Bude’s Awesome Foursome Quadrathlon 2023

‘On behalf of the BQA’ A Big thanks to Simon and his great team ‘Shoreline Extreme Sports’ for organizing another Bude’s Awesome Foursome Quadrathlon, blessed with fabulous weather this has got to be one of our most scenic Quadrathlons on the circuit. Sadly the numbers were on the low side, but a great time was had by all and we really must try hard to get more athletes down at this event wonderful event next September.

Shoreline Extreme Sports Report:

With a great field of quadrathlon athletes from all over Britain, Bude once again hosted the Awesome Foursome Quadrathlon in close to perfect conditions. At the end of the Individual race winner Mark Turner from Barnstaple was asked what he thought of the race. His reply was “Every bit of it is hard but at the same time enjoyable! The open sea swim was brilliant, calm conditions and a great temperature, the cycle ride has some of the worst hills I’ve ever been on, the kayak leg was smooth, the Bude canal is perfect for this and the cross country run with the coastal hills sapped everything I had left!” When asked would he come back and do it again, his reply was “Of course, it was brilliant!”

The Awesome Foursome Quadrathlon held annually in Bude combines the four disciplines of Swimming, Cycling, Kayaking and Running into one long endurance race. Athletes enter either as relay teams of four, as a pair or as individuals completing the whole event by themselves. The race makes the most of Bude’s wonderful environment and builds on the very popular Shoreline Triathlon which was run earlier in the year. The swim course, approximately 1000m, takes place at high tide within Summerleaze Bay. The 30 km cycle takes athletes out of Bude along the spectacular coastal roads to Widemouth, Wanson Mouth and the notorious 30% hill at Millook before returning the competitors back to the Bude and its historic canal. Next comes 10 km of kayak racing up and down the Bude Canal before the final 10 km run stage following the towpath to Helebridge, fields to Widemouth and coastal path back to the finish in Bude’s lower canal wharf area.

Race organiser Simon Hammond and his team at Shoreline Extreme Sports have been running this race for the last 20 years. and would like to say a ‘Huge Thanks’ to our sponsors Penbode Vets, The Crooklets Beach Cafe and Finn Solicitors and to all the many people that support us including the 26 local volunteers who brilliantly marshaled the course. “Its a really nice end of season event” Simon explained “We get lots of great local support both in terms of people volunteering to marshal and also plenty of local competitors. There are lots of races going on within the race. This year it was the local youngsters relay team of Zack Davis, Max Rodriguez-Emery, Drew Bardsley and Saul Barraclough that got everyone excited. They stormed off from the start and never looked like being caught, finishing first in the Relay category miles ahead of any other team!

Its a tough race if you do the whole thing on your own but so many of this years entries were either Pairs or Relay Teams where the experience is shared! Local Adventure business Adventure Bude put in a strong team and the oldest competitor Nick Cole who had his 80th birthday on the day of the event was in the the second placed relay team aptly name “The Birthday Party.”

With a late start this year at 2 pm, due to the tides, competitors were blessed with near perfect weather conditions, warm but with a little cloud cover to keep things safe! The fastest competitors were finishing in just under 3 hours, having completed the swim in around 20 minutes and then the cycle, kayak and run all taking around 50 minutes each.

 

So the fastest time of the day was set by Relay Team: ‘Class of 23’ (Bude) 2:49:35 
Individual Men
1st Mark Turner 2:50::26 (1st Senior)
2nd James Thornton 2:53:20 (2nd Senior)
3rd Steve King 2:55:15 (1st Vet 50)
Individual Woman
1st Rebecca Newson 3:10:11
Pair: Jon and Summer Gatrell (Bude SLSC) in 3:21:29
with BQA Members Hermione & Lance Ball in 2nd 3:24:30

Congratulations to all our BQA Members, as always thanks for flying the flag!

Nigel Unwin 2.59.26 (2nd Vet 50)
Peter Chappill 3.37.16 (2nd Vet 60)
Phillip Jumeau 3.44.54 (3rd Vet 60)
David Browning 3:47:26 (4th Vet 60)
Nicola Hamerton 3.42.32 (1st Vet 60)
Donna Chappill 4.29.40 (2nd Vet 50)
Full Results Below Quadrathlon Results 2023

Thanks to Lincsquad’s Donna Chappill for her recollection of her race! Well yesterday I completed one of the toughest challenges yet, the Awesome Foursome Quadrathlon. I’ve been wanting to do this for years, having watched Pete, Jean, Jac and other BQA members, but never had the courage to enter. However, this year I decided that I would and I am so pleased that I conquered my fears and entered (probably drunk at the time).

With the help support and encouragement, I was so scared, of my darling husband Jeff, my brother-in-law Pete and sister-in-law Dawn, I got to the start line and off I went. The sea swim was 800mtrs but they moved the buoy due to a neap tide so swarm just over 1100mtrs. This was followed by 30km of one of the most heart breaking hilly cycle courses which includes Millock, the never-ending hill apparently it’s a 1 in 3! Then for a nice sit down to paddle 10km in Bude canal, couldn’t help but say hi to people and a quick natter with the fishermen,  two low bridges, 5 turns and done. Finally a 10km mixed terrain canal/coastal path run, with an aching back and some great support from Jeff and the marshals, I actually completed this undulating course…..and then I was done….totally and utterly exhausted but so chuffed with myself….would I do it again oh yes, despite aches and pains where I didn’t know could ache.
Oh and I got this too in fact four of us all BQA received a trophy this year! 

Congratulations Donna … we are very proud for you! 

This leaves the BQA Trophy Series wide open and will depend on the results from the final race in the Series ‘Brigg Sprint’. Trophies are awarded each year, provided each winner has done 3 races in the series, and must be a current BQA Member. (In the event of a tie the 4th race points will count to decide the winner).

THANK YOU as always to John Kavanagh for his time and effort for putting together the Latest BQA Trophy Standings: BQA British Trophy 2023.4

Overall Winners Perpetual Trophy for Male and Female. BQA Kit vouchers for winners Male and Female in each age category, Juniors (u23), Seniors, V40+ V50+ V60+ Vet 70+

Eric Hatliff Memorial Trophy & BQA Kit Voucher awarded each year ‘For Endeavor’ given to an athlete(s) showing his/her enthusiasm and commitment to the sport of Quadrathlon.

These Awards will be presented at Brigg Sprint 1st October 2023