Category: Race Report

The Deva Divas Quad Blog – Jac Davies

Jean Ashley

 

Sandy, Adele & Jac

DEVA DIVAS QUADRATHLON 2018

After the huge success of the first ever, not to mention historic, ‘Ladies Only Quadrathlon’ IN THE WORLD last year, event organisers Jean Ashley and Sally Napthen decided they had no choice but to run it again. In parallel to the renowned Deva Divas Triathlon which in 2016, won the coveted British Triathlon ‘Event of the Year’, the second Deva Divas Quadrathlon was set for Sun 8 July 2018 on the banks of the River Dee in Chester.

The 50 places available were snapped up in under 4 weeks before Christmas and the waiting list grew as a result of advertising by word of mouth and the BQA. In a similar vein to last year, the fabulous 12-week canoe course (from beginner to K1 paddler) that the Queen of Quad, Jean, along with Chester Canoe Club coaches John and Carol Hatton offered was taken up by 12 of the girls. I, for one, very much enjoyed reading about their exploits and astonishing progress on the Deva Divas Quad FB page. Jean and Sally also ran open-water swim sessions, a familiarisation bike and run session and a talk on transition. No wonder this race is held in such high regard!

Race day was forecast to be an absolute scorcher (we weren’t disappointed!) and 43 intrepid quad ladies turned up with a plethora of gear, racked their bikes and paddles and put their kayaks in number order, helped by the wonderful kayak boys Dave, Cliff, Mark and Simon. After a very entertaining race briefing from Colin Wilson (it is worth entering the race just for this bit alone!) and group warm up for all the quadrathletes and triathletes, we walked together to the swim start upstream. At 08:20, after a quick rendition of Oggy Oggy Oggy, the foghorn blew and we were off.

Colin’s Race Briefing!

This year, despite the lack of flow in the river, there was some really strong swimming with Louise Hanley, a fabulous triathlete taking a big lead (12:03), followed by Jenny Illidge (13:38), Adele Blakeborough (13:58), Claire  Addy (14:02) and Timea Harris (14:16). All the ladies swam well and finished safely in under 30 minutes. The kayak section was probably the most challenging, especially for the new paddlers, and as a result the positions moved around substantially. Jenny I, a very strong paddler moved up into pole position (22:44), but it was Jenny Swallow whose blistering pace (21:57) moved her from 11th to 2nd. Adele finished the kayak in 3rd place (24:20) followed closely by Timea (24:13). Jacqueline Davies, meanwhile moved into 5th place (25:07). Ali Pendle, Melissa Leffler, Jill Bradburn and Julie Hicks also had fabulous paddle segments coming in well under 26 minutes. The rest of the girls all finished the kayak section with only 1 mishap, but I’m sure it was more to do with wanting to cool off than a wonky paddle stroke!

So onto the bike section, which also helped jostle positions around. Unbeknown to Jac, she moved up into 1st place with the 2nd fastest bike split (50:14) with Adele just behind in 2nd (52:45). Jenny I retained 3rd position (57:37) with Gill Melia moving up into 4th (51:36). Ali was in 5th and Mary White and Louise, with an astonishing bike (46:31) were a second apart going out on to the run. Special mention should go to Mary, Vet 65-69 who had the 3rd fastest bike split of the day (51:14)!

Finally onto the run section where the positions would change once again. Jac and Adele were the first ones out, but Jenny I, posting the fastest run split of the day (22:09) romped home and was the only Quad lady to finish in under 2 hours (1:58:31). Much to her amazement, Jac finished second (2:00:38) but as in the previous year was being chased down by Adele (2:01:22). Louise, with the 2nd fastest run (22:45) of the day moved back up into 4th (2:04:16) with Gill finishing in 5th (2:05:09). Ali was 6th (2:05:42), Mary (2:07:04) and Jenny S was 8th (2:07:08).

Every single Deva Diva Quadrathlete started and finished and was greeted with a huge hug and a medal by Jean at the finish. A fabulous effort by all.

Winners Podium

RESULTS

1st Jenny Illidge (Sen 25) – 1:58:31
2nd Jacqueline Davies (Vet 50) – 2:00:38
3rd Adele Blakeborough (Vet 45) – 2:01:22

Sen 20 Alexx Sloboda – 3:23:14
Sen 25 (roll down) Jenny Swallow – 2:07:08
Sen 30 Timea Harris – 2:07:55
Sen 35 Alison Rosenburgh – 2:16:19
Vet 40 Row O’Neill – 2:13:40
Vet 45 (roll down) Louise Hanley – 2:04:16
Vet 50 (roll down) Helen Adams – 2:08:21
Vet 55 Ali Pendle – 2:05:42
Vet 60 Gill Otto – 2:25:46
Vet 65 Mary White – 2:07:04

As a competitor of the second running of this wonderful Ladies Quadrathlon and on behalf of everyone else who raced, I would like to say a Huge Thank You to Jean, Sally, John, Carol, our own transition/kayak support, the water station gang on the run and to Chester Tri and Chester Canoe Club for an amazing ‘Deva Divas Quadrathlon’ on Sunday! As Jean has already said, we are sharing ‘The Quad Passion’ – a small sport with a big heart. I absolutely love the fact that the Quad is run in parallel with the triathlon and it is wonderful to see so many women competing.

#TheseGirlsCertainlyCan!

And finally ladies, to all of my fellow competitors, especially those of you who are new to this wonderful sport, huge congratulations to you all; you are most definitely Queens of Quadrathlon. And as I said last year and will repeat often, you are the “Prime of Mrs Jean Ashley”!!!

Jac xx

Deva-Divas-Triathlon-2018 PHOTOS

Official Film 2018

https://www.facebook.com/devadivastri/videos/1815573145203342/UzpfSTQyMDk1OTg4ODI3NjY2Njo2NTIzNzg2MTE4MDE0NTg/

World Championships Long Course Hannover 2018

Jean Ashley
Ready for off Russel & Jean

Russel Breyer and I went to Fly the GB Quadrathlon Flag at the ‘The Hannover Long Distance World Quadrathlon Championships, it also slots in a number of well attended triathlons over all distances, Sprint, Olympic, Half and Ironman, plus the Sprint and Long distance quad. Although there were only 30 individual starters for the LD quad, there were a number of relay teams. It was a busy weekend with literally thousands of competitors buzzing around, the venue can handle it, and it made for a great atmosphere. Quad Race Organizer ‘Tomas Kälble’ from Kayak-Club Limmer let us stay at the club, a superb set up, we stayed in our camper, but other athletes camped and others used the bed flats, kitchen, showers, etc the facilities were excellent and we were made to feel most welcome!

Russel had done the event 2 years previously but in a relay team. For me it was its my first attempt at this long distance race and I was so looking forward to this challenge, though a little worried about the long swim, as it was rumored to be a not wet suit swim as it had been so hot! Fortunately for me, the weather Gods were on my side, and it clouded up the day before the water temperature dropped so wetsuits were declared!

