City of Lancaster Triathlon
"The only limits we have are those we set ourselves"
News
CLUB AGM - 17th January
The COLT AGM ( Annual General Meeting will take place on Monday 30th January at 7.30pm in the Gregson Centre.
Remember, COLT IS YOUR CLUB, so come along and have your say.
2012 RACE CALENDAR - 10th January
The Race Calendar page has been completely updated today, all the links will take you to the entry and details for some of the most popular races in 2012.
Including details of exciting new events in our home city such as a marathon in June and a standard distance open water triathlon in July.
If you feel an event needs adding to the calendar please email Andy Holgate
Race well in 2012 !
2012 MEMBERSHIP - Tuesday 3rd January
Happy New Year to you all, we hope that you had a great festive time and that 2012 brings you all the success and fun that you desire.
With that in mind you might want to renew your COLT membership for 2012.
This is available once again at the bargaintatsic price of £10, come on, seriously it would be rude not to.
Click here and help the Mighty COLT have another great year.
NEW HALF MARATHON - Monday 5th December
If you fancy kicking off 2012 with a local half marathon then you are in luck.
The Inskip Derby Arms Half Marathon takes place on the 22nd January just outside Preston.
Further details and entry can be found here
CLUB CHAMPIONS 2011 - Monday 5th December
Saturday night saw the COLT Christmas party and awards ceremony. The highlight of the night being Captain Masons rousing speech and recap of an amazing year for our club which saw us become North West Champions for the first time.
Key to us winning that Championship was Chris "IronHobbit" Clarke who performed brilliantly throughout the season at every distance from sprint to Ironman. Chris was a worthy winner of 'Male Athlete of the year'. No mean feat given the quality performances of others.
The ladies category was equally as competitive but Kel Hirst was our 'Female Athlete of the year', for many reasons, not least her Ironman debut in Bolton.
Finally the "Big Banana" award went to the machine that is Tom 'Tornado' Phillips for his endurance performances this year. Not only did he complete the tough Embrunman, but he also did the Bob Graham Round, Fred Whitton and more fell running and ultras than is propbably good for you.
Congratulations to our very deserving award winners.
THE BAR HAS BEEN RAISED - Monday 5th December
Ironman Arizona saw the bar raised in terms of Ironman performance and standard for COLT. Daniel McParland and John Knapp had inspirational races to both go under 10 hours.
Dan finished in an amazing time of 9.32.29, this included a 4.59.10 bike split. Phenomenal!!!
John finished in 9.54.08 and qualified for Kona ( his second home ). Another top day at the office, not that we'd expect anything from else from the Grandmaster.
Well done both from everyone at COLT - looking forward to the race reports.
KONA REPORT, GET INSPIRED!! - Monday 24th October
Put the kettle on, send the kids to bed and get comfy on the sofa with the laptop and experience the highs and lows of an epic race report from the Ironman World Championships. Our own COLT Captain, Richard Mason shares the passion and pain of competing on the biggest stage in the sport. Don't miss his inspirational race report HERE.
FREE FOOT ASSESSMENT - Tuesday 18th October
On Saturday, October 22; The Foot Centre are offering free consultations all day, to people who are concerned about poor posture, blisters, cold or sore feet or frequent and persistent injuries or for people who are on their feet all day or need to improve mobility!
Using ‘state of the art’ equipment, the Foot Centre can build a 3D map of your feet, leading to the creation of high quality, thermo-moulded insoles 100% specifically tailored to each individual foot, on site, within the hour!
If you feel you require greater comfort or performance from your work and fashion shoes or multi-sports shoe, then a 100% custom fitted insole is the answer; come in and speak to The Foot Centre about taking further steps.
Also, in-store on the day will be Stuart Reynolds, resident Sports Physiotherapist to offer muscular, neurological or skeletal advice and Louise Goddard, Nutritional Advisor to discuss any weight, digestive or performance concerns; also Tracey Benson, Massage Therapist; offering a free taster session.
No appointment is necessary, come in and see us on the day, The Foot Centre is within the Runners Centre, 10 King’s Arcade, Lancaster LA1 1JZ.
Please call 07766 856543 for more information.
