City of Lancaster Triathlon
"The only limits we have are those we set ourselves"
News
DUNCAN THE GREAT DANE - Tuesday 17th August
COLTs very own Duncan Vavangas took on the Danish Vikings in their own back yard and came away with a great result. Found out how Duncan did at the Challenge Copenhagen Iron-distance event by clicking on our Race / Results page.
LAKELAND INVASION - Monday 16th August
The quiet country lanes around Bassenthwaite and Cockermouth were anything but this past Saturday when an invasion of 10 COLT warriors took place. They were there to take part in the Lakeland Triathlon, an Olympic distance race. They performed brilliantly and did the club proud.
Found out which COLTs rose to the challenge on our Races / Results page.
THE OUTLAW - Monday 16th August
The first ever running of The Outlaw took place on the 8th August. This Ironman distance race was a universal success and has proved that long distance racing in the UK is healthy and has a great future. Two COLTs raced hard and completed the course. Mike Cubin became an Ironman for the first time whilst Andy Holgate went the distance for the third time.
Read how both Mike and Andy faired on the Race / Results page.
ANOTHER ONE ON THE PLANE TO KONA - Thursday 5th August
There can't be many triathlon clubs in this country that can claim that all of their racers completed an Ironman in under 12 hours, yet we can. The Mighty COLT proved just how mighty they are by ripping up the lanes of Lancashire and burning brightly in Bolton town centre as they excelled at Ironman UK.
The 6am start didn't faze our Ironmen and first out of the water came the fishlike Mark Hammond in 48 minutes in a remarkable 10th place overall. Mark was keen to surpass his 11hr debut last year and he followed his swim up with a strong bike and a 3.25 marathon to finish in 10:17.
Next to finish was the IronHippy Chris Wild. Chris had the fastest bike split of the day and completed a solid marathon despite his dodgy knees. He had the incentive of wanting to get straight back down to Knebworth to watch Iron Maiden. Chris followed up his impressive Lanzarotte performance with a time here of 10:54.
Perhaps the gutsiest performance of the day came from the next COLT home. On the first lap of the bike, Dave Wilson, was only a couple of minutes behind Mark before his luck deserted him. On the first lap he punctured and then on the second lap disaster struck. He was hit by a car and knocked off his bike, he was battered, bloodied and bruised, and had to straighten his wheel. He got back on the bike when many would have packed it in and went on to run a 3.35 marathon to finish in 11.09.
Ian Richardson making his debut at Ironman, only 10 weeks after entering the event had a blinder. Crazy just went from strength to strength as the day went on. An accomplished bike rider with many years experience, he proved that he's no slouch at running and swimming as well. Ian crossed the line and became an Ironman in 11:22.
Loz Loxam built on his experience of last year and used it to his advantage as he stormed round the course to achieve a new PB of 11:34. Loz looked effortless as he glided past "Colt alley" in Addlington on each lap of the bike. If any of you ever want to see what the perfect aero rider looks like you couldn't do much better than having a gander at Loz.
Not far behind Loz was the Final COLT Ironman and another debutant at the distance. Rob "Fat Bob" Smith made the jump to the big distance look easy as he recorded a sub 4 hour marathon to bring the team home in 11:45.
It would be unfair to say that I've saved the best for last becuase all of the performances were superb...but.
John Carr smashed his pb to finish in 11:20 ( he must have the fastest camelback on earth ! ). What made Johns performance that much more special was that he came 5th in his age group and has qualified for the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. A remarkable achievement.
So I'm sure that everyone associated with COLT will take great pride in congratulating our Ironman. Well done lads.
BOUNDARY BREEZE - Thursday 5th August
A trio of COLTs raced at the popular Manchester triathlon and performed really well. To read all about it check out the Junior Results page here.
IMPRESSIVE JULY - Thursday 22nd July
It's been a massive few weeks for Team COLT that has seen pb's smashed, Ironmen crowned, a British champion, Epic swims and every race distance covered from a sprint to an Ironman. The team has certainly been very busy.
You can read about a variety of events from Ironman France to the Deva Divas, the Ulswater epic swim to the South Lakes half Marathon, and a whole lot more on the Race / Results page
You can catch up with our all conquering junior teams results including a British Championship win for Sarah Hodgson on the Junior Race / Results page.
DERWENT WATER EPIC SWIM - Friday 25th June
Last Sunday saw several members of Team COLT dip their toes and a lot more into the balmy waters of Derwent Water for the second in the Epic Swim Series. The club had racers taking part in the 500m and 1 mile events, with one brave swimmer doing both! Find out how they all go on HERE
JUNIOR COLTS SHINE AT BOLTON TRI - Friday 25th June
Fifteen junior members of COLT took part in the Bolton Triathlon this past Sunday. Some great performances were recorded including an overall victory. To find out who the stars were on the day, read the race report HERE
COLT VICTORY AT COCKERMOUTH - Tuesday 15th June
Not even the monsoon like conditions could stop the Mighty COLT from claiming another victory. Alasdair Grubb led from the front with the quickest swim of the day and seemed unbeatable. Find out just how well Alasdair and his fellow COLT's Sarah and Andy faired at the popular Cumbrian event here.
WHAT A FIRST TRIATHLON FEELS LIKE - Tuesday 15th June
Do you remember your first triathlon? The sheer joy of realising "I've done it!". The suddon realisation that it certainly wouldn't be your last? Jane Patel experienced that and so much more this past Sunday when she completed her first full triathlon at the Northwich in a time of 1:50:43. Jane has written about her experience and you can read it here
Well done Jane, where's next?
