Saturday July 16th will see Lanesboro Triathlon Club play hosts to Ireland’s top triathletes as they flock to the midlands to compete in this year’s Sprint Distance National Championship, as part of Triathlon Ireland’s Super Series. The series caters for the top male and female athletes in the country providing the most competitive environment for athletes to race head to head. Along with this, the country’s top ranked CAT 1 qualified athletes will get the opportunity to race over the draft legal format and it’s shaping up to be a highly competitive affair.
Two Provinces Triathlon, well known in triathlon circles as one of the best sprint distance races in the country, will attract also those who are seeking valuable points on the National Series.
This will be the sixth sprint race hosted by the Lanesboro club in as many years and everybody is very much looking forward to the occasion once again. Entrants will start with a 750m swim in the warm waters of Lough Ree, followed by a flat out and back 20km bike route which takes place on closed roads between Ballyleague and Scramogue and to finish off a flat run route out and back along the Rathcline Road.
Following on from last year there will be the option to take on the aquabike distance (swim & bike) or for first timers there is the ever popular Try-a-Tri. The course takes place simultaneously on the same course as the main race.
Enthusiastic junior athletes will also get the opportunity to compete in the Two Provinces Kidathon which is open to children 8 to 15 years of age. This year the Kidathon will take place on Friday 15th July at 7:30pm. Entrants are capped for open water safety, and the demand for places is overwhelming with just a handful left up for grabs. “It promises to be a fun-filled event with goodie bags, medals and a post race party for all who take part so make sure your child has signed up well in advance of race day,” said Race Organiser Ronnie Johnston.
Lanesboro Tri Club Race Organiser Anthony Gillen mentioned how “the race could not go ahead without the support and hard work of all the local clubs, societies and businesses. Lanesboro Triathlon Club is extremely grateful for all the assistance.” The race committee would like to relay a special note of thanks to the main race sponsors who are crucial to the success of the race, namely McNally Motors Toyota, Bord na Mona, Insuremyhouse.ie, Waterways Ireland, ESB, All Creatures Veterinary, Bikram Yoga Athlone, Johnston’s Pharmacy, Rustylemon Graphic Design and Sorohan’s Life Belt Bar. Food and drinks will be generously supplied by Walkers, Ballygowan, Fruit Shoots, Guiness, Heineken, Dolan Foods and Glenisk Yogurts. “We are delighted to have them on board as without their fantastic support, we could not possibly stage such a superb event,” mentioned Anthony.
The sprint triathlon is open to all who are 16 years of age upwards. You can enter as an individual or compete as part of a relay team on the day. Entries are via www.triathlonireland.com. You must provide a Triathlon Ireland membership card or a special one day license at registration on race day, to be eligible to partake.
Once again locals will see a large contingent of international triathletes flock to Lanesboro and Ballyleague. This is a true testament to the quality of the race and local amenities. Great credit must be given to the local tidy towns committees for having the local communities looking so impeccable for all our visiting athletes and supporters.
The club is concentrating on incorporating the spectators to make it an all-inclusive affair with music by local DJs, bouncing castles and food stalls. We want to make it a very enjoyable family occasion and we’re determined to stretch it into a long-term yearly fixture so it’s important that it has a festival vibe too.
Finally for safety reasons the following road closures will be in place during the Two Provinces Triathlon & Kidathon: On Saturday 16th July the the R371 from Ballyleague to Scramoge will be closed to traffic from 10.45am until 2pm and the Rathcline Rd from entrance to event car park, to Harolds Cross will be closed to traffic from from 11:30am-1:30pm. The club takes great pride in hosting a race where water and road safety are priority, where each competitor comes home safely and enjoys their experience. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the temporary road closures, and hope you can come out and support all the athletes along the route during this fantastic local race.