‘The Foot Centre; reconnecting you with your feet, your shoes and your body’
KONA GLORY FOR CHRIS & RICHARD - Monday 10th October
A massive congratulations from evryone at COLT to the IronHippy, Chris Wild and COLT Captain, Richard Mason. They both conquered the humidity of Hawaii to finish in very respectable times of 10.41.48 ( Richard ) and 10:52.30 ( Chris ).
We all look forward to reading the race reports
COLT DOMINATE CHAMPIONSHIPS - Thursday 6th October
COLT have done extremely well in this year's North West Club Series. The awards will be presented at the Tri England North West Annual Awards Evening on 26th November at Lancashire Manor Hotel, Pimbo.
• COLT have won the Men's League.
• Paul Tynan has won the individual SuperVet series.
• Beau Smith has won both the Junior & the Senior series.
Beau & Wendy Smith are hoping to attend the 'do' but it would be good if COLT had a bit more of a presence rather than just the two of them. Hopefully Paul will be able to attend to collect his award, and if a few others could go to collect the club prize it would be appreciated.
Aside from Beau and Paul, Alasdair Grubb, Chris Clarke & Pete Denness have all been counters at various events.
Tickets cost: £8 for adults £5 for children (under 16) £23 for a family (2+2) & £3 per additional child
Please contact Wendy Smith for tickets on wendysmith63@btinternet.com
Well done to everyone involved! Captain Mason & the Committee
MARY TAKES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SILVER - Thursday 6th October
Three members of City of Lancaster Triathlon (COLT) Club were selected to represent Great Britain at the World Biathle Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The best result of the day came in the U15 Girls event which saw Mary Hodgson take individual silver and team gold. An outstanding achievement. You can read all about our Sofia stars on the Junior Results page.
Congratulations from everyone at COLT.
EMBRUNMAN THE RETURN - Tuesday 14th September
Alistair Shawcross and Tom Phillips returned to Embrunman this August to battle with the ironman distance Alpine event in sweltering temperatures.
Alistair improved his postion from two years ago despite suffering from a bad chest infection and Tom zoomed up the rankings to gain 19th out of 300 in the 45/50 category and 190th overall. It's fiercely contested event in France with 20,000 Euro first prize and amazing support.
You can read the amazing full report at http://blog.w-o-w.com/2011/08/return-to-embrunman.html and admire the stunning scenary in the photos.
Well done both.
SOFIA BOUND - Tuesday 30th August
The British Biathle championships were held in Salford Quay again this year –and also formed the trials for the World Biathle Championships to be held in Sofia, Bulgaria later this year. With the first five finishers in each age group guaranteed selection for the British Team, competition was fierce throughout the day. Five City of Lancaster Triathletes took part in the event which involved a run followed by a non-wetsuit swim in the quay followed by a second run.
Find out which COLT became National champion and which others will be joining him, representing Great Britain at the world championships here.
SARAHS' PERFECT DAY - Wednesday 10th August
Have you done your first sprint, or maybe an Olympic, and are now considering a longer race? Following on from her brilliant report last year chronicling her journey from Sprint to Olympic distance, Sarah patterson has written a fascinating, honest, and funny insight into stepping up to the Half Ironman distance.
This is an inspirational tale, and one that should appeal to all COLTs regardless of what distances you do. You can find it on the Triathlon Experiences page entitled "From Olympic to Half: My Perfect Day with a little help from COLT."
ON TOP OF THE WORLD - Tuesday 9th August
Saturday saw our own John Knapp complete THE hardest Ironman distance race in the world, the Norseman. It's not one for the faint hearted, and the jump off the back of a car ferry at dawn into an icy Norweigan Fjord is just the start of the toughest day you'll ever face as a triathlete.
Despite the freezing cold waters, a fall on the bike and more mountain climbing than is good for anyone. John claimed the legendary black t-shirt in a time of 14.23. Just consider for a second that John has a sub 10hr Ironman to his name and the realisation of just how tough this race is will dawn on you.
I'm sure that everyone at COLT will join me in congratulating John on an amazing achievement. And also Valerie who was his support crew, she had to get up the mountain and back down again, no mean feat in itself. Well done Team Knapp.