WINS, DEVAS, OLD MEN, SAND, TERRIERS and more... - Wednesday 9th June
It's been a busy week for Team COLT with stunning performances and a victory at Capernwray, some tough quality cycling at Le Terrier, and quality racing and triathlon newcomer at the Deva Olympic. Not to mention a run entirely on sand and an elite race.
To read how Team COLT kept itself busy this week go to the Race / Results page.
OPEN WATER SWIMMING UPDATE - Monday 7th June
Just to update members of the dates that Open water swimming sessions will be taking place this summer. Please see the training page for details of venue/ directions etc... The sessions take place at 7pm on alternate Monday evenings on the following dates:
14th and 28th June
12th and 26th July
9th and 23rd August
6th September
Tri Preston have now organised another Open Water swimming night. This may be of use for those of you that would find the location more convenient or struggle with the Monday night time slot of the regular open water swims.
The swim venue is Blackpool Wake park .Its once a fortnight on a Thursday at 7pm. The next swim is next week Thursday the 10th June. Its £5.00 for affiliated club (COLT, TriPreston and Fylde) £7.00 for non members.
HATS OFF TO OUR FELL RUNNERS - Monday 31st May
Very well done to both Tom Phillips and Andrew McCracken who completed one of the most grueling events this country can throw at you. The Bob Graham Round. For those that don't know about this event it's figures are mind blowing. You basically run 74 miles, now that's hard enough on it's own, almost 3 back to back marathons !! Then add in the fact that it takes in 42 peaks and a total asscent of 28,500 feet and you have one hell of a challenge !
Tom finished in 21 hours and 3 minutes and Andrew wasn't far behind in 21 hours 48 minutes. Remarkable performances from both men. Well done....and how do you top that ??
TRACK SUCCESS - Monday 31st May
On Saturday 29th it was the North of England Athletics Championships, and there were two junior COLTS competing. Sarah Hodgson raced the U17 Womens' 3000m and had a great race, finishing a close second. Beau Smith ran the 800m, achieved a new pb of 1:59.08, and is now NoEAA U17 Mens' Champion.
Well done to both of our Track stars!
EPIC SWIM SUCCESS - Monday 31st May
The first race in the Epic Swim series saw some top performances from the Mighty COLT. Overall victory in the mile race was backed up by top performances in the 500m race and 3.8km race. Find out who our successful swimmers were here
KESWICK CREW - Sunday 23rd May
Whilst their clubmates were recovering in the Canary sun, four intrepid members of COLT were racing in the Cumbrian sun. They were taking part in the Keswick Olympic triathlon, a tough event with a fell run to finish. Read how they got on with this Race Report from competitor, Tom Phillips.
SPANISH SUPER SIX - Sunday 23rd May
Lanzarote, Spain....the location for the COLT showdown in the sun. Soaring temperatures and strong winds on the volcanic Island didn't stop six amazing COLT athletes from completing the toughest race on the Ironman circuit. Tension had been building for months as banter on the club forums and the saturday morning rides saw the old guard of Knapp and Mason trading blows with the youngster, McParland. Taking it all in was Wild, the local ( well he spends almost as much time in Lanza as he does in Lancaster !) who was relishing having his clubmates to race against. O'Donnell and Devereux quietly prepared, keeping out of the testosterone fueled bravado...
The top four COLTs were all very close after the swim and the bike, this race would be decided in the unforgiving heat of the marathon. It would be experience that payed off as the grandmaster of Ironman, John Knapp, crossed the line first in a time of 10:23:58. This qualified him once again for the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii this October. An amazing achievement, read all about it in his race report here
Next home was our Captain Fantastic, Richard Mason. Richard had had a torrid build up to this race with illness and injury which makes his time of 10:35:59, a new pb by 8 minutes all the more remarkable. You can read his race report here
Crossing the line hand in hand with his wife Fiona, and the symbolic state flag of the COLT nation was Chris Wild. Despite having a dodgy knee he had put in the performance of his life to finish in 10:40:43, smashing his pb by over forty five minutes!! You can read the IronHippy's race report here
A strong swim and a blisteringly fast bike set Daniel McParland up for a very good Ironman debut. Daniel by his own admission suffers in the heat, which makes his debut time of 11:23:06 a performance he should be rightly proud of. Given the right conditions this amazing athlete will surely go much faster. You can read Daniel's inspiring race report here
Our very own Ironlady, Valerie O'Donnell, had a great race to finish in a time of 13:21:55. She raced consistently throughout the day and still looked very fresh in the marathon according to our COLT reporters on the side of the road.
Simon Devereux hates the cold, so the warm waters of the Med suited him perfectly. He completed the swim strongly and built on that on the bike. A steadily paced run saw him complete a brilliant day out for COLT in 14:07:09, another pb.
Well done to our Spanish Super Six, we at COLT are all very proud of your performances and we look forward to hearing and reading your race reports.
JUNIOR COLTS QUALIFY FOR NATIONALS - Wednesday 19th May
A very strong team competed in the North West Biathlon Championships this past weekend in Lancaster. COLT excelled and came away with a massive medal haul that saw TWELVE athletes qualify for the national championships in Liverpool in July. You read all about it and see a great photo of our junior stars HERE
Congratulations from everyone associated with COLT
DISCOUNTED ENTRY FOR COLTS - Wednesday 19th May
The organiser of some new local events has generously given COLT members a way of entering at a discounted rate. If you enter online you can enter the following code for a 10% discount in the Swim South Lakes series and the Tri South Lakes series for City of Lancaster Triathlon Club.
Entrants for the series will see City of Lancaster Triathlon Club in the list and the Pin Code is COLT
COLT TECHNICAL T-SHIRTS NOW AVAILABLE - Tuesday 11th May
The club now has some technical t-shirts available for members. These t-shirts are great for training in or just looking cool in.
