Category: Trophy Results

A HUGE THANK YOU to Donna Jeff and the Team at LincsQuad Quadrathlon Club for putting on a great race for the BQA and the WQF yesterday as always they pulled out the stops! Despite having such a small team of helpers, there’s one thing for sure they are 100% committed to make sure these events happen for our small sport of Quadrathlon.

Thank you to everyone who supported the race, all BQA members and competitors, those International athletes too, all helpers marshals time keepers and key event organizers ……. you put a smile on everyone’s faces, made a lot of athletes very proud and gave us all a day to remember.

Big Thanks on behalf of the BQA … Jean

Race Results – Brigg Bomber Middle & Sprint Results

National Trophy Results – BQA Trophy after 2 of 5 races

WQF Results – 

WQF race 3 of 9 results with point

World Cup Race 3

WQF National trophy after 3 of 9 races 

A Big Thanks to Ian Cooke for his excellent report of the day – European Middle Distance Quadrathlon Championships
(and accompanying sprint distance BQA points quadrathlon)

It’s 08:29 on the 1^st of June 2025 in Brigg, North Lincolnshire, the first day of meteorological summer and a fine and warm day with a little bit of breeze blowing in from the west.

In the river Ancholme, around 110 multi-sport athletes are awaiting the start of their events, now just 1 minute away. The athletes are participants in one of four events being held on that day.

Firstly, there is the prestigious third international quadrathlon championship event of 2025, the European Middle Distance Quadrathlon Championships. This event also doubled up as the third of the 2025 season in the World Quadrathlon Federation World Cup series, following earlier races in Kassel and Gyekenyes. Secondly, this one day championship event was accompanied by its slightly shorter sibling race, a sprint distance quadrathlon, with points being awarded and counting towards the national British Quadrathlon Association series awards. Finally and separate to this race report, there was an accompanying standard distance and sprint distance triathlon.

The Race – Suddenly, the race director, Jeff calls out loud and clear to the athletes in the water…….

‘Is there anyone here doing the duathlon?…….. If you are, you’re in the wrong place……’ So much laughing and smiles from everyone and then bang, we’re off. Two laps of a 750 swim for the European Champs race and one lap for the sprint event. As ever, the swim was a fast affair for those at the front, with the top athletes looking to establish an early lead position.

I settle in, concentrate on breathing, find your own rhythm, count the buoy turns and then back to the landing stage, Here, friendly and familiar faces and voices carry you on your way past the boathouse into transition.

Onto the 30k bike stage and the course was just excellent. For me personally, I’d checked out the bike course on the previous Friday, so it was full gas all the way, tuck in, shrug the shoulders narrow and get aero, every second counts. The loop out of Waddingham and through Snitterby was just excellent fun. 49:24 later and I’m rolling back into the sports center, thinking now about the kayak leg.

One thing that is an absolute pleasure about the Brigg quad races is the boat leg on the Ancholme, 7.8k’s to the wooden bridge and back for the middle distance and just short of 5k’s to the red bridge and back for the sprint competitors.

Paddling alongside Oli Fairbairn on the outward leg, a figure was rapidly approaching us and coming into view on their return, pushing their boat at circa 12-13kph. This was Ferenc Csima, at that point around 20 minutes ahead of us, the eventual overall winner and an absolutely phenomenal kayak racer. Next to cross us was Laurent Martinou, eventual 2^nd place and around 10 minutes behind Ferenc at that stage. ‘Bravo Laurent! Allez, allez, allez…..’ was the shout out as we crossed.

As a side note, chapeau to Laurent, who drove north from his home south of Paris on the Saturday, raced the event and then drove back to the south coast after the race for the 19:30 Sunday evening ferry, top effort! On the return leg, it was great to see Helen Russell in her GB tri-suit on the outward leg, pushing on in the boat on her way to the overall win.

So here we go, the day’s getting done now, just the run to go, 5k’s for the sprint and 9.8k’s for the middle distance event.

This is the classic time to check in with the body……. ‘legs, how’s it going, are you thinking about cramping? No we’re fine. Achilles, how are you? Any tightness? No, we’re alright just now. Ok lower back how are you after the kayaking? I’m a bit sore, but I think I’m good for 10k’s, lets do it…….’ So check the watch, put it on 4 minute 35 second k’s and tick off the distance.

And just like that, the day is done, off the river path, past the petrol station, over the bridge, careful on the little grassy slope and the finish line is there. This sport is just fantastic and the people are just so lovely. Cross the line, go and hug everybody and then look for family supporters.

OPEN RACE RESULTS : The open race overall was won by Ferenc with a fantastic time of 2:29:29, with Laurent 6 minutes behind in P2 (1^st O40 – 2:35:45) and James Block of GBR completing the podium (1st O50 – 2:48:40).

Helen won the female event overall with a time 3:03:33 (1^st O50), with Rose Durrant in P2 (1^st Elite – 3:08:13) with Orna Otoole completing the podium (2^nd O50 – 3:16:50).

AGE GROUP RESULTS: Tora Oetgen was 1^st female O40 (4^th overall – 3:26:46), Hermione Ball 1^st female junior (5^th overall – 3:31:25), Oli Fairbairn was 1^st Elite (4^th Open overall – 2:51:37) Ian Cooke 1^st O60 (5^th Open overall – 2:54:02), John Macadam 1^st O70 (23^rd Open overall – 3:29.18) 

In the accompanying sprint event Jason Frary was 1^st in the Open (1^st O50 – 1:39:06), Graeme Tiffany was 2^nd (1^st O60 – 2:03:07), Dianne Hubber 1^st female, 3^rd overall in the event and 1^st O50 (2:10:35).