BEAU TAKES 4TH IN LONDON - Tuesday 2nd August
This past Sunday whilst most of the clubs focus was in Bolton, young Beau Smith flew the COLT flag down in London. He raced in the elite junior race and did amazingly well to take 4th place in a very strong international field.
You can read about this, and his other recent achievements, including scaring a few senior pros at Liverpool, and winning the Chester Deva Olympic here
An amazing weekend all round for the club at all distances and ages. Very well done Beau on such a brilliant season so far.
HAWAII WELCOMES HIPPY & CAPTAIN - Monday 1st August
Breaking news coming out of Bolton is that the Iron Hippy, Chris Wild and COLT captain, Richard Mason have both realised the dream of qualifying for the Ironman World Championships this October in Kona.
I'm sure that everyone involved with COLT will joing me in congratulating them on an amazing achievement.
CONGRATULATIONS IRONMEN - Monday 1st August
Congratulations to everyone who competed at Bolton yesterday and did the club proud. I was priviliged enough to be roadside to shout on some amazing athletes, surrounded by fellow supporters we all did the club proud.
So in no particular order congratulations to Peter Sariwee, Chris Wild, Ian Bailey, Richard Mason, Chris Lawson, Kel Hirst, Andy Ley, Kevin Lindeque, Chris Clarke, Ian Richardson, John Carr, Tony Calverley, Rob Sellers, Tony Jeffery and Paul Gardner.
I've been asked by Peter Sariwee to post this on his behalf as well, you can read his full race report here
"Could you please place this on the news page, a big huge THANK YOU for the amazing support I recieved yesterday at the IMUK, it was amazing it really helped to push me along, you guys where amazing and especially Chris's wife who gave me the ibruprofen and paracetamol.
Thank you all so very much you helped me get through the proudest day of my life when i became an IRONMAN!!!
Next year if am not doing this event i will certainly join you guys and cheer the mighty colts on, Once a gain thank you so much Pete
My Ironman time was swim 1:32:13 bike 7:36:11 run 4:52:31 total 14:31:58 cheers :0)"
A race report will follow.
NEW MEMBERSHIP OFFER - Wednesday 27th July
COLT is pleased to announce that The Foot Centre in Lancaster is now offering club members a 10% discount on their services.
To find out more about getting your feet and more importantly your aches and pains sorted out, check out the link above or have a look at the information page HERE.
COLT SUMMER BARBECUE - Tuesday 5th July
On the on the evening of Monday the 11th July we will be having our summer BBQ and open water swim (at the usual South Lakes Leisure Village Swim venue). As last year the BBQ will follow the swim at about 8.00pm. The costs have not yet been finalised however it is likely to be £8 for the swim and BBQ combined (£4 for children). It was a great success last year and the food was excellent.
To give us an idea of numbers we would be grateful if you can respond if you think you will attend. Please remember to let us know about partners or friends that wish to eat. Please reply to andrew.mccracken@exova.com and let him know if you'd like food by Wednesday 6th July.
IRONMAN SWIM 3.8KM - Wednesday 22nd June
On Monday the 27th of June we are allowing COLT and TP members to attempt a long (2.4 mile ironman distance) swim during our regular open water swim sessions. This will be a timed swim for those participants that wish to take part.
To allow enough time the ‘timed’ swim will start at 6.30pm. The regular swimmers won't enter the water until 7.00pm. However please note that the regular swimmers will be swimming the course at the same time as the timed swimmers. The timed swimmers will need to arrive by 6.00pm at the latest.
The 2.4 mile swim participants will have a numbered hat and will be required to shout out their number as they pass the lap counter at buoy 1; however it will be the responsibility of the participant to count their own laps. The fee for the timed swim will be £5 for COLT and TP members. If you would like to participate you must first enter by emailing me (Andrew, COLT Vice) with your name, age and estimated swim time. Please reply to andrew.mccracken@exova.com
A HUGE WEEKEND OF RACING - Tuesday 24th May
A huge update of racing reports have been added to the site this morning as the mighty COLT have been very busy of late.