So, into the water for a 7:15 start in the 3.8km swim, which took place in a ship canal. It’s a bit weird swimming under industrial cranes and what have you, but the water seems clean enough (indeed, you can see the obligatory shopping trolleys/old chairs etc at the bottom). Neither Russel or I were near the front of the swim, it was 2 laps, almost 1km up, 1 km down x 2. Lucky for us the Ironman had started 15 mins earlier, so as a lot of the Blue swim Quad caps disappeared on the 2nd lap we started to catch up the red caps, back end of the triathlon … this certainly motivated me to push harder I knew once I was out I could began to relish the fact of the great day ahead!

There was then a 300m run up hill to the bike transition, for a three lap 90km through pleasant countryside, and small villages. It was a fairly flat, fast course, not unlike Brigg, with the notable difference being that the traffic was managed (in favour of cyclists) by a large number of police officers at absolutely every junction. Heaven knows what the council tax must be, though on the plus side accidents must be a rarity. The roads were so quiet, and we were quite spread out by this time, though the Ironman race was well underway and they had 6 bike laps to do so I soon started to hear those disc wheels powering up behind me! There were plenty of crowds as we came into transition, and lots of encouragement as we ran down the road, over the tram lines at least 800m to the kayak transition.

The 20km paddle was up and down a stretch of canal just over a kilometer long, so 18 lengths in total…the scenery gets a bit repetitive, but at least the lengths flash by. Another word on that scenery…the backdrop, right by the canal, is a derelict Contintenal tyre factory which was a concentration camp in WW2, where many (slave) laborers perished. Not making a point here, just paying respect! The weather was beautiful 24 degrees and I was so looking forward to getting back on the river in my kayak, it was quite choppy in parts with over 30 kayaks on the short stretch, 9 laps so you could see everyone paddling. The standard of the paddling was certainly ‘Top of the Quad World’ the main contenders were on fire and they were using wash hanging tactics to pull each other along, and had very slick turns around buoys! Thankfully the ladies were a little bit more sympathetic, though I must say this being my best discipline I did push my boundaries and cut up a few turns rather tight! This was the first time I had seen Russel, he was just short of one lap behind, we encouraged each other at our passing points and kept each other going! On my last few laps I ran out of hydration so I had to get Dave to squirt water in my mouth from the bank … I was quite surprised at what a good aim he had, enough to keep me going until the end of the kayak section!

World Champions!

Looking at the quadrathletes running along the bank after being in a kayak for around 2 hours it was clear that getting out of the boat and going onto the run was going to be painful! Russel’s words were  ‘So, out of the boat with my glutes so trashed, generating any power through the legs for a half marathon run is out of the question. I ran a pained shuffle for a couple of hours, then, around the (attractive and mercifully flat) local park, and over the finish line for a well-earned collapse! I also did take a while to get into my running stride, but after about 2km and a good feed at the water station I began to get into my rhythm, I really enjoyed the first lap, and saw the winning Ironmen going past (very sprightly), I even got a high five from the lead Ironman on my second lap … which really perked me up! At the turn a round point I could see Russel coming towards me, I did think he was closing, we exchanged ‘good friendly GB banter’ and that gave me the incentive to dig a bit deeper! My second lap seemed to go really fast, though looking at my garmin my splits were almost the same. Im my mind the last 2km felt so good, not sure if my legs agreed, my good friend ‘Lisa Teichert’ who had long finished cheered me on up the last hill, her enthusiasm motivated to push hard to the finish line! I did have tears of joy in my eyes, I was so proud to be finishing what had been my ultimate Quadrathlon Goal for a few years … it had been such a brilliant day!

I was 5th Lady and the World Long Distance Quad Vet 60 Champion (mind you I was the oldest chick in the race!) 9hrs 23mins. Russel wasn’t far behind he came home 9hrs 33mins both of us very proud in what was a top class field of strong Quadrathletes!

Russel’s words ‘The distances in this race equate roughly to doing a standard quad three times over. Not being much of a long distance athlete, I found the format really tough…I’d take 3 x Briggs any day!
The results pages show what a high standard of racing there was. The standard of organsiation, and general friendliness, was really great, though we did struggle a little bit with the translation at the race briefing, it was a good job Jean and I had a good recki before hand! The Hannover L.D. Quad is something every quadrathlete should do once, though in my case it maybe just the once!’

Jean’s words I enjoyed almost every moment of this day, (it improved dramatically after the swim) It has been a long term goal now ticked, and also part of my 60th Birthday Challenge for #beat charity. www.justgiving.com #Beat jean-ashley Thank-you to all my training buddies, friends … and my amazing (long suffering) DAVE who supports me along the way … he polished my kayak, my bike and cheered me on for 9hrs 23mins on a very hot day … he’s a star! Would I do it again ….. Never say Never … and probably YES, my mind will be willing lets just hope the body can cope!

A Big Thank-you to the Wasserstadt Hannover-Limmer Triathlon & Quadrathlon Organization, I really enjoyed your Quad, big thanks to all those marshals and to the Team that made it all possible! See you in 2020!

Report by Jean and Russel.

Full Report and Results quadrathlon4you.com 2018 Hannover Report

 

Dearne Valley Quad 2018

Jean Ashley

A brilliant sunshine day for the Dearne Valley Quadrathlon, our 2nd Trophy Race of the Season, lots of passion for our sport, with non stop smiles as juniors, first timers, and seasoned quadrathletes crossed the finish line! Organizer Mark Benton and his ‘Team’ of volunteers and marshals hosted a great race for us all, there enthusiasm and friendliness shone through, to make their 2nd time of running the event a huge success, thank-you you did your selves proud yet again!

The kids races got underway at 8:30am and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Those that were fast were giving it their all, but those that weren’t so fast were supported well the whole way around. The ethos of the Manvers Waterfront Boat Club is one of inclusivity and giving everyone a chance, which is just how it should be, this was clear throughout the weekend and it was good to see the kids giving it their all. One or two gave a little too much and returned from the bike bloodied and bruised after overcooking it on a corner or capsized their kayaks but from what I saw they all continued on and had a good time despite a few mishaps. The kids presentations were made at around 9:30am. The jubilant podium finishers collected their certificates, proud parents cheered and the adult Quadrathletes and Triathletes assembled ready for their races.

It was a real mixture of athletes racing 50 in total, with 27 doing the quad and 23 the Triathlon, with 18 of those BQA members, so plenty of National Trophy points ready to be picked up!  There were plenty of athletes giving the quad a go for the first time, and they looked like they had given everything and had a great time! BQA members took the top 11 places, with plenty of friendly battles between themselves along the way.

 

Alan Cole was 1st out of the swim (12.10) with Helen Russell in 2nd (13.36), Bryce Dyer (14.26) and Jacqueline Davies (14.51) a close 3rd and 4th. There was then a steady stream of swimmers coming in between 15 and 17 mins, it was a 2 lap course, nice a calm and reasonably warm, there were plenty of paddle boards and canoeists encouraging the slower swimmers along the way.

