioning quickly onto the bike. Steve followed in 43:02, closely trailed by Tom in 43:35 and Lisa in 44:24.

The three-lap rolling bike course provided fast segments and plenty of support, with each lap taking riders past transition where family, friends, and spectators cheered them on.

The final test was the half marathon run. Andrew set off first, followed by Tom, with Lisa close behind after clawing back valuable time on the bike to overtake Steve.

On the first lap, Lisa stuck to her training plan, later reflecting: “The encouragement from the marshals and club members at the turnaround point was brilliant. I felt really strong and knew the second lap would need just as much mental strength as physical.”

Andrew was first to cross the line, smashing his sub-5:30 target with a finishing time of 5:00:02. He admitted: “The gains were made with a hard effort on the bike, the price then being a more challenging run than I was expecting.”

Lisa was next home in 6:02:20, achieving both her time goal and her race strategy. Steve and Tom were neck-and-neck all the way to the finish chute, separated by just one second — Steve in 6:21:03, Tom in 6:21:04.

A brilliant day of racing for Belvoir Tri Club, with strong performances across the board and three athletes completing their first-ever middle distance triathlon.