We have half ironman debuts, sprints in sandstorms, mountain triathlon mayhem, Mr Lanzarote himself and a stateside comeback of epic proportions.
Go on....you know you want to read all about it here.
*NEW* SWIM SESSION AT HEYSHAM - Monday 9th May
The new COLT swim session at Heysham Pool was very well attended when the first session was held last week. 15 members turned up on the night and coach Mark Smith put everyone through their paces with a mixture of technique drills and speed work.
The ability of those swimming was wide-ranging but this was managed admirably by Mark so all swimmers however fast or slow gained real benefit from the session.
Cost is £15.00 per month.
Timing is 8.30 pm – 9.30 pm.
Come along and give it a go.
*NEW* COLT FORUM - Tuesday 2nd May
As of May 1st the host of the COLT forum informed us that they would no longer be hosting it, the club was given 24 hours notice of its deletion. The committee has worked hard over the weekend and a new forum has been set up at the following address http://colttriathlon.lefora.com/
Please register and start posting, and hopefully once again this essential part of the club that offers both a social and informative outlet will become popular again. If you've never joined the forum before now is the perfect opportunity.
If you have any problems in registering please contact either Danny Rogerson or Andy Holgate. You'll find their contact details on the forum.
IT'S BACK FOR 2011 - Friday 15th April
It's the moment you've all been waiting for, yes that's right OPEN WATER SWIMMING starts again on Monday 2nd May at 7pm.
So go and find your wetsuit, make sure it still fits, and get yourself along to The Lakeland Leisure Village.
Oh and be warned, it will be a tad chilly for the first few sessions.
£3 for COLT and Tri Preston members, and £5 for everyone else.
Full details and the consent form that everyone must print off and sign if they haven't previously is on the Training Page
HOBBITS AND HILLS - Wednesday 13th April
Now the Hobbit is one of my favourite books, and I've read it more times than I care to remember. However I don't remember the part where they are described as being fast, COLTs own "IronHobbit" Chris Clarke broke the mould this Sunday when he smashed his marathon pb.
You can read about how Chris stormed round Llanelli and how Kevin Lindeque and Pete Denness tamed the Lakeland Hills on the Results page.
LEARN HOW TO FIX YOUR BIKE - Thursday 7th April
On Monday next week COLT will be holding a practical demonstration on bike maintenance. Primarily we will be focussing on fixing punctures and changing tyres etc. We recognise that many of our members are not confident when it comes to fixing punctures therefore the objective of this session will be to ensure all participants will learn and practice how to fix a puncture unaided. And then learn a few other maintenance tips if we have time.
The session will take place in the Gregson Centre (main hall downstairs) in Lancaster on Monday the 11th between 7.30 -9.30pm. It is free to attend. You will need to bring your bike and your 'on the road tools' and a pump if you have these.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Andrew McCracken.
It's not essential to say you are coming you can just turn up on the night, however if you can let us know it would be helpful.
MORE WEEKEND RACING - Thursday 7th April
Wow what a weekend it was, not content with racing in Belgium, Lancaster and Ribby, the mighty COLT sent members far and wide to test themselves to their limits.
Find out how Rick Gould got on at The Oulton Park Duathlon and how Peter Sariwee took to the cobbled streets of Rome to tame the marathon on the Race/Results page.
BUSY WEEKEND - Monday 4th April
Andy Holme got COLT off to a great start on a very busy weekend when he completed the Tour of Flanders Sportive in Belgium.
Then on Sunday The Mighty COLT put in impressive performances at Ribby Hall Triathlon and the Lancaster 3 Bridges 10k, and came away with a blisteringly quick victory. Find out which aspiring Buff male model took the spoils, and how everyone else got on over on the Race/Results page.
RECORD BREAKER Talk - Wednesday 30th March
In February 2010 Vin Cox set of "in search of adventure, in aid of charity, and in pursuit of a world record". Within six months he'd cycled 18,225.7 miles alone and entered the Guinness Book of Records. More significantly for him, he'd visited countless World Heritage Sites, experienced dozens of cultures, and pushed on through some great adversities. The adventure was worth over £100,000 to charity, and was priceless to Vin.