 

Bryce Dyer 2nd Overall

The bike was off road and using part of the Trans Penne Trail which consisted of unmade tracks, there were a few boulders, and gates, 2 bridges and a few road crossings to slow you down, so you had to keep your whits about you! It was ideal for cross bikes, as they proved to be the fastest over the course and it was out and back so great to see where everyone was in the race! Alan was out in front with Bryce trying to catch him, though Bryce did the fastest split (32.42) it wasn’t enough to catch Alan (33.25). Peter Tindall (34.11) and Nicholas Farnell ( 34.36) also had strong bike legs, and Chris Carter was catching up too (35.18).

 

Alan Cole Winner

Alan paddled very well in his ski (24.36) leaving Bryce and Chris the job of trying to chase him down. Chris did the fastest kayak split (24.19) with Bryce (25.07) still holding onto 2nd place. John Kavanagh was also paddling well producing the 4th fastest split (25.58). It was 5 laps of the kayak course and compared to last year it was very calm, it was good to see some great kayaking, all types of boats, but a big improvement this year as most were K1 types or river racers and sea kayaks, so it was good to see paddlers moving on from short plastics!

 

Chris Carter 3rd Overall
Nicholas Farnnell 4th Overall

 

 

 

 

 

 

Onto the run and once again Alan had the fastest split (21.39), Greg Lyle (22.14) and Pete Tindall (22.44) were both quick, but neither would alter the top positions. Bryce held on to 2nd (24.10) with Chris in 3rd (24.43). Nicholas Farnell came in 4th, Pete Tindall 5th and John Kavanagh 6th. Some great results and some big improvements in personnel performances since last year, Pete Chappill, Andrew Lawson, Wayne Smith and  Lance Ball all had significantly faster times this year … well done everyone!

Special mention goes to our Vet 70 super fit BQA Member John MacLeod who did the 14th fastest canoe split of the day (31.36) He is very modest, and has an Olympic Gold Kayak Medal from Munich 1972 at home, so he has clearly not lost his touch! Well done John, great to see you out there again.

In the Ladies race, Helen was in the lead from the start, she was 1st lady out of the swim (13.36) with Jacqueline in 2nd (14.51) Laura Syndney in 3rd (16.04) with Jean a minuit down in 4th (17.10). Helen had a good bike (37.23), Jacq also just a minuit behind (38.23) Jean peddled past Laura and moved into 3rd place (39.10).

So onto the kayak, Helen had worked hard on her kayak training over the winter and produced a good time staying in the lead (27.17) Jacq and Jean set out to chase her down, but she was almost a lap in front. Jacq stayed in 2nd ((28.24) with Jean (really really working hard to catch her … I can assure you I was!!) couldn’t quite get there but produced a great split (26.41) 5th fastest overall.

Jacqueline Davies 3rd Overall
Jean Ashley 2nd Overall

 

 

 

 

 

 

Helen Russell Winner

Helen ran well to take the win (24.24) …. Jacq went out on the run pushing hard (31.07), Jean new she would have to push it and make up ground, so digging deep and leaving nothing in the tank she managed to pass Jacq around 2km (28.06) to take 2nd place. Mandy Greenaway came 4th having improved by 8 mins since last year, and Helen Adams, a first timer to quadrathlon had a brilliant race finishing in 5th. It was so good to see plenty of women racing and producing some good solid performances,  new BQA member Lizzie Angood was inspired by the Brigg Bomber 2 weeks earlier so it was so good to see her racing with a huge smile! Amanda Knagg also had a huge improvement of 13 mins from last year … so well done all the Girls too!

A special mention must go to Caroline Jones, I spoke to her after the race she had done the triathlon last year and decided the Quad looked so much fun she got her kayak out, trained up and entered! She finished in fine style, was buzzing with enthusiasm and full of admiration for our supportive Quad Family, she’d had a great day loved every moment and had smiled all the way! Seeing her so happy just made my day too … it makes it all worth while when people are inspired and motivated by our friendliness and also by our wonderful race organizers who make us all feel Very Special!

Once again a Huge Thank You ‘Mark Benton’ and ‘Manvers’ …. we hope you’ll have us back next year!

Full results Dearne Valley Results

There are more photos on our Facebook page BQA facebook

Alan Cole has a Blog post so if you want to know all the knitty-gritty here is his race report from – get a coffee, put your feet up and get some much deserved R&R as you settle down for 10 minutes recovery while you read it:

alananna.co.uk/blog/2018/dearne-valley-quadrathlon-race-report/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brigg Bomber 2018 -The Masters’ categories shine in perfect conditions at Brigg

Jean Ashley
1st Ferenc Csima (HUN) 2nd Michael Mason (GB) 3rd Leos Rousavy (CZE)

Lincsquad hosted the first race on the BQA Calender 27th May … as ever in fine style and glorious sunshine! It was so good to see 3 athletes coming over from Europe to race against our athletes! A big well done to all the Quadrathletes that raced the Bomber, and congratulations to the overall winners and to the age groupers too. Thanks also to the organization team and to all the marshals who make our races possible, we are forever grateful … Thank-You!

Race Report from John K.

The Masters’ categories shine in perfect conditions at Brigg

The latest round of the World Cup, which was also the British Championship race, was held in Brigg, England. This well established event which opens the British Quadrathlon series was run with its usual excellent organisation. This year the weather also co-operated – being dry, hot (but not excessively so) and a bit breezy. It is a middle distance race, comprising 1500m swim, 7km kayak, 40km bike, 10km run.

The river Ancholme was not too cold and had no flow to impede the swimmers or kayakers. The bike route had to be changed from previous years because of the poor condition of some of the roads at the furthest point of the regular course. Instead we did two laps on good tarmac, very flat and giving opportunities for some fast times. Occasional cross winds were the only hazard we had to contend with. The run course was the same two lap circuits that have been used in recent years. Again flat, but going out through the Town Centre and then along the river in open country side there is enough variety to keep ones interest.

The event was dominated by age group competitors, taking the overall podium positions in the Men’s and Women’s races. Ferenc Csima (HUN) led the swimming and gradually increased his lead on Michael Mason (GBR) in the kayak and bike legs. Mason managed to pull back a couple of minutes on the run but not enough to prevent Csima finishing two minutes clear of him. Leos Rousavy (CZE) was out of the water from the swim in second place but was overtaken on the kayak course by Mason and then lost more ground and came in third. The three Masters 40 racers were well clear of the fastest Elite competitor, Steve Clark (GBR), in fourth place.

1st Helen Russell 2nd Helen Dyke 3rd Mary White

In the Women’s race, Helen Russell (GBR) led from the beginning and building up a big lead, it was only during the run that the second lady, Helen Dyke (GBR), could begin to close the gap by nearly 5 minutes. These two Masters 40 ladies were joined on the podium by the Masters 60 Mary White (GBR).

Mens Overall
Ferenc Csima HUN 02:35:40
Mason Michael GB 02:37:52
Rousavy Leos CZE 02:42:18
Clark Steve GB 02:45:50

Ladies Overall
Helen Russell GB 03:04:12
Helen Dyke GB 03:13:44
Mary White GB 03:26:55

A big thank you to Lincsquad, a club for multi-sport athletes, who organised the event. They did a very great job and made everyone welcome. Everything worked smoothly and the marshalling was outstanding.