To see how good they look click here : COLT TECHNICAL T-SHIRTS
They are modelled in the photo by the Captain and his trusted Vice ( we can't guarantee that you'll look this good in yours but hey it's worth a try ).
The T-shirts come in sizes small, medium and large. They are priced at £10 each, which is great value.
To order your t-shirt please email Andrew McCracken, or see him at the upcoming Open Water swim on Monday 17th May. You can also get your t-shirt from Captain Richard Mason as well.
COLT TRAINING WEEKEND - Tuesday 11th May
COLT will be holding an end of season training weekend 17th-19th September. To be held at Derwentwater Youth Hostel - a beautiful old manor house overlooking Derwentwater and just a couple of miles outside Keswick.
Captain Mason will be organising some training sessions, but you will be free to do as much or as little training as you like. The hostel is licenced so if you prefer to simply admire the views over a pint, whilst others exhaust themselves, you will be well catered for.
The price of the weekend will be £60 including accomodation Friday and Saturday nights, breakfast Sat and Sun and evening meal on Saturday.
Please can Louise Kelly have numbers and payment by 17th May. Cheques payable to Louise Kelly. Catch her at total fitness, the open water swims, or the run sessions (hopefully).
HILLS, HILLS AND MORE HILLS - Monday 10th May
Seven members of the Mighty COLT spent their Sunday riding around the beautiful English Lake District, although they weren't sightseeing. They were giving their lungs and legs a thoroughly good workout as the took on what has been described as the toughest cycle ride in Britain : The Fred Whitton Challenge.
To find out how our intepid riders did over the near vertical 112 mile course, click here
APRIL ROUND UP - Monday 3rd May
The last couple of weekends in April were extremely busy for the Mighty COLT. Our Junior members did the club proud with some outstanding performances at the Bolton Triathlon. You can read about who did what here.
There was a trio of winners at the Kendal sprint, and other strong performances including the fastest swim of the day. To find out who won click here.
The club championships for the 2010 season got underway with a massive turnout at the Skipton Triathlon. Team COLT were led home by the 2009 Club Champion, Beau Smith. Find out how he and the rest of the team did in Sarah Pattersons race report here.
Three members of team COLT traveled to London to take part in the 30th running of the London Marathon. Find out how our Marathon Men did here.
John Towse made his long awaited Ironman debut in South Africa. After a very stressful volcano induced build up John put in an amazing performance. Read all about it by clicking here.
COLT CHAMPIONSHIP GETS UNDERWAY - Friday 16th April
The first race in the 2010 COLT club championship takes place this Sunday, as over twenty members of The Mighty COLT descend on the sleepy market town of Skipton.
Good luck to everyone that's racing....and hopefully this year no one will get lost.
GOOD LUCK TO JOHN TOWSE - Friday 16th April
John Towse will be flying the COLT flag in the clubs first race on African soil next weekend when he takes part in Ironman South Africa. The race takes place in the coastal town of Port Elizabeth. This will be Johns first forray into the Ironman arena and I'm sure that everyone in the club will join me in wishing him the best of luck.
Let's just hope this volcanic ash clears and he can actually fly out of the country.
COLT MEMBER BLOGS FOR TRI MAG - Friday 16th April
COLT member Andy Holgate has been invited to blog for one of Europes best selling triathlon magazines, TRIATHLETE EUROPE. Andy was contacted by the editor who had been following his activity on twitter. So Andy will be writing for them on a regular basis as he prepares to race at the Outlaw in August.
If you have a spare minute check out Andy's first blog post here : From Common Man to Ironman
NEW LAKE DISTRICT TRI SERIES LAUNCHED - Wednesday 7th April
Adventure Challenge Solutions (organisers of Tri Windermere) are excited to announce a brand new Lake District mid week Sprint Tri Series in time for the summer.
Tri South Lakes will be hosted at Capernwray Dive Centre on the edge of The Lake District National Park, and will consist of a 500m open water swim in the sparkling spring fed waters of the Dive Centre, a stunning 11mile cycle on the quiet country roads of the Vale of Lune, and a 3 mile fast and flat run alongside the beautiful Lancaster Canal.
Tri South Lakes is set in a stunning location overlooking Morecambe Bay that is less than a mile from Junction 35 of the M6. The series is aimed at both seasoned triathlets and beginners alike from all over the North West, and will be a great way of maintaining race fitness throughout the summer.
Dates: 2 June 2010 – 14 July 2010 -11 August 2010
Facilities:
Car Park Changing room, shower and toilets Slipway to exit swim Scuba and rescue boat safety Underwater photography BBQ
Registration, number and timing chip collection will be from 18:00-18:45 at Capernwray Dive Centre, with the swim kicking things off at 19:00. Each entrant will receive a goodie bag and be entered into a race number prize lottery. Prize list for each race and the series to be released soon.
For more information and online registration, click here
FLANDERS, THE ISLE OF MANN & RIBBY HALL - Tuesday 6th April
It's been a very busy Easter break for the Mighty COLT, with team members travelling overseas to race in Belgium and the Isle of Mann, whilst closer to home the club enjoyed great success at the Ribby Hall Traithlon.
To find out who did what click on the Race/Results page
BEAU JOINS THE ELITE - Monday 29th March 2010
Beau Smith followed up his recent win in the Parbold Junior Duathlon with an excellent performance at yesterdays British Elite Duathlon championships.
To read the COLT athlete got in at the top level check out the Race Results page
BRITISH SCHOOLS BIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIPS - Monday 29th March 2010
Five junior members of COLT travelled to Crystal Palace in London to compete in this event. They all performed exceptionally, proving that the club has a strong future ahead of it.