In positions 2 to 7 in the female sprint came the fantastic group of friends and constant training partners, Janet Green (2^nd 1^st O60 – 2:12:31), Geraldine Richards (3^rd – 2:23:34), Sue Turner, Sue Pilling, Amanda Lord and Lynn Simpson. These women have inspired each other and trained together so hard all winter and spring in all conditions and weathers, nailing every aspect of this demanding sport. Just brilliant, massive well done and be so proud of what you did, experienced and achieved on that day in Brigg.

As always with these events, nothing would ever happen without the input, leadership and expertise of so many people.

Thank you to Jeff and Donna for making it all happen, along with all those brilliant marshals, timekeepers, transition managers and a million other roles that the team at LincsQuad provided.

Thank you to David, Andy, Evo, Janice and their team in covering all aspects of the swim and kayak management. It makes such a massive difference finishing the boat leg, knowing that it will just get taken care of as you continue to the run.

Finally, thank you so much to Jean Ashley and all at British Quadrathlon Association for providing the overall organisation and everything to make these races and race series possible.

Massive well done to all the competitors in both the middle distance and the sprint event. These events are demanding and take courage to toe that line alongside your mates, putting yourself on a canvas showing who you are and what you can do that day. The results are hard won and accordingly, massively satisfying to get.

That was the Brigg Bomber, now onto the rest of 2025!  …… Ian Cooke

Photos of the race – thanks from Trevor

Bomber photos.google.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sadly our National Trophy Series was down to just 3 races this year, Shrewsbury has finally folded completely, which is very sad news, and Bude was also cancelled due to lack of support. Thankfully we still had 3 excellent races in our calendar, The Brigg Bomber (World Cup Event also) Dearne Valley Sprint, and The Brigg Sprint. On behalf of the BQA I’d like to say a Huge THANK YOU to all our Race organizers and volunteers, who work so hard each year to put on these events for us, it is a big commitment and we really do appreciate your time! Thanks also to all the Sponsors who support them, and to you the BQA Members for you annual fees, which are vital so we can run the BQA Governing Body and more important provide the ever important Insurance fees to be able to support the Race Organizers…. Big Thanks! I would also like to say an enormous thanks to John Kavanagh who produces the BQA and WQF Tables after each race, this is a huge commitment and we are all very grateful … Thanks John  

This year we had we had 27 male athletes and 19 female athletes racing in the series, with 6 athletes doing all 4 races ….. a huge well done to Jules Taylor, Oliver Fairbairn, Phillippe Jumeau, Jeff Chappill, Helen Recchia, and Caroline Jones. Lets hope 2025 will bring a fresh start, plenty of motivation and lots more of Quadrathletes back in ACTION!!

Well done and a big thank-you to all Quadrathletes that raced in the series, there have been some excellent performances and big improvements for may athletes this season, its been great to see some old faces back into our sport and as always so good to be welcoming newcomers, we hope to see you all again next year!

BQA NATIONAL TROPHY CHAMPIONS 2024

Male Overall 1st Jules Taylor 340 points (Vet 60), 2nd Oliver Fairbairn 335 points (Senior), 3rd Phillippe Jumeau 298 points(Vet 60)

Female Overall 1st Helen Recchia 310 points (Vet 60), 2nd Caroline Jones 301 points(Vet 50)

Age Male Group Winners Senior Oliver Fairbairn, Vet 50 Jeff Chappill, Vet 60 (roledown) Phillippe Jumeau 

Age Female Group Winner  Vet 50 Caroline Jones 

Congratulations also to our BQA Members who have all produced some fabulous results this season! We have great depth in strength and experience in our age groupers, they are all great ambassadors of our sport and we are very proud to have them in our BQA Quadrathlon Family! Well Done to you all!

Full Trophy Results BQA Trophy 2024 final results

The Eric Hatliff Memorial Trophy ‘For Endeavor’ 2024 Congratulations ‘Jean Ashley’  The BQA Chairman ‘Mark Pryor’ insisted that Jean should receive this Trophy, although she is having a break from racing Quads, whilst she races around the mountains doing ‘Ultras’, she has continually kept the BQA going behind the scenes for many years. She organizes the Famous Deva Divas Quadrathlon, and continues to inspire many women across the sport.  This Year she has been involved with the BQA for 25 years and has always showed enthusiasm & commitment and is consistently sharing her Passion for our Sport! 

 

National Trophy Hall of Fame

Have a Safe Winter and Come Back Stronger #2025 …. Jean Ashley

WORLD CUP TROPHY & WQF NATIONAL TROPHY …and grreat news GB were 3rd in the WQF National Trophy!

Also across the World the WQF have a Series of Events which make up the World Cup Results, these are the Best 5 Results to Count. Congratulations to The winner of men’s overall World Cup is Ferenc Csima (HUN) The second place is going to Arnold Halasz (HUN), the third place is going to Laurent Martinou (FRA). The winner of woman’s overall Word Cup in 2024 is Susanne Walter (GER). The second place is going to Ellen Mielke (GER), the third place is going to Heike Steininger (GER). Results: World cup 2024 9 of 9

World National Trophy – The Country that has scored the most World Cup Points. 1st place is Poland (11280), 2nd Spain (10200) and CONGRATULATIONS in 3rd Great Britain (7722) Results: WQF National Trophy Final