Full Bomber Results 2018-Brigg-Bomber-Results

BQA Trophy Results 18-b-trophy brigg

WQF Results WQF World Cup 2018_3.1 brigg

2017 BUDE …. Fantastic Racing to the Very End!

Admin

As ever Bude lived up to its reputation, another brilliant Awesome foursome! The turnout was great with over 100 athletes racing individually, in pairs and teams, though the build up was slightly harrowing  for race organizer Simon Hammond, the early part of the week the beach was closed due to the invasion of the Portuguese Man O War Jelly fish, and then there were high winds, huge swell and waves and torrential rain, which would of made the course lethal. The night before we were still being battered by the weather, but miraculously Saturday morning the weather Gods were on our side and we were blessed with sunshine, light winds, it was cool but it was 100% better than the forecast!

It was a 2.30pm start due to the tide and as ever Simon kept us all entertained at the race briefing with his banter, it always helps with the race nerves as everyone goes into the water with a smile! The swim is always starts fast as the Bude surfers speed off not giving a thought to the size of the waves, its always difficult to workout who is in the lead in the individual race as the local boys and girls make up relay teams. Alan Cole was 1st out 17:.46 with a good lead from all the other individuals, he needed to move fast as he needed maximum points to win the overall Trophy Series.

However local athlete Chris Hammond was very familiar with the bike course along with past winner Nigel Unwin, both having very strong bike legs with Nigel’s split being the fastest of the day 51:39. Nigel worked hard in the kayak with Simon Hammond (pair) to move into the lead, meanwhile Ian Smith, (great to see him back in action after injury problems) was flying in his kayak producing the fastest split 47:09. So onto the run, Nigel  held onto his lead coming 1st 2:45:45 with Ian chasing him down coming 2nd 2:46:48, Chris Hammond came 3rd 2:50:15 with Alan Cole in 4th 2:51:13, this gave Alan enough points to take the Vet 40 2017 BQA Trophy Prize.

Meanwhile there was a battle going on for Trophy Points between Vet 50’s Julian Brewer, Nicholas Farnell and Cliff Odgers, Julian and Cliff have been consistent all season, and had extra points in the bag. For Nicholas his Bude points had to count, he finished 9th overall which gave him the same points as Cliff, so with the 4th race taken into account Cliff took the Vet 50 2017 BQA Trophy Prize. Julian after some strong races this season had enough points for him to take the Overall BQA Trophy, a well deserved winner as he has been a keen Quadrathlete and BQA member for many years now!

BQA Mens Bude Results

1st Nigel Unwin 2:45:45 (1st Vet 50)

2nd Ian Smith 2:46:48 (2nd Vet 50)

4th Alan Cole 2:51:13 (2nd Vet 40)

9th Nicholas Farnell 3:01:34 (3rd Vet 50)

10th Julian Brewer 3:03:01

17th Russell Breyer 3:13:50

18th Michael Toomey 3:19:00 (1st Vet60)

19th Cliff Odgers 3:21:48

20th Peter Chappill 3:32:30

In the Ladies Race, once again it was a battle to the end between Allison Parritt and Jean Ashley. Jacqueline Davies had a strong swim and was 1st out of the water, with just over a minuet’s lead going onto the bike. Jean caught her up at the bottom of the first big climb and had pulled away by the top of Millook. Allison however was also having a strong bike leg and she then caught Jean up on the way to Wainhouse Corner, they swapped positions a couple of times, but Allison had the edge and arrived back to transition 1st. Jean quickly moved into the lead on the kayak, but Allison paddled strongly and kept Jean in her sights. Jacqueline was also paddling her new kayak well, so it was looking like it was all down to the run! Jean pushed hard and stayed in the lead for the first half of the run, but Alison wasn’t going to give in, she overtook Jean on the well-known ‘ploughed field’ and went on to win in 3:15:19, with Jean in 2nd 3:16:53. Jacqueline stayed comfortably in 3rd 3:35:22. Emma Whitehouse came in with a big smile in 4th 3:45:41.

Bude Results Bude Quadrathlon Results 2017

Every single person that finished the race deserves a mention, it’s always challenging, you never quite know what the Cornish Coast will throw at you, at least the Jelly fish didn’t come back, the weather was kind, but those hills never change and it always lives up to its Name …. AWESOME!

A Huge Big Thank-you To Simon and his Wonderful Team for Hosting the Race.  A massive thank-you to all the marshals, the Bude Surf lifeguards for looking after us and showing us the way! It was great to see plenty BQA members racing, plus all the other athletes and first-timers! Plus all the Teams and Pairs Entries … an excellent turnout. I hope you all enjoyed it and will be back to support Shoreline Extreme Sports for more fun next Year … and to top it off Bude will be the BQA National Championships 2018!

See you next year … Jean

Alan Cole’s Bude Race Report https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2017/bude-awesome-foursome-quadrathlon-race-report/

 

 

 

 

Another Successful Shrewsbury Sprint Quad 2017

Admin

Once again we had a great day’s racing at the 6th Shrewsbury Quadrathon, a true testament to the Event organizers Gill Otto and SYTri. The Event goes from strength to strength and this year sold out at the end of July with 25 males and 25 females entered! The weather this year was showery, windy and a tad chilly, but it didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits, as ever the Quadrathletes were giving it there all and enjoying this great sprint event!

The river was calm with little current this year, so great for the kayak leg. The wind was all over the place on the undulating bike course, which made it feel quite tough this year. The run was fast flat run with the occasional muddy patch, so we expected times to be slightly down on last years. We had good strong field of Quadrathletes, our top athletes and age groupers, plus plenty of newcomers who all gave it their best and finished with happy faces and podium places!

Congratulations to Winner Steve King who took the lead from the start, his closest rival being Bryce Dyer, good to see him back racing a quadrathlon again (he’s been concentrating on Tri’s and Time Trials for the past few years). Steve put in the fastest splits across 3 disciplines (swim/kayak/run) to win comfortably (1.26.23). First timer James Block was 2nd going on to the bike after a strong swim and kayak, but Bryce put in an awesome Bike split, (the fastest of the day including the athletes in the Triathlon), which moved him into 2nd place (1.31.’31). James had a strong run and finished in 3rd just 6 seconds behind Bryce (1.31.37). Alan Cole new also to quads this year had a good strong race and came home in 4th (1.32.07)

There was a real battle going on for the next few places, with BQA members all looking for valuable Trophy Points as the Mens Overall Trophy and Vet 40 & 50 are still up for grabs!
Vet 40 Phil Holden came 6th with Nigel Leeson in 11th. The Vet 50 category is very competitive this year with Julian Brewer 7th, Nicholas Farnell 8th, Cliff Odgers 11th, Russel Brayer 12th, Peter Chappill 13th so this could get very close at the last race in Bude! John Kavanagh Vet 60 came home in 14th and secured his BQA National Trophy Age group title, a great season for him as he was also awarded with the WQF Glass Globe for winning his Age Group in the World Series too.