To find out how well they all did, check out the race report on the Junior Results Page.
COLT RUNNERS EVERYWHERE - Monday 29th March 2010
Over the last few weeks the Mighty COLT seem to have been running and competing at races the length and bredth of the country, from the world's first Kilomarathon to a local twenty miler to a monsterous 32 mile fell race. We've been everywhere.
To find out who's done what and where click on the Race Results page
A TRUELY WORLD-WIDE WEEKEND - Wednesday 10th March 2010
The COLT 2010 World tour got off to a cracking start this past Saturday when Steve Stretch completed Ironman New Zealand in the very impressive time of 10hrs and 47 minutes.What made this performance remarkable is the fact that Steve spent most of 2009 injured with a broken collarbone, and on his return had to complete his core period of training in one of the harshest winters these shores have seen.
Closer to home but no less impressive was the COLT turnout at the Clumber Park Duathlon. Beau Smith finished fourth overall and second in his age group. Louise Kelly was unfortunate to puncture but recovered well to record a strong second run, whilst Valerie O'Donnell and John Knapp performed well in an event a lot shorter and faster than their usual Ironman adventures. Well done to all who raced in the black and white this weekend.
BOUNDARY BREEZE - Wednesday 10th March 2010
Entries for Boundary Breeze on 25th July are now open click here. This popular race usually fills pretty quickly, so any C.O.L.T.s wanting to enter need to get on with it. As this race is the Triathlon England North West Region Sprint Distance Championship race a large C.O.L.T. presence would be good, and we could come away with some team prizes too.
JUNIOR COLTS MEDAL HAUL CONTINUES - Tuesday 2nd March 2010
Sunday saw an encouraging turnout of junior athletes from all over the country, competing at Salt Aire in the North West Open Tetrathlon and biathlon. The Junior COLTs had a very impressive day bringing home a handful of medals. To find out how they got on go to the Junior Results page.
COLT YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SQUAD - Tuesday 2nd March 2010
The COLT Youth Development Squad has been set up to help encourage our youngsters to compete at the highest level. During the competition at Salt Aire on Sunday, Graham Hodgson, managing director of the Lancaster based company Technology Farm Ltd, presented the athletes with technical tops and the club with a sponsorship cheque for £1000 to provide financial support to the club’s young athletes competing in multi sports at national and international level. The club would like to thank Graham and his company for their generous support. With the abundance of strong young talent in the club we are all convinced this will be one investment that will see high yielding returns.
A BIT COLD FOR THE SEASIDE ? - Tuesday 23rd February 2010
They may not have been weilding a bucket and spade but 3 members of COLT had a great day out at the seaside on Sunday. The snowy, cold conditions couldn't stop Louise Kelly, Valerie O'Donnell and John Knapp from running strongly at the 20th Great North West Half Marathon in Blackpool.
To find out how they got on, click on the results link : Here
VALENTINE'S DAY 5K - Thursday 18th February 2010
Fresh from his schools cross country win, Beau Smith put all thoughts of romance aside as he raced against those much older and more experienced than him at the Preston Valentines Day 5k race on Sunday. The course wasn't one that could be 'loved' as it contained some nasty hills. Beau ran really well to finish 5th in a time of 17.28.
NEW SWIM EVENTS IN THE LAKES - Friday 12th February 2010
New for 2010, Epic Events presents ‘The EPIC Lakes Swim Series’, a series of open water events at three different venues in the Lake District.
The series starts at Coniston on Sunday 30th May 2010, then moves north to Bassenthwaite on Saturday 19th June 2010 with the grand finale at Ullswater on Sunday 11th July 2010.
Whatever your goal, be it the personal challenge, participation for charity or the glory of winning, the swim series will cater for all with 3 different race distances of 500m (£10), a mile (£15) and a 3.8k (£20) swim to attract swimmers of all abilities.
The Lake District truly provides a dramatic back-drop to the experience of all entrants to the open water swim series. "Our aim is to create a safe environment for novice, experienced and potentially professional athletes to take on the challenge or simply gain the experience of open water swimming." If you are interested you can find out more here
NEW LOCAL TRIATHLON - Friday 12th February 2010
A new local triathlon will take place on March 28th at Ribby Hall Village near Lytham St. Annes.
The event is a Sprint triathlon and will be fast, flat and perfect for the first timer, those wanting a quick time or those training for longer distances as it is so early in the year.
As its a low key, friendly event its perfect training as well and even in 6 weeks will be a good target for all. The swim will be in Ribby's 25mtr pool and is 400mtr. The bike is then 10.5 miles around Ballam Road, to Lytham, back through Moss Side to Wrea Green and Ribby, the 5km run is around the Ribby campus.
There will be prizes for all age groups and teams of three.
To enter go to www.ukresults.net The entry is limited to 200
BEAU TAKES COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP - Friday 12th February 2010
Beau Smith led home a strong contingent of Junior COLTS at the Lancashire Schools Cross Country Championships this past weekend. Beau won the intermediate boys title, on a very successful day out for our strong junior athletes. You can read all about it on the Junior Races & Results page.
SUCCESS FOR GEORGIA & AMY - Thursday 4th February 2010
Junior Colts, Georgia Hannam and Amy Burns, competed at the North of England Biathlon and Triathlon Championships on Sunday 31st January. Both girls competing in the U13 age group performed brilliantly. Amy set a new swimming PB to take fourth place, whilst Georgia won to become the North of England Champion.
Well done to both girls.
You can read more about their success, and exciting news about other Junior COLTS here
NORTH WEST CHILDRENS SERIES 2010
Details of the winter and summer race series are now available on the Junior Races and results page.
