SUNDAY saw the first triathlon of the season at Chirk, with no fewer than 66 Chester Triathlon Club members taking part.

The course included a 400m swim, 24km bike and undulating 5km run.

Five out of the top 10 athletes, including all the top four, were from Chester Tri.

Chris Standidge was first in 58 minutes and 27 seconds, followed by Tony Cullen, fastest V40 in 58:37, Chris Prior in third in 59:28, and Pete Brook in 1.00:04.

Andy White was fastest V50 in 1.01:54 and second in the same category was Kenny Begley in 1.05:05.

Neil Pownall, Ben Birks and Simon Brander also made the top 20.

Zack Holland was second fastest junior in 1.13:32, in the middle of a pack of Chester Tri competitors which included Dom Miller, Ian Friswell, Gerard Wilkinson and Peter Burgess.

For the women, Gina Riley was the club’s top performer in second place with a time of 1.08:09, followed by Bethan Hughes in third (1.09:03) and Becky Holland fourth (1.09:10), with Linda Worrall winning the women’s V50 class in 1.14:07.

Alison Leavens and Claire Sutcliffe also made the women’s top 10, and were run close by Traci Shipley, Lisa Grantham, Susan Fourie and Carol Coole.

Other Chester Tri athletes, including Kathy Frankland (1.32:11) and Stef Hall (1.32:44), were competing in their first triathlon, while many others got PBs in less than ideal conditions.

Several members of Tattenhall Runners braved windy and cold conditions at the Chirk Triathlon. Rob Webster completed the sprint distance race in one hour 23 minutes, with Owain Williams finishing in 1:28. Kathy Frankland and Grace Hart both finished in 1:32.

Tattenhall club members were in action at the final round of the Borders League series, held over a four-mile course in Wrexham.

Andy Sudlow completed the distance in 22 minutes 20 seconds for 16th place, ahead of Ian Lancaster (23:08) and Ewan Edmondson (24:54).

Tattenhall’s first lady finisher, and fourth lady overall, was Sara Atkinson in 25:04, narrowly ahead of Jon Pritchard (25:06), followed by Amanda Davies (27:28), Rob Webster (27:34) and Steve Hammond (27:42).

Tattenhall’s Peter Taylor finished 12th in the Teenager with Altitude fell race in the Lake District.