There were lots of solid performances from our 11 BQA Male Members, and so good to see them flying the flag for us … Thank-you we really appreciate your support and valuable membership!

4th Alan Cole (1.32.07)
6th Phil Holden (1.37.09)
7th Julian Brewer (1.38.13)                                                                                                                                                   8th Nicholas Farnell ( 1.40.12)
9th Nigel Leeson (1.41.03)
11th Cliff Odgers (1.43.01)
12th Russel Breyer (1.43.54)
13th Peter Chappill (1.45.37)
14th John Kavanagh(1.47.03) – Vet 60 BQA Trophy Winner
10th Lance Ball (1.52.07)
17th Jeff Chappill (1.58.03) great to see him back racing again!
21st Alistair Bates (2.09.05) another great BQA supporter, good to see you competing again!

There was a fantastic turn out from the Ladies, with more first timers performing well and great to see 4 new Diva Divas Quadrathletes racing again … well done Lisa Grantham, Nicola Perrins, Sandy Cornfield Bebbington and Mandy Lewis! Helen Russell was first out of the swim with Jacqueline Davies hot on her heals, Jacq paddled strongly to take the lead in the kayak with Jean Ashley moving into 2nd place. Helen’s strong biking moved her into 1st place which she held onto to win the ladies race in (1.39.28). Jacq went into the run in 2nd but Jean pushed hard and moved into 2nd place (1.45.17) at the end of the first lap. Mean while newcomer Natalie Abbott was having a great race and moved up to take 3rd, (1.46.45) with Jacq finishing just 30 seconds behind in 4th place (1.47.16).

We had 9 ‘BQA Girls’ racing very well and earning vital Trophy Points, which concluded the 2017 series, once again the BQA appreciate their support.

1st Helen Russell (1.39.28) – Overall BQA Trophy Winner
2nd Jean Ashley (1.45.17) – Vet 50 BQA Trophy Winner
4th Jacqueline Davis (1.47.16)
7th Mary White (1.55.24) – Vet 60 BQA Trophy Winner                                                                                                  11th Victoria Price (1.59.34)
13th Mandy Greenaway (2.01.59) in her first EVER Quad Season .. great result!
14th Margaret Huyton (2.02.53) this included sacrificing time to rescue a capsized competitor … in true Margaret style! .. Thank-you Margaret she also got a prize for the “most elegant exit from a kayak”
17th Donna Chappill (2.05.21) Well done completed 3 quads in the trophy Series, 3rd Vet 50
22nd Louise Beedham (2.18.26) U23 BQA Trophy Winner

Sallie Joseph (wasn’t racing) but has done 3 races and takes the – Vet 40 BQA Trophy Winner

Full Results here 2017 Quad race-results

A great effort from all the other athletes too, good to see plenty of smiles and here so many complementary positive comments about the event. A big thanks again to all the competitors for taking part and also to the ‘Race Organizers’ all the marshals, family and friends that made this yet another successful Shrewsbury Quadrathlon! See you nest Season!

I had great pleasure in presenting Gill Otto with the ‘The Eric Hatliff Memorial Trophy’ 2017 For Endeavor. Gill has shown Enthusiasm & Commitment to Our Sport for many years.
She has been dedicated to Organizing the ‘Shrewsbury Quadrathlon’ for the past 6 years producing a brilliant race for us all to enjoy! She has encouraged so many to take part and is a true ambassador for our sport … We Really Appreciate Your Efforts Gill THANK-YOU from BQA.

2017 Deva Diva’s ‘The Full Story’

Admin

The first ever ‘Ladies Only Quadrathlon’ IN THE WORLD took place on 16 July 2017 on the banks of the River Dee in Chester, running in parallel to the Deva Divas Triathlon which, in 2016, won the coveted British Triathlon ‘Event of the Year’, Triathlon England ‘Club Event of the Year’ and also North West ‘Regional Race of the Year’! It being the 11th year of the Deva Divas which aims to encourage women into the sport of triathlon, organisers Sally Napthen and Jean Ashley wanted to celebrate with something a little bit different – hence the Deva Divas Quadrathlon – if ever there was history in the making, this was it!

The 30 places available were snapped up in a matter of days – the event sold out before Christmas and the waiting list grew and grew as a result of advertising by word of mouth and the BQA. The biggest draw to the race, apart from it being a World First (did I mention that?!) was the fabulous 12-week canoe course (from beginner to K1 paddler) that the Queen of Quad, Jean, along with Chester Canoe Club coaches John and Carol Hatton offered as part of the training package. And 16 of our Deva Divas took them up on it. Much to the surprise and delight of all three coaches, all the ladies progressed rapidly; so much so that for the day of the race, the type of kayak that was required meant boats were borrowed from canoe clubs far and wide – a big thank you to all!

The morning of the race dawned and it was a bit drizzly, but that did absolutely nothing to dampen the spirits of the Quadrathlon ladies. All the kayaks were laid out by the wonderful helpers, whilst all the participants racked their bikes, helmets, paddles, buoyancy aids and other race paraphernalia in transition. After a very entertaining race briefing and group warm up for all the quadrathletes and triathletes, we walked together to the swim start upstream. Us quad ladies were the first to go off at 8:20 and after a quick Oggy Oggy Oggy, the race official blew the foghorn and we were off.

As a strong swimmer, Jacqueline Davies took the lead immediately on the swim (13:29) followed closely by Quad newcomers Adele Blakeborough (14:07), Alison Rosenburgh (14:32) and Susan Redfern (14:34). The other ladies swam well with big groups coming in together at around the 16 – 18 minute mark, making the most of the downstream flow. All finished safely well under 30 minutes. Meanwhile at the head of the race, Adele’s prowess in a kayak was soon demonstrated and she passed Jac very quickly on the upstream section and continued to gain distance finishing over 1 minute ahead (23:24) of Jac (24:47). At the same time, other positions were changing and the more experienced quadrathletes’ paddling experience came to the fore with Mary White edging into 3rd (26:40) and Vicky Price into 4th (27:26). Alison held onto 5th (29:40) but Nicola Perrins, Laura Turner and Sandy Bebbington were only less than a minute behind. The rest of the girls all finished the kayak section without any mishaps – this was the first quad in the UK this year where there have been NO impromptu dips – that in itself is a miracle and is a testament to the quality of canoe coaching from Jean, John and Carol!

Back to the racing, Adele was first out on the bike course with Jac in hot pursuit. Jac managed to make the catch just before the turn point and finished the bike course with the fastest split (50:09) with Adele in 2nd place (52:42). Mary, with a strong bike split (52:28) held onto 3rd but all the other top positions were moving around. Nicola moved up into 4th (52:30) with Vicky in 5th (53:39), but Lisa Grantham with the second fastest bike split of the day (50:15) moved up to 6th place followed by Hilary Boxer in 7th (52:57) with Sandy in 8th (59:57). All successfully completed the bike course in under 1:15 and were then out onto the fourth and final (thank goodness!) discipline – the run!

