Good times at Penrith
Air Force triathletes fastest on land and water

By WO2 Greg Young

Flight Lieutenant Julian Weller, RAAF DPC-C, leads Private Wayne Elliot, 3RAR, into the transition area during the ASTA Long Course Championships at Penrith Lakes.

Photo by Bill Cunneen

AIR Force triathletes took to the hard road recently when they competed in the ADF Long Course Triathlon Championships at the Sydney International Regatta Centre.

Competitors from across Australia converged on the centre in Penrith for the 1.9km swim, 70km cycle and 15km run. Conditions were less than perfect, with light rain falling and a water temperature of a very cool 17°C, making wearing a wet suit almost compulsory.

From the start the pace was on with four competitors breaking clear of the pack and setting a blistering pace. They went through the 1500m mark in near record time, with Flight Lieutenant Julian Weller emerging second from the water in a time of 28min 21sec.

The cycle leg proved diffi cult with the steady rain making negotiating corners diffi cult and slowed the pace considerably.

The fastest cycle time on the day was from the team the Late Ones, with Flight Lieutenant Christopher Loynes setting a remarkable time of 1hr 51min 23sec at an average of 38km/h for the 70km course.

The fastest Individual run time was set by Flight Lieutenant Richard Gardiner in a time of 56min 14sec. This confirmed his standing as the fastest individual runner in the ADF at half and full Ironman distances.

He had a great race and finished in 3hr 31min 22sec to secure third place in the individual male category.

So begins the long journey to the Australian Ironman on April 6, 2004, where the ADF can expect about 40 of the fittest members to participate in the 1.9km swim, 180km cycle and 42km run.

The ADF team is open to all PAF, Reserve, Defence civilians and spouses of Defence members. If you have qualified for the Australian Ironman you are required to contact WO2 Greg Young by email to register for the team at greg.young2@defence.gov.au

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