SALT AYRE JUNIOR DUATHLON 2010
This event will take place on Sunday 18th April 2010 from 1-4pm. This very popular event is bound to fill up pretty quickly so get your entries in as soon as possible.
The event, which comprises a run followed by a cycle and a shorter run, is open to all young people who are between the ages of 8-18 on 31/12/10. The Tristar and Youth events also form part of the British Triathlon North West Winter series and will be run in accordance with their rules and regulations. Both the run elements will be on the running track and the cycle will be on the adjacent closed circuit tarmac track.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The COLT AGM will be held at the Gregson Centre in Lancaster at 7:30pm on Wednesday 20th January.
All members new and old are welcome to come along, meet the committee, listen to what the club has achieved in the last 12 months and to hear where it's going in the coming year. Most importantly this is your chance to come along and share your thoughts/ideas/suggestions for the future of YOUR club.
We look forward to seeing you there......and yes the bar will be open.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Here's wishing all Club Members a great 2010. I hope you all attain your racing goals but more importantly stay healthy and happy.
I'll be updating the racing calendar this week with 2010 fixtures, please be patient as it's quite a time consuming task.
If anyone has any links to races that they'd like to email me that would be great. Also please remember to keep me informed of which races you are doing so I can update the 'Who's Racing Where' section.
If you haven't already renewed your Club membership, please do so following the link below ( previous news item ).
Happy New Year everyone.
2010 Membership Renewals - Monday 14th December
COLT membership for 2010 is now available on the Entry Central Website. The price remains fozen at £10 which offers great value.
For a full list of membership benefits see the Membership page
2009 was an amazing year for COLT, sign up and let's make 2010 even better !
Louise and Beau are the COLT athletes of the year - Wednesday 2nd December
COLT held their Christmas social this past Saturday at the Borough in Lancaster, it was well attended and eveyone enjoyed meeting their club mates fully clothed for a change !!
Captain Richard Mason gave a rousing speech in which he talked about how far this club of ours has come in it's first twelve months. He then gave out some prizes and honourable mentions went to many athletes who had performed brilliantly over the year. The club's athletes of the year are Louise Kelly and Beau Smith who had raced and won at the highest level throughout 2009. I'm sure that everyone in the club will join me in congratulating them.
COLT Debutants shine at Lancaster Half Marathon - Tuesday 10th November
Several Members of COLT made their Half Marathon Debuts this past Sunday in this local race. Find out who was racing and how they faired on the results page : Here
Congratulations to our Hawaiian Ironman - Monday 12th October
John Knapp flew the COLT flag at the Ironman World Championships In Kona, Hawaii this past Saturday. He battled the legendary winds over the lava fields and soaring temperatures in the high nineties to finish in a an amazing time of 10:59:47.
John completed the non wetsuit swim in a very impressive 1:18:22, worked hard on the bike to record 5:45:56 and ran strongly in the furnace heat to complete the marathon in 3:48:49.
Awesome performance John, you're an inspiration to everyone at COLT ! Well Done.
Beau wins at Fleetwood - Monday 5th October.
The Mighty COLT continued their winning ways at the local Fleetwood Triathlon, Beau Smith led home a strong team with overall victory. Find out more at the Results page
ALOHA KONA - Thursday 1st October
John Knapp flys out to Hawaii this weekend and will be representing the Mighty Colt at the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona. The race which takes place on the "Big Island" is a mecca for Ironmen, something to aspire to and features the best of the best. John qualified for the race with an awesome performance in the States earlier this year. The race takes place on Saturday 10th October and you can follow Johns progress live on the Ironman Live section of the website linked above.
Everyone at COLT wishes John the best of luck.
Lousie wins at Tatton & Race roundup - Friday 25th September
Louise Kelly continued her great season by claiming 1st place at the Olympic distance race in Cheshire. She was backed up with an age group win from Paul Tynan and other strong performances from Team Colt. As the Tri season draws to a close Colts have been taking part in several other races and branching out into Half and full marathons with great success. For a roundup of recent performances click here
Young COLT's shine on the world Stage - Wednesday 23rd September
Siblings Paul Hodgson and Sarah Hodgson recorded excellent performances at the world biathle (run-swim-run) championships in Monaco.
Paul was placed 13th in the 17/18 year old category and Sarah was placed 9th in the 13/14 category. Great experience for them both competing in an international competition - and the Med was an excellent location for the competition - it certainly beat the qualifying competition which was in Salford Quays! Both are keen to be selected for the GB squad again next season as the event is being staged in Dubai. Well done.
World Championship Qualifiers - Wednesday 9th September
Congratulations to Sarah and Paul Hodgson, Junior COLT members, who have qualified to represent Great Britain at the Biathle World Championships in Monaco on the 20th September. The Hodgson siblings qualified with strong performances at the British Championships at Salford last month. You can read about their success on Junior results page.
Busy Few Weeks - Wednesday 9th September
The Mighty COLT have been here, there and everywhere whilst this webmaster has been away in warmer climes!
Louise Kelly won at Nottingham and Cockermouth, not to be outdone Beau Smith also topped the podium at Cockermouth. These performances were backed up by COLT pb's all round.
Team COLT performed brilliantly at the National Club Relay Championships.
John Towse placed in the top 20 at Allerthorpe.
Excellent performances came from 5 athletes at the Lakeland Olympic Triathlon.
Duncan Vavangas took second in his age group at the Clitheroe triathlon.
And last but not least Tom Phillips and Alistair Shawcross performed strongly to complete the very tough Embrunman long distance triathlon.
You can read all about their performances on the results page and view some photos in the gallery.