At this point Jac was leading by about 1 minute, but Adele was slowly reeling her in. Jac managed to stay out in front, but only just, finishing in a total time of 1:56:59 with Adele in 2nd place only 19 seconds behind in 1:57:18. Mary, after posting the 3rd fastest run split of the day (24:15), claimed a fantastic 3rd place in 2:04:02. Nicola retained 4th position in 2:07:59, but an astonishingly quick run by Lisa (21:07) posting the fastest run split, ensured she moved up into 5th place overall in 2:08:26. Hilary had a strong run and moved into 6th place in 2:12:41 with Vicky not far behind in 2:14:44 and Alison moved back up into 8th place with a time of 2:15:03. Every single Deva Diva Quadrathlete started and finished with a great deal of determination and panache

RESULTS
1st Jacqueline Davies (Vet 50) – 1:56:59
2nd Adele Blakeborough (Vet 40) – 1:57:18
3rd Mary White (Vet 60) – 2:04:02
Senior 23 – 39 Vicky Price – 2:14:44
Vet 40 (roll down) Nicola Perrins – 2:07:59
Vet 50 (roll down) Anne Collins – 2:17:38
Vet 60 (roll down) Margaret Huyton – 2:24:29

Results Deva-Divas-2017

Photos Deva Divas-2017photos

Film Footage devadivastri/quad 2017

‘As a competitor of this wonderful inaugural Ladies Quadrathlon and on behalf of everyone else who raced, I would like to say a Huge Thank You to Jean, Sally, John, Carol, our own transition/kayak support Dave and Cliff and to Chester Tri and Chester Canoe Club for an amazing ‘Deva Divas Quadrathlon’ yesterday! As Jean has already said, we certainly shared ‘The Quad Passion’. The Quad ran beautifully next to the triathlon and it was lovely to see so many women competing – I’m not surprised it has won so many awards. However, I think we managed to spark the interest of a lot of triathletes yesterday – I suspect the entries next year for the Deva Divas Quad will sell like hot cakes!

And finally ladies, especially those 25 of you who are new to this wonderful sport, a massive congratulations to you all; you are now Quadrathlon Queens – wear those beautiful t-shirts with pride! You are also the ‘Prime of Mrs Jean Ashley’!  …….. written by Jacqueline Davies

‘Feeling Proud’ Jacq’s Trophy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dynamic Deva Divas – The First Ever Ladies Only Quadrathlon 2017

Admin

On Behalf of the BQA I Just wanted to say a Huge Thank You ‘Chester Tri’ and Chester Canoe Club for an Amazing ‘Deva Divas Quadrathlon today!  We certainly shared ‘The Quad Passion’ they all just Loved it, as 30 of them took to the water, 25 of them being first timers! The atmosphere was brilliant the camaraderie and racing superb, these girls just had the Best day Ever!

A massive thanks to my Triathlon club ‘Chester’ who agreed to add the Quad to Ladies only Deva Divas, thanks to the all those who prepared the race venue and course, safety and technical teams, all marshals across 4, cake makers, commentators ‘with wonderful banter’, and the list goes on and on! Special mention to our Race director Sally Napthen who held it all together, and for agreeing to add that extra discipline!

A Huge thanks also, to my Chester Canoe Club for organizing the 12 week canoe coaching course, half of them couldn’t paddle at the start, but by race day every single one of the girls paddled a K1! True commitment from the girls and superb coaching  produced rewarding results!

As always I’m so proud to be part of these 2 wonderful clubs, it was so good too see our members giving so much back and encouraging every single athlete along the way … in True Quadrathlon Style!

Also a Big Thanks to my friend Antony Dala for carving our Amazing Trophy!

As the organizer this time, I wanted a race report from one of our competitors,         so  Jacqueline Davies is doing one for us very soon along, with the full results … watch this space!

Special Congratulations go to our Overall winners & Age Groupers   20031707_1349122725201237_1117304957961392633_n

1st Jacquleine Davies (Vet 50)
2nd Adele Blakeborough (Vet 40)
3rd Mary White (Vet 60)

Age Groups
1st Senior Vicky Price
1st Vet 40 Nicola Perrins
1st Vet 50 Anne Collins
1st Vet 60 Margaret Huyton

 

 

Thanks again Everyone … We made Quad History today!   Jean ‘Deputy Race Director’

 

Its here’ Deva Divas Quadrathlon 2017′

Admin

WP_20170713_002This Trophy could be YOURS ….. The Deva Divas Quadrathlon’ is almost here ….. It’s going to be a very special day for ‘British Quadrathlon’ as 30 Ladies take to the water for the ‘First ever Ladies only Quadrathlon in the World’ This race also has the backing of the WQF (World Quadrathlon Association) and ‘British Canoeing’ they wish you all a great and enjoyable race!

Personally I am so pleased Race Organizer ‘Sally Napthan’ and Chester Triathlon Club agreed to let me add this extension to the ‘Infamous Deva Divas Sprint Tri’ …. it will be history in the making and a huge thank-you to all at the Tri Club and Canoe Club that have helped make this possible!

I have met well over half of you and had great pleasure in coaching 16 of you who joined our Deva Divas Canoe Course at Chester Canoe Club 12 weeks ago! Myself and club coaches have been inspired to how hard you have worked and so pleased you have all progressed to K1 race kayaks … showing true commitment!

I am very excited about Race Day … as its a First for many of you, and a first for me as I’ve never been on the sidelines organizing a Quad before! I will be cheering every single one of you, as you complete each one those four disciplines, and will be waiting for you all at that finish line!

The Distances will be 750m Swim, 4km Kayak, 25km Bike, 5km Run. The Quad wave will start at 8.20am followed by the 2 Triathlon waves at 8.30 and 8.40 …. this is a brilliant opportunity for all you Girls who know when 3 disciplines just aren’t enough! Its a real honor to be part of the Deva Divas Race, it has WON the ‘British Triathlon Federation’s 2016 Race of the Year Award’ the only race to have ever won it twice!

Looking Forward to meeting you all, have a fantastic day and believe me there is the BEST Cake EVER waiting for you at the Finish Line …. now there’s an incentive…. who doesn’t just love cake!

See you Sunday … Its time to be a DEVA DIVA!!                                                                                       Jean Ashley

…. and an extra Thank-you to Antony Dala who made me this beautiful trophy, its stunning!

The details are on our Chester Triathlon Website chestertri.org.ukdeva-divas-quadrathlon

 

 

Norfolk Superhero Race Report 2017

Admin

Post Superhero Event

It was only the weekend we had been waiting for all year and here it was, forecast was good, no wind, no rain and maybe a little too much sun.  Riddy had done her back in dancing in heels the previous Saturday and Head Marshall Cath was on crutches with a shattered hip. Luckily Jess had rung round and we had the best set up to a Superhero ever. As per usual, the RUDD MARQUEE boys, Peter, Cliff, Seany and John all had their tops off and by Thursday the Marquee was up, ANTON WIMMER  had bought in the drinks, PHIL ELLIS had set up the WATER (Thank Goodness – never so much needed by so few for so long!) and bought the Monster Superhero Bar that lives in a barn, ALEC LOCHORE had set up the transition zone and and the flags were flying against a blue sky and a green marsh.