Join Vin for the full story of his adventure and revealing anecdotes about all corners of the world; from "spying" in Egypt, to an earthquake in Sumatra, snakes in Australia, a weather bomb in New Zealand, and riding in the heat of Death Valley. All illustrated with stunning photographs and video from the journey.
April 27th 2011 at Heron theatre, Beetham.
2 showings if sufficient demand— 5pm and 7-30 pm 30 seats already sold
Cost is £7-50 per head
Tickets from Terry Bell The Barn Silverdale Lancs LA 5 0SQ
Phone 01524 701340
Email terrbell@gotadsl.co.uk
COLT BUFFS NOW AVAILABLE - Thursday 24th March
The club has comissioned a custom BUFF in COLT colours ( Thanks IronHippy ). For those of you that don't know what a BUFF is or have never used one, they are a great piece of kit. They keep your head warm on the bike in winter, and I've used one in an ironman to protect my neck from sunburn. There are so many ways to wear one: scarf, headband, balaclava or bandana. Check out the demo in this link.
To see more photos and find out how you can get your mits on the coolest bit of kit to be seen with this season, check out our new COLT BUFF PAGE.
NORTH WEST CHAMPIONS = COLT - Tuesday 15th March
Parbold Duathlon this past Sunday doubled up as the North West Regional Championships. COLT sent a strong team, with the intention with winning and didn't come away disapointed. To add to this success one of our athletes also took home the individual Junior title. WELL DONE.
Read all about the championship success on the race/results page
20 MILES? NO PROBLEM FOR COLT TRIO - Tuesday 8th March
Three members of the Mighty COLT tested themselves over the unforgiving distance of 20 miles. Some lovely weather and great support from cycling COLTs, fresh from the club run helped to spur our plucky tri to three storming performances at the Trimpell 20.
To find out more check out the Race / Results page.
BLACKPOOL ROCKS! - Friday 4th March
The streets of Blackpool rocked last Sunday as Team COLT strode into town to take on the The Great North West Half Marathon.
Find out which runners were quicker than a donkey chasing a carrot along the prom, and which COLT used a pair of shoes that were even more sparkly than some of the costumes in the Tower Ballroom? The answers are revealed on the Race/Results page.
COAL ROAD CHALLENGE - Wednesday 2nd March
Eight members of COLT took on the 62 mile long Coal Road Challenge this past Sunday. The reliability ride organised by the local Lune RCC has long been a popular event with club members.
Check out who over came the challenge on the race/results page.
CHRISTMAS IN FEBRUARY??? - Monday 28th February
Don't adjust your eyes, or run off to change you reading glasses, 5 members of Team COLT did indeed celebrate a belated Christmas yesterday with Christmas pudding and a bit of cycling thrown in for good measure.
See how they all got on at the re-arranged Christmas Cracker Sportive on our race/results page.
COLT AGM MINUTES - Friday 25th February
The second annual AGM of COLT took place at the Gregson Centre on Wednesday 25th January. Although not as many members attended this year there was still a very useful discussion that took place between the committee and other club members.
You will be pleased to hear that the club is in very good health, go to the COLT Official documents page and download the minutes as a PDF.
If after reading them you have a question please contact a member of the committee or start a discussion on our very lively club forum.
COLT BOOK SIGNING - Tuesday 15th February
COLT's very own Andy Holgate will be signing copies of his best selling triathlon book "Can't Swim, Can't Ride,Can't Run: My Triathlon Journey from Common Man to Ironman" at
Waterstones ( the one in the arcade ) in Lancaster on Saturday 5th March from 4:30-6:30pm.
Andy will also be doing another signing for Waterstones in the Trafford Centre, Manchester, on Saturday 26th March from 1pm.
For those of you that aren't aware of what the book is about, this gives you an idea:
"This book is both a lesson in true grit and determination, but its goal is one that is attainable. Andy isn't a sporting superstar, he holds down a 9-5 job and all the pressures that go with it; he isn't blessed with speed and talent; there are no multi-million pound sponsorship deals; yet this remarkable "common man" is inspiring in a way that some of today's sporting superstars have forgotten how to be.