Upcoming Events - Wednesday 12th August
If you are suffering from post Ironman blues why not sign up for a shorter distance event? Join some of your fellow COLTs as they race over the smaller distances in August and September. Upcoming events include the messy but fun offroad sprint at Cockerham, what better way to spend a bank holiday Monday afternoon? Sprints also take place at Penrith, Ulverston,Nantwich, Kendal and Cockermouth. Or you can try your hand at the Leeds Olympic Triathlon.
The season is far from over ( that only happens when John crosses the line in Kona ) so lets keep the COLT momentum rolling and tear up a few more races.
Find a race to enter by going to our RACE CALENDAR page.
Good Luck to "Tornado" Tom and Alistair Shawcross- Wednesday 12th August
COLTs very own "Tornado" Tom Phillips and Allistair Shawcross travel to France this week to take part in the Embrunman. This Ironman distance triathlon featuring brutal ascents is celebrating its 26th year this year. I'm sure the whole club will join me in wishing them well.
Ironman UK - 13 not an unlucky number for COLT - Monday 3rd August
Thirteen certainly wasn't unlucky for the COLT Ironmen this past Sunday as remarkable performances all round firmly put the club on the map. A very loud and enthusiastic COLT supporters club were rewarded with strong performance after strong performance as all thirteen of the clubs athletes did themselves proud.
Found out how Kevin Bedford, Richard Mason, John Gilbert, Chris Wild, Mark Procter, Simon Devereux, Rob Sellers, Dave Wilson, Laurence Loxam, Mark Hammond, Paul McQueen, John Carr and Andrew McCracken all got on here
Well done everyone.
Cometh the hour, Cometh the Ironmen - Thursday 30th July
This Sunday sees 14 COLT athletes doing battle with themselves and 1500 others as they strive to complete Ironman UK in Bolton. As a triathlon club we may sometimes make completing an Ironman a "standard thing" as we have a wealth of experienced 140.6 mile race veterans in our ranks. It is far from standard, its hard work, it hurts, but its worth every minute of training, sacrifice, and pain.
The day is yours, seize it and savour it, but be warned its addictive.
I'm sure that everyone involved in COLT will join me in wishing Kevin Bedford, John Knapp, Richard Mason, John Gilbert, Chris Wild, Mark Procter, Simon Devereux, Rob Sellers, Dave Wilson, Laurence Loxam, Mark Hammond, Paul McQueen, John Carr and Andrew McCracken a safe, enjoyable and successful race.
Good Luck
Those looking for inspiration should read Captain Masons witty and inspiring Ironman Lanzarote race report here
Louise wins at Ripon - Sunday 19th July
The Mighty COLT tasted victory at Ripon as the seven strong team were led home by John Towse and Louise Kelly. Louise had the performance of the day winning the ladies race, but she was backed up by some quality and gutsy performances from her team mates. Find out who did what on the Race / Results page.
Deva Divas - Wednesday 15th July
The Mighty COLT were represented at this sundays women only Chester Deva Divas triathlon. This sprint event has a growing reputation for friendliness and fun whilst still providing a challenging race. Find out which lady COLTs did the club proud on the Race/Results page.
Fleetwood Triathlon - Wednesday 15th July
For the last three years the Aegon St Annes triathlon has grown into one of the biggest triathlons in the North West. For the children it has become a special favorite as they rarely get to race on closed roads in this area. Sadly the local council closed down the modern 6 lane swimming pool so like many others the event had to end.
That said from the ashes comes the Fleetwood triathlon just a few miles further north and the other side of Blackpool. This event will be run on Sunday September 27th and will be open to all from 7 years upwards including an adult Sprint distance race. Children will race the full Tristar distances on closed and secure roads whilst adults will run the full sprint distance.
For those that knew St Annes tri this is identical, completely flat, fast and on wide closed Promenades. As ever the aim is to be one of the cheapest events in the UK but with closed roads, chip timing, t-shirts and medals for all. Please support this new event and make it as successful as St Annes was.
Entries will be available on www.ukresults.net please enter on line and let all you can know about this event.
New PB for Ironman Andy - Monday 6th July
COLT athlete achieved his season goal of going under 13 hours for the Ironman distance. Read how Andy achieved his time of 12:57:21 on the race reports page.
A Great day trip to the Lakes - Wednesday 1st July
Fourteen members of the Mighty COLT battled their way around quite simply the toughest half ironman course in this country ( and arguably anywhere else ). The team was led home by Captain Mason. Found out how he and his team did on the race reports page.
The Grand Master is off to the Big Island - Tuesday 23rd June
After his blisteringly fast performance at Ironman Couer d'Alene and 5th place in his age group, the Grand Master, John Knapp, has qualified for the Ironman World Championships. These will take place on the Big Island, Kona, Hawaii, later this year.
This is the third time John has qualified for Hawaii, an amazing achievement, and one that firmly puts the Mighty COLT on the world map. Nice one John.
Valerie & John perform amazingly at IRONMAN - Monday 22nd June
The Golden Couple of COLT, Valerie O'Donnell and John Knapp both performed out of their skins to record very fast times at Ironman Coeur d'Alene. Find out how they both recorded the fastest club times of the year for the distance here.
Amazing Weekend for COLT - Monday 22nd June
COLT members put in some mightily impressive performances and walked away with several prizes at both the Chester and Liverpool triathlons this past weekend. Find out who won what, and which COLTs smashed their pbs here.
Track Sessions
International Triathlete and COLT Louise Kelly will be leading track training sessions on Wednesday evenings at Salt Ayre. ALL ABILITIES WELCOME !
Find out more on the Training Page.