We also had extra help from ‘Super Steward’ WILL GARNETT, who was shimmying up tent poles to attach ADNAMS banners,  VICKI RINGER  setting up the bar, LUCY BIRKBECK doing all the heavy carrying round the office, SARAH GREEN dropping in prizes for the HOLKHAM COUNTRY FAIR, stayed and ended up unloading 98 kayaks with NIALL who had just popped in to show his face. MARK LAPPING, PHIL ELLIS and SIMON WILSON STEPHENS were out marking the course and everything was feeling calm. CHARLES and BRYGIDA BOURNE of URBAN ARMOUR, our wonderful  medal sponsors even treated us to a delicious HERO pub take out.

Friday check in and the rumours were flying around… Was Niall really doing the superhero again, and who is this Alan Hill bloke….? Apparently it was going to hit 30 degrees on Saturday at about 2pm when everyone was on the run. What colour are the t-shirts this year? Who had got last minute places from the waiting list… there were two new Brothers whose name began with B, someone said they were from Yorkshire?  Were the red and white kayaks faster or slower than the others?  One of our sponsors couldn’t make it to the safety briefing so we worked out which was last years winning kayak from the curled up old stickers and baggsed it for him.  That caused quite a bit of consternation. Bikes and Ironman t-shirts were being openly paraded through the field. There was the sound of annual superhero friends greeting each other, ALGY’S POPCORN being scoffed and PINK LADIES taking scissors to their t-shirts, obviously wary of suntan lines.
CAPTAIN MARTYN FLITCROFT treated us to an excellent safety briefing, stressing the importance of hydration and common sense and MARK AND SIMON gave us all a good chat about sandbar tactics on the swim and outlined the importance of comradeship. Delicious carb loading supper prepared by SARA STOCKS of GREAT GRANOLA, who we are so pleased to get to help us with our food every year, as this is the only event she caters for. (Lucky us) Lots of new faces both amongst the marshals and competitors meant we were looking at the biggest event we had ever staged happening and we couldn’t wait.  We are always so happy to welcome new people to the superhero, but we also realise that the same people returning every year gives us that unique atmosphere that is always commented on. (We are thinking of bringing out a 10 year t-shirt so do get in touch anyone who wants and deserves one.)
We woke up in our Jess-painted bespoke pink, blue and star painted caravan to an even hotter morning than anticipated. A later start due to the tide meant Marshall safety briefing and bacon butties started at 8.30. When ‘tags out’ opened in HQ at 9.00, the field came alive to the smell of sun cream, fear and rubber.  DANNY and his mate from HOLKHAM were there on parking, TRI HARDER were in the field (even bringing a wetsuit for Nic Bizley who had forgotten his), FAT BIRDS were sorting out bikes, IAN WILLIAMSON and the massage crew had set up their tent. The boat marshals started turning up, always a good sign as it means the tide is coming in. Huge thanks to our new boat marshals, ROGER and ASH as well as SIMON, KEVIN, JIM and the ever loyal PETER BECK.
The walking party set off slowly in the sunshine, past the lovely marshals on the wall.  The boats were loaded with competitors and slowly Gun Hill became not just a place for nesting terns (thanks for not disturbing them) but for massing superheroes. A nice man from NATURAL ENGLAND  came to make sure we were all alright. Looking back to shore we could see the Lowland rescue boats, visible against the groynes and slight sandbar shadow, the tide was still coming in but it was never going to be a big one. ROLAND BEWICK’S FAKENHAM CANOE CLUB and NORTH NORFOLK RNLI PADDLE BOARDERS led by Liam were perfectly positioned on the beach when the call came through that the RNLI INSHORE LIFEBOAT was in the channel. We were were all ready to go, including JIM WHITESIDE and LOWLAND RESCUE. Someone hadn’t got a wetsuit , Stafford Proctor had a spare one, Someone hadn’t bought their goggles, Robert Gurney had some spare ones, photos were taken, bags stashed. The lifeguards formed a funnel and the count took place… 195!  Someone hadn’t made it to the start but it didn’t matter – The competitors dove into the water at 11.15.
Ideal swimming conditions on top of the water but maybe not enough water below meant we had a lovely calm CHEQUERS INN swim leg with absolutely no panicking swimmers and a wonderfully controlled escort of safety craft. Despite the fact that a lot of competitors could be seen walking the straightest line, it showed that it paid to stay in the channel, as this year, Abbie Thorrington set a new course record of 14:48.  Sam ‘shoulders’ Kendrick, last year’s paddle boarder leader, was on her tail but just could not catch her with 15:23. Second and third for the girls was Eve Dewsnap with 19:29 and Rachel Symington, our own swim coach with 19:59. Second and third for the boys were Tom Vickery with 15:51 and Rob Lines with 15:54. Pretty impressive.
We think we might have quite a lot of video footage on the LIVING LEADER kayak leg of PETE NAYLOR’s old teammate  from last year, Ben Jackson, as he was operating the drone camera of DRIFT MEDIA  alongside PAUL JOY which was up above you a lot of the time. Several kayaks went into the water backwards but the marshals did a wonderful job of creating a funnel of pink for ease of launching. All the kayaks turned at the right place, there was the usual scrum to get over the bank, and the short course was won by Lucy and Harry Hitchcock with a time of 36:30, followed by Saya Sheridan and Nicholas Bertrand 37:46, and Diane Swanepole and Rob Lines in hot pursuit with 38:39.  The long course obviously took a longer time with Dan Guppy and Simon Riches clocked round in 49:05, Paul Forster and Tom Vickery in 49.29 and Lex Brun and Matt Noble-Clarke squeaking third with 49.33.
Back in the field the marshals were working hard with James Holden and Stuart Cameron especially taking kayaks on the run from you all and stacking them all up in the trailers, whilst simultaneously directing spectators and beaming happily. The marshals were numerous, cheerful calm and strong throughout and that is what makes the superhero such a unique event in the triathlon and endurance racing world. You don’t get such great marshals everywhere apparently.
By the time the BARRATT & COOKE bike leg started, the day was getting hot. A lot of water was being taken by the competitors from all the marshal points. We were ready for you, water was moved around the course by our excellent NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK 4×4 boys and on the back leg of the course chilled bottles of water were being delivered personally by HQ.  Niall McCallum’s watch apparently beeped every 15 minutes; whereupon he would feed his partner, Alan Hill energy snacks or empty water bottles down him, this caused great hilarity of all surrounding them. Sadly the bike was calamitous for some, with Dylan Bogg and Roger Canham having a inter-team collision with each other on a corner, and poor Roger came away with a broken collar bone. Emma Littmoden came off at Sandringham and need 15 stitches (sorry, by the prize giving we had exaggerated that up to 17) in her shoulder. Finally, Ant Ringer came a cropper on the cattle grid and also broke his collar bone. Ow Ow Ow… we hope you are all making a good recovery.  David Horton Fawkes and Ben Hunter Watts proved that two surnames are better than one, when they won the bike leg with a time of 2:05:45. Jamie Carter and Andy Nunn came second with a time of 2:06:02 and Robert Gurney and Tim Hansell came third with 2:06:20. Well done to you all. That is always a contentious leg, well fought over.
The paramedics were busy dealing with the bike falls, so we were lucky to have amongst our marshal team, several other medical professionals, including, DI BLACK, KAREN SNOOK and TIM MORTON all of whom voluntarily stepped up to the challenge of keeping you safe; being alert to your physical and mental state and stepping in when required. Thank you to them and to you for heeding their advice. We had also trained up 12 of our marshals as first aiders on a course run by MARTYN FLITCROFT back in May for which we are very grateful. Good job none of them were required when Clare Birch got shot at whilst on her bike past Sandringham by someone shooting pigeons. Literally a piece of shot hit her face! She says she is going to dine out on that story.
So to the HOLKHAM run, it is often dispiriting for those runners to be leaving the field only to find the crowd has their backs to them as they have spotted the lead runners already coming back across the marsh having completed the epic last leg.  So how marvellous to have the GRESHAM’S Band powering through some very uplifting music which was floating out across the village.  Water that had been left in transition boxes for this final stage was by now at almost egg boiling temperatures, so it was wonderful to have jugs of cold water and more bottles available at bottom gate as dehydration would have been a bad move at this stage. big disappointment was felt to anyone who left their partner on the run, usual suspects guilty again. The conditions we had on Saturday were just the time when it is important to stick together, the buddy system which Simon talked about in a ‘mental health’ situation was just as relevant on the beach.  (We will not be inviting anyone back in 2018 who left their partner on the beach.) But luckily our true stalwart marshals were there for them, equipped with sun cream, bananas, cheers and even a fancy dress outfit or two. (What happens in the woods stays in the woods so we are told.) Our trailing pair of runners were given two bottles of chilled water at every checkpoint, which they found miraculous, as the temperature had indeed soared. A special mention to Ladies Marshall prize winners SAM GURNEY and VICKI RINGER who were at the beach outpost. Luckily though, there was wind on the Sahara straight and it was blowing right in your faces. The race for 1st place was tight, tighter than anyone wanted, wrong turns, lost partners, mirages in the desert – it was all happening out on the beach. The winners of the fastest run were Andrew Nunn and Jamie Carter with a time of 1:09:45, 2nd in the run leg were Simon Able and John O’Neal  and third were Lex Brun and Matt Noble-Clark with 1:13:26. Last year’ previous winner with Niall, DAVE WALKER came and was the medal giver as you all came over the finish line as Superheroes and were rewarded with VITACOCO
Ian Williamson and his massage team were having to work hard as the day was still hot.  The RQ CAPITAL ‘champions supper’ was delicious with GRAVES HOG ROAST and the usual scrum of extra Supper ticket administration.  BEN ZAVEN CRANE bought the party to the marquee with his eclectic and spot on prize giving sound track.
Mark and Simon did a great job of the speeches, the stories came out of the missing partners, the puncture repairers, and the new friends made along the way. The Lord Nelson Trophy had passed on to new hands, Niall has stepped away from his unbroken line of wins. The Ormegoddon Boys, Chris Langlois and Jon Holt had bought a special Guernsey bottle of Gin to hand on as the Spirit prize to the newly voted favourites, who had won the hearts of the marshals and competitors for taking part in the event in the true spirit of the Superhero.
LORD NELSON TROPHY

