SIX Riverland triathletes braved extreme heat and humidity to take on their first races in over a year at a recent competition in Murray Bridge.
Members of the Riverland Triathlon Club competed in the SufferFest Triathlon Series event held in Murray Bridge on Sunday, November 15, with all six participants managing to finish their chosen events.
In the 113km half IronFest event, Cody Milne finished second in his age group and 12th overall with a time of 5:40:55, while Mark Pfennig finished in 6:04:15 and Joshua Honey finished in 6:56:38.
In the OlyFest event, Ruth Strout came first in her age group with a time of 2:54:44, while Rhys Johns finished with a time of 2:45:36.
Wayne Champion took part in the duathlon, setting a time of 6:57:08.
Competitor and Riverland Triathlon Club president Mark Pfennig said the weather conditions made the events “very tough”.
“The weather on the day wasn’t very flash,” he said.
“I don’t think it quite got to 40C, but it was 38 or 39C with quite a strong northerly wind blowing.
“In the morning there was quite a bit of cloud cover which took the direct sunlight off us… but by about the second or third lap on the bike, the sun had come out and the wind had started picking up.
“We had one cloud go over the top of us during the middle of the run… and it absolutely drenched us for about two minutes and gave us some instant relief, but as soon as the rain stopped the sun came out and it was like a sauna.”
Pfennig said he and the other participants enjoyed “getting out and racing again”.
“That’s the first race a lot of us have done since the Murray Man last year, so it’s been over 12 months since we’ve been able to race,” he said.
“It was good to just give it a go and enjoy it again.”
The Riverland Triathlon Club is planning to host triathlons each month as part of its summer series events.
“We had one coming up next weekend that we have had to cancel due to current restrictions, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed that we will be able to get them up and going again,” Pfennig said.
“They are all held in Barmera, starting next to the Lake Bonney Yacht Club.
“We offer two set distances, but anyone of any ability is welcome.
“If someone just wants to do one or two disciplines we are more than happy to accommodate them.
“It’s enough to get people out there and give them a taste of it and see how they feel.”
For information on upcoming events or to get involved, visit the Riverland Triathlon Club Facebook page.