You wouldn't recognize Andy in the street, yet his story provides valuable lessons to us all: "Never give up" and "Anything is possible." Can't Swim, Can't Ride, Can't Run follows Andy Holgate's epic journey from being an overweight librarian to an Ironman triathlete. Before he could even begin the rollercoaster ride which amassed more punctures than Andy cares to remember, this would-be Superman had first to buy a second-hand bike and take swimming lessons. Along the way, he ended up in hospital, dealt with family crises, encountered alligators and deadly amoebas, and persuaded his friends that doing an Ironman event is what normal people do on their stag weekend. This is the inspirational, amusing and moving story of how one normal bloke learnt how to fall off a bike and not injure himself, to run a marathon despite two dodgy knees, and most importantly how not to drown."
you can read about it, and some excellent reviews on Amazon
The book has been a UK top 10 bestseller in the Sports Biography category, and Andy has received messages from people from as far away as Australia who have been inspired by his words to enter triathlons. It's also been well received by other members of Team COLT - see here.
If you can make it along to either event that would be great.
TOM BEATS BOB ! - Wednesday 9th February
Not content with besting the grueling Bob Graham Round last Summer, 'Tornado' Tom Phillips has been back for a second go at the race that covers approximately 74 miles, a daunting 42 peaks and a leg crippling 28,500ft of climbing.
And this time to make it that much tougher he did it in Winter. Tom finished this awsome event in 23hrs 17mins and became only the 25th person to finish the 'Bob' within the cut off time of 24hrs during the winter months.
An awesome achievement from a remarkable endurance athlete and thoroughly nice bloke.
You can read Tom's amazing account of it all on his blog World Outdoor Web
Well done Tom from all at COLT.
NW SENIOR SERIES ANNOUNCED - Wednesday 9th February
For anyone wanting to race locally, or no idea what races to do, the following races make up the NW series and championships and would comprise a good set of target races…… Triathlon England NW are also in negotiation with a potential sponsor which will result in not just trophies but some decent prizes also.
Parbold Duathlon 13th March
Series event and NW Duathlon Championships
http://www.epicevents.org/page.php/news#news72 entries open
Deva Standard Distance Triathlon 12th June
Series Event and NW Standard distance Championships
http://www.chestertri.org.uk/main/ entries open
Boundary Breeze Sprint Triathlon 24th July
Series Event and NW Sprint Championships
http://www.man-tri-club.org.uk/Events/
Salford Quays National Aquathlon Championships TBC (usually a Saturday in July)
Series Event
http://www.man-tri-club.org.uk/Events/
Helvellyn Triathlon 4th September
Series Event (except for juniors)
http://www.trihard.co.uk/Helvellyn/Helvellynhome.htm Entries now open
Senior Series Best 4 results from the list of five events above (based on a points score system)
Club League Cumulative times for best two athletes from each of the 5 senior series events. The move to only two athletes allows smaller clubs to compete against those with a bigger membership.
Individual prizes are to be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd overall plus age group winners in the following categories Juniors (17-19), 1st Vets (40+), 1st Super Vets (50+) for both male and females.
N.B. Helvellyn is not open to juniors so their series is best 3 from 4.
Further details, series rules and updates see NW webpage http://www.britishtriathlon.org/triathlonengland/northwest/
Any queries to Series Co-ordinator Tony Jolly at Northwestseries@gmail.com
NW CHILDREN'S SERIES ANNOUNCED - Wednesday 9th February
Triathlon England NW are trying out a new format this year with one continuous series of events instead of a separate summer and winter series and trophies to the top five in each category.
Any queries should be directed to the children’s series coordinator steven.jones@btinternet.com
Also see http://www.britishtriathlon.org/triathlonengland/northwest/ for updates
Series Criteria:
• Best 8 races to count
• Race score based on first NW competitor scoring 100 and all others scoring a (100 x competitor time/first NW time)
• Maximum of 4 aquathons to count towards final score.
• All competitors must reside in NW or declare their intention to participate only in this regional series to Children’s chair before Bolton Aquathon (27th March)
• Prizes for first 5 in Youths, T3, T2 & T1 and for each gender.
• To be eligible for prizes, athletes must be a member of Tri England by June 1st at latest.