Top 10 performances from COLT - Tuesday 16th June
It was a good weekend for the Mighty COLT as athletes Matt Barnes and Mike Cubin recorded top 10 finishes at the Cockermouth Sprint Triathlon and the Morecambe 10k. These excellent perfomances were backed up by strong debut and pb performances from other COLTs, Kirsten McAteer and Sam & Sarah Patterson.Read all about how well they did here
COLT athlete wins the Bolton Youth Triathlon - Tuesday 16th June
COLT athlete Beau Smith won the Bolton Youth Triathlon, with a strong performance. He recorded the fastest splits in all 3 disciplines. Read about his recent performances here
COLT battle the elements at Coniston - Tuesday 9th June
Several Colt athletes competed in fierce conditions this weekend at the Coniston Triathlon Festival. On the Saturday Valerie O'Donnell, Laurence Loxam, Dave Wilson and John Knapp took on the Olympic Course. On the Sunday Tom Phillips took the "Old Man" challenge as he raced his way round the long course. Find out how they all got on by clicking HERE
COLT CLUB KIT
The COLT club Kit is now available to order online from Impsport. Go to the CLUB KIT page and follow the instructions to order your kit.
It looks great, so order yours now and get racing this summer in the black and white of the Mighty COLT !
Great performances by COLT in Cheshire - Friday 5th June
The last day of May saw soaring temperatures as over a 1000 triathletes tested themselves in Nantwich at the Cheshire Sprint Triathlon. COLT were represeneted by Stuart Pike and Andy Holgate. Stuart completed his first of many triathlons and Andy completed his fastest sprint, so it was a good day for THE MIGHTY COLT. Find out more here
COLT place high in the European Duathlon Championships - Friday 29th May
Louise Kelly raced superbly to finish in strong 6th place at the ETU European Championship this past weekend in Hungary. Louise was part of a Great Britain Team that dominated proceedings.
Well done Louise.
COLT Ironmen conquer the harsh island of Lanzarotte - Thursday 28th May
With it's sea swim, desolate larva fields, biting winds and unforgiving heat many consider Lanza to be the toughest Ironman race in the world.
Four members of COLT stepped forward and asked themselves to dig deep and face the challenge.Well done Chris Wild ,Mark Proctor,Mark Buckley and Club Captain, Richard Mason,you did us proud ! They all raced fantastic times at the toughest Ironman in the world ,Lanza will remember and respect the mighty COLT.
Mark Buckley 13:04
Mark Procter 12:46
Chris Wild 11:27
Richard Mason 10:47
COLT win three team bronzes at the National Biathlon Champs - Wednesday 20th May
Nineteen City of Lancaster Triathlon (COLT) Club members travelled to Macclesfield on Sunday for the National Biathlon Championships, having qualified for the event at the North West Biathlon and Open Triathlon Championships which were held at Salt Ayre last month. The athletes returned with three team national bronze medals, an outstanding achievement for a new club. Read more on the Junior Results page.
COLT perform well in Keswick - Monday 18th May
Several members of COLT tackled the tough Keswick Mountain Festival Triathlon yesterday. Tom Phillips, Chris Clarke,Peter Clarkson and Kevin Bedford all put in strong performances in some tricky weather conditions. To read how they got on, go to the Race/Results Page.
COLT put Fred in his place. - Friday 15th May
Last Sunday saw the grand daddy of all sportives take place "The Fred Whitton " 6 COLTS took on the challenge ,John Knapp,Valerie O'Donnell,Tom Phillips,Andrew Webster,John Towse & Andrew McCracken all riding strong, well done to all. A full race report will follow.
COLT take third in Scotland - Friday 15th May
COLT athlete, Kevin Bedford, raced in the The Distillery Challenge this past Sunday. The 100 mile ride went from the distillery at Dalwhinney to the distillery at Rosisle - 68 riders in total, Kevin was 3rd finisher in an impressive 5h23mins.
COLT perform well at Kendal and Dalton. - Wednesday 6th May
COLT Athletes were out in force again at Kendal Sprint Triathlon on Sunday with some impressive performances . Louise Kelly stormed away from the rest of the field to take overall victory in the ladies race. Louise was representing her old club Leicester Tri, but has recently joined the ranks of COLT.
Well done to Andy Greenwood 69th,Dave Worthington 25th ,Paul Tynan 12th & Martin Boddie 10th both following up from strong performances at Skipton but cream of the crop was the up & coming star Paul Hodgson 8th overall & 1st in his age group.
Andy Holgate had a strong run at the Dalton Charter 10k taking two minutes off his previous best time for the course. Read more about both events on the results page.
OPEN WATER SWIMMING IS BACK ! - Tuesday 28th April
Update : All swimmers must read, complete and sign one of these forms before being allowed to swim.
COLT Open Water Swimming consent form
The first open water swimming session of the season will take place this coming Monday, the 4th of May ( and then every 2 weeks ). The session starts at 7pm at Lakeland Leisure village near Carnforth. To participate you must either be a member of COLT or Tri Preston, or be an individual member of the BTA. The cost is £3 for club members and £4 for non club ( BTA ) members.
Please wear a bright coloured swimming cap for safety, it makes it easier for the safety canoes to keep you in sight at all times. The water has been quality tested by the council and has been passed for swimming in.
The water WILL be cold and wetsuits are compulsory, if you don't have a wetsuit there may be a spare one available. Please email me if you would like to borrow one, and I'll see what I can do.
Directions to Lakeland Leisure Village.
Tom tames the 3 Peaks - Tuesday 28th April
Tom Phillips had a great race in the 55th running of the 3 peaks fell race. You can read more about his great run here
University Masters Swimming Class - Friday 24th April
The Official University Masters Swimming Class has now moved to Sunday afternoons from 2-3pm. This will be a coached session and will cost £4. A few of us will still be meeting for an unofficial non coached session at the regular time of 6-7pm on Tuesday nights. Come along to either session and improve your stroke and efficiency in the water.