To Be Advised        Jamie Carter & Andrew Nunn        4:33:57

Ugly Five Zero        Matthew Noble Clark & Lex Brun        4:34:29

Cold Chips n Dip        Simon Riches & Dan Guppy            4:37:29

 

DAME EDNA TROPHY

No Payne No Gain    Matt Payne & Sheila Oxtoby            4:42:23

Small and Hall        Nick Littmoden & Frankie Hall        4:59:23

Tri Harder            Ben Walker & Eve Dewsnap             5:06:23

 

LADY HAMILTON CUP    

In Preparation         Emily Lochore & Nicky Knowles         5:16:09

The Brunettes         Emma Lloyd-Davies & Abbie Brun        5:34:08

Science Friction        Rebecca Hornby & Abbie Conway        6:04:38

 

ZIMMER TROPHY

Blood Sweat & Beers    Sam Kingston & Tim Murdoch        5:13:31

Beer Brothers        Philip & Martin Beer                5:17:52

Zimmer of Hope        Will & James Acworth                5:25:50

 

LOCAL TROPHY

Cold Chips n Dip        Simon Riches & Dan Guppy            4:37:29

 

WENSUM PLATE  

Cheese Crumpets    Tiffany Turner & Matt Turner-Jarvis        5:42:53

 

SPIRIT OF THE SUPERHERO

Young Guns        Oliver Jurascheck & Jack Pearce        6:25:39

 

WOODENSPOON

Moobs Like Jagger    Mark Widdowson & James McIntosh    7:39:13

 

MARSHALL PRIZE

Boys               James Holden & Stuart Cameron

Ladies             Vicki Ringer & Samantha Gurney

Our results are all posted on RESULTS BASE
Then all decorum went out of the window – tables were dragged outside for the view of the flags on the marsh, the pink ladies were back behind the bar, crutches were being raised above the dance floor and the teenagers were night swimming in the creek. The ‘Charles Miller Rose’ moment came at 2pm, after the gate crashers were ousted, Superhero hats were awarded to the special clearer uppers and a translator was required in order for us to communicate with pink lady Matthew. It was the latest after party we have ever had and did we mention your t-shirt s GLOW IN THE DARK! You have all been marvellous and posted all your photos on Instagram and Facebook – Thank you for your messages, we really appreciate them and will try, in the next few days, to pass as many as possible on to the PINK LADIES.
The great fact of it was, that we all had a lot of fun, even if it didn’t feel like it at the time.  It was a hot, gruelling, some say the hardest Superhero yet, some didn’t make it, but all of those who tried, all of those that did – and those that helped make it happen for everyone else, are all Superheroes.
In order for us to keep helping people, keeping that Superhero spirit alive: please could you keep fundraising, passing on those well wishers sponsorship to the following fund. The Norfolk Superhero Foundation, raising money for small local Mental Health and Well Being charities.

Here is our Virgin Money Giving page link: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charity-web/charity/displayCharityCampaignPage.action?charityCampaignUrl=norfolksuperhero2017

Or you can send us a cheque paid out to
“Norfolk Community foundation’
c/o Norfolk Superhero Challenge,
Painswhin Farm,
Helhoughton,
Fakenham
Norfolk
NR21 7BZ
And to end it all and to say thank you to you all for all your brilliant enthusiasm and thanks – have a little look at the video DRIFT MEDIA has put together for us.

P.S. We have got the date for next year and its the 16th June 2018, which is a BIG tide, but ‘shhhhhhhh!’ don’t tell anyone else, otherwise how are we going to fit you all in?
P.P.S. There are masses of photos on Facebook and Instagram do have a look – Click on the buttons below to bring them up and contact JEZ BATCH, our marvellous photographer, if you want any copies of this fantastic photos.