X x x x x The events and where to find entry forms and more details x x x x X
6th February Wirral Tristars and Youths Aquathon http://www.merseytri.org.uk/
6th March Marbury Park Junior Duathlon http://www.warringtontri.co.uk/events.php
27th March Bolton Junior Aquathon http://boltontri.com
3rd April Tri Team Wigan Aquathon http://www.triteamwigan.co.uk/
10th April Deva Junior Aquathon http://www.chestertri.org.uk/
1st May Northwich Aquathon http://www.warringtontri.co.uk/events.php
22nd May St Annes Triathlon http://www.ukresults.net/2011cal.html
12th June Salt Ayre Junior Triathlon http://boltontri.com/
26th June Liverpool Triathlon (Youth only ) SuperSprint (14-16 years old) http://www.liverpooltriathlon.co.uk/
3rd July Wirral Junior Triathlon http://www.merseytri.org.uk/
10th July Manchester Junior Triathlon Knutsford http://www.man-tri-club.org.uk/
24th July Boundary Breeze (Youth only) http://www.man-tri-club.org.uk/
Date to be confirmed Marbury Park Classic Triathlon http://www.freebirdevents.co.uk/
7th August Troutbeck Junior Triathlon http://www.tbasc.org.uk/
21st August Clitheroe Aquathon http://www.triteamwigan.co.uk/
18th September Deva Junior Triathlon http://www.chestertri.org.uk/
11th September Ulverston Aquathon http://www.triteamwigan.co.uk/
25th September Fleetwood Triathlon http://www.ukresults.net/2011cal.html
COLT DISCOUNT AT LOCAL RACES - Monday 7th February
Members of COLT are being offered a £5 discount off the entry fee for some local races organised by Adventure Challenge Solutions.
The races included in the discount are :
Capenwray Spring Standard Distance
TRI Windermere
Capenwray Clearwater Autumn Standard Distance
To receive this COLT discount you need to click on the "COLT" option in the field that asks where you heard about this event.
NEW COMMITTEE & 2011 CLUB RACES- Wednesday 2nd February
COLT held its second AGM on Wednesday 26 January. Captain Mason was re-elected as was the Vice-Captain, Andrew McCracken. Louise Kelly and John Towse had tendered their resignation from the committee due to other commitments and Richard thanked them for their valuable contribution to the club over the past 12 months. Joining the committee for 2011 are Danny Rogerson as Forum Manager, Kel Hirst and Jade Taylor.
Designated Club Races for 2011 were agreed at the meeting as follows:
Sprint Skipton 17 April 2011
Olympic Capenwray 12 June 2011
Middle Day in the Lakes 26 June 2011
Long Ironman UK 31 July 2011
There will be prizes for first,second and third at each race .So get your entries in early.
Membership is now up for renewal at £10 for seniors and £5 for juniors via the link on the website.
Here's to a successful 2011 season for all COLTS!
JUNIOR VELODROME TRIP - Monday 20th December
We have been very fortunate in being able to secure a 2 hour coached session at Manchester Velodrome indoor cycling arena for our junior members.
http://www.nationalcyclingcentre.com/index.html
The date is to be Sunday the 30th January 2011 between 1-3pm.
The session is open to all junior COLT members age 9 and over. There will be a charge for the event, however it is being kindly subsidised by the Junior Development Squads sponsor, Technology Farm. The subsidised cost is likely to be in the region of £10 but may be less if we fill all the places.
The session will be for complete beginners upwards. Bikes will be provided and shoes (if required) can be hired for a small fee. The purpose of the session is purely as a bit of fun and to offer a unique experience.
We have 30 places available. First come first serve basis. Transport to Manchester is not provided unfortunately
If you would like to come please drop Andrew McCracken an email and he will send you a booking form.
Be quick!!
ATHLETES OF THE YEAR - Wednesday 15th December
Saturday night saw the third annual COLT Christmas Party and awards evening. The evening was a great success with plenty of fun, especially during Cpt Masons speach.
Valerie O'Donnell was awarded the Best Female award for 2010. A very deserving recipient after an outstanding season that saw her represent Great Britain at the World Duathlon Championships and complete Ironman Lanzarotte.