Great Day of Racing by COLT athletes - Tuesday 21st April
Sunday saw 17 COLT athletes compete in the Skipton Triathlon, whilst closer to home two members of COLT raced in the Lancaster 3 Bridges 10k. There are photo's on the Gallery page and Race reports on the Results page.
You can also read what our COLT Captain Richard had to say about it all in his BLOG entry.
Lakeland Loop - Tuesday 14th April
Easter Sunday saw Three COLTs take on "The Lakeland Loop" a 75mile cyclesportive with over 400 rders taking part . Find out how Val O'Donnell, Andrew McCracken and Richard Mason got on here
Ampleforth Leg Warmer Triathlon. - Wednesday 8th April
COLT athlete Dave Worthington had a great race this past Saturday to finish fourth in his age group at the Ampleforth Leg Warmer Triathlon in Yorkshire. Click here for a full report.
North West Biathlon Championships and National Qualifier. - Tuesday 7th April
City of Lancaster Triathlon (COLT) Club’s juniors had their first racing experience on Sunday in the North West Biathlon and Open Triathlon Championships which were held at Salt Ayre. The event incorporated trials for the National Championships which are to be held in Macclesfield next month. Click here for a full report
COLT & Steve Stretch are Famous - Friday 20th March
Our very own Steve Stretch has made the the front page of TRI TALK with a headline & race report on their website .
He has also made the back page of the Lancaster Guardian, and is featured in the Lakeland Echo ,well done Steve ,WOOOHOOH!
"THE MIGHTY COLT ARE COMING"
UPDATE - University Maters Swimming Class - Friday 13th March
This has ended for the term but it will continue "unofficially" from 6-7pm on Tuesday nights. Sam the coach will leave sessions for us to follow but it won't be coached, and will be pretty informal - get on with it for yourselves.
There are two lanes booked for the session - a fast one, and one for everyone else. The cost will be £3.50 for University sports centre members, and £4 for non members.
Dates are 17th,24th,31st March and 7th and 14th April
Two upcoming Junior events in the area - Tuesday 10th March
Just announced, two new Junior events will be taking palce in March and April. Bolton Junior Aquathlon takes place on Sunday 29th March and closer to home the Salt Ayre Sports Junior Duathlon takes place on Sunday 26th April. Entry forms can be found on the Race Calendar page. Or if you have any questions please email Andrew McCracken
Congratulations Steve, Well done at IM New Zealand - Monday 9th March
COLT athlete Steve Stretch travelled to the other side of the world to take on the Ironman course at Taupo in New Zealand. Steve had a great race and improved on his time from last year which was 10:25:42. This year Steve tore around the course to finish in a very impressive 10:17:15, this earned him 11th position in the 45-49 age group.
Well done Steve.
University Masters Swimming Class - Wednesday 4th March
If you can't make it along to Total Fitness on a Tuesday night for the Masters Swimming session there is now an alternative.
There is a Masters class taking place at Lancaster University Sports Centre from 6-7pm, several COLT members swam there last night and it's a good workout. Come along and improve your swimming.
More details can be found on the training page.
Great Performances from COLTs - Friday 27th February
The Great North West Half Marathon took place on Sunday in Blackpool, and despite the blustery conditions COLT couple John Knapp and Valerie O'Donnell had good strong runs. Putting down early markers for the coming season John came home in 1:24:23 and Valerie crossed the line in 1:46:23.
Sunday also saw a band of intrepid COLT athletes tackle the tough Lune RCC Coal Road Challenge, a 67 mile hilly ride through the rolling hills of North Lancashire and Cumbria. The club was represented by Loz Loxam who finished in a very resptable 4hrs 26 mins, Dave Wilson, Paul McQueen, Vice Cpt.Andrew McCraken and Cpt.Richard Mason. Richard finished in a very quick time of 3hrs 47 mins, despite puncturing at Bentham.
Club Championship Races for 2009 - Friday 27th February
The Following events have been designated as being the COLT Club Championship races for 2009:
Skipton ( Sprint ) 19th April
Day in the Lakes ( Middle ) 28th June
Ripon ( Olympic ) 11th July
Ironman UK 2nd August
Click on the links above to find out more about each of the races and join your fellow COLTs in racing for the club championship in 2009.
Unfortunately Ironman UK is completely sold out, but those racing would appreciate your support on the course in and around Bolton.
Want to represent your country ? - Friday 27th Febuary
Applications are now being invited by the BTA for athletes that would like to represent their country at various ITU competitions around the world.
Details of the qualifying criteria and the application process can be found here : BTA Age Group Qualification
Tackle a local sportive and aid a good cause. - Friday 27th Febuary
Entries are now being taken for a couple of local sportive rides in May and June.
The Struggle takes place on on Sunday 17th May and offers two challenging rides of 100km and 144km.
Riders start from Mysercough College in between Lancaster and Preston and take in some tough climbing as the route goes via Birdy Brough, Slaidburn, Lamb Fell and Tatum Fell before heading home through Chipping, Dunsop Bridge, The Trough, Dolphinholme and Cockerham. It promises to be a great ride with all proceeds going to aid the NW Air Ambulance.
Le-Terrier takes place on Sunday 7th June and offers two challenging rides of 45 miles and 80 miles.
Riders start from Lancaster Town Hall and are climbing immediately in an event that prides itself on "Having no junk miles!" The route takes in Jubilee Tower, The Trough of Bowland, Harris End Fell, Cross O'Greet, Wray, Roeburndale, Scout Camp and Stocka Bank.
I can say from last years experience that this is quite a tough but enjoyable ride. All proceeds will go towards aiding Lancaster Homeless Shelter and St John's Hospice.