The Best Male Award went to Mark Hammond, who also had an amazing season across all distances. Possibly his greatest performance came in August at IMUK when he scared the pros by getting out of the water in 8th place before going on to smash his pb by over half an hour.
The Big Bannana Award ( a special award chosen by Cpt Mason ) went to John Carr who also had an inspirational season, culminating in his pb at The Ironman World Championships in Hawaii.
I'm sure that everyone in COLT will join me in congratulating our Award winners, and wishing them all the best for an equally successful 2011 season.
MEMBERSHIP FOR 2011 - Wednesday 15th December
You can now renew your membership for the coming year. We've frozen the price for 2011 at £10, which I'm sure you will agree is exceptional value. Go to the membership page to find out the benefits of being a part of The Mighty COLT in 2011, and renew via Entry Central.
COLT INSPIRATIONAL ATHLETE - Wednesday 24th November
It's been an amazing year for COLT athlete, John Carr. The fastest farmer on the planet has been on top form at all distances but excelled at Ironman, qualifying for Hawaii.
As a result of his performances he's been choosen as this months "Inspirational Athlete" in Running & Fitness Magazine
( on sale now ).
This great article really is a fascinating read and gives the reader some insight into what drives John and keeps him grinding out the miles when the pain kicks in.
Congratulations John from all at COLT, you've worked hard for your success and thoroughly deserve it.
It's always good to see one of our own featured in the National press, the Mighty COLT get everywhere.
WHAT IT TAKES - Monday 25th October
Have you ever wondered what it takes to complete the Hawaiian Ironman World Championship?
Well now you can read all about it, as John Knapp shares with us the highs and lows of racing in the strong winds and heat of the unforgiving lava fields.
John Knapps IronMan World Championships report 2010
THE GRANDMASTER & THE FASTEST FARMER ON THE PLANET - Monday 11th October
I'm sure that there were a few bleary eyed but very proud COLTs yesterday as a result of following the online coverage of the Ironman World Championships from Kona Hawaii. The reason for the late night was the thrill of following two members of Team COLT on the worlds biggest triathlon stage.
John Knapp, the Grandmaster, qualified for the third time after his performance at IM Lanza back in May. He would however this year by joined by the new kid on the block, John Carr, the "Fastest Farmer in the World" who qualified after a very impressive perfomance in Bolton.
I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate the pair of them on this amazing achievement. Well done fellas.
To find out how they both got on check out the race / results page.
IMPRESSIVE END OF SEASON - Monday 11th October
It's been a very busy few weeks for Team COLT as the triathlon season draws to a close and we all start to plan ahead for next season. There are updates today in both the Junior and Senior race results section detailing tremendous victories at Fleetwood, strong perfomances at Cockermouth, a strong marathon debut and success at regional level for our juniors.
WEEKEND WOW ! - Monday 13th September
It was a great weekend for the Mighty COLT as our athletes performed admirably in both Ulverston and London. Improved times and performances were the theme of the weekend and success for our two Hawaii bound Johns.
To find out more click on the Race/Results page
PASTA PARTY - Wednesday 8th September
On the evening of Monday the 20th of September we will be having our end of summer pasta party and last open water swim of the season (at the usual South Lakes Leisure Village Swim venue). As last year the food will follow the swim at about 7.30/7.45pm. The cost will be £9 for the swim and food combined. It was a great success last year and the food was excellent. The swim will start early at 6.45 pm.
To give us an idea of numbers we would be grateful if you can respond if you think you will attend. Please remember to let us know about partners of friends that wish to eat. Please reply to Andrew.mccracken@exova.com
NEW SWIMMING SESSIONS - Wednesday 8th August
Mark Smith from Carnforth Otters is offering a weekly training session focussing mainly on technique at Salt Ayre on Wednesday evenings open to COLT members for £2.00 per session.
He will be using the "tank" at the top of the main pool initially and if numbers grow he will make a lane available in the main pool.
Timing : 8.30 pm - 9.30 pm
If you are really keen you can go to the COLT run training followed by the pool session!
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.
And you can read Duncan's own short but very amusing race report on the Ironman Experiences 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.