LAST weekend saw Black Country Triathletes competing on both Saturday and Sunday with numerous events taking place across the country.

On Saturday, Upton-on-Severn hosted a number of triathlon events and Black Country Tri were well represented in both the Standard and Sprint distance races.

Both events start with a river swim followed by either a 40k or 20k cycle and a 10k or 5k run depending on the race distance.

First across the line for BCT in the Standard race was Lee Moreton finishing in 2:16:54, fifth overall and second in age group 40-44.

Ed Hawkins wasn’t far behind crossing the line in 2:19:50, seventh overall and first in age group 45-49, followed by Tim Lake in 2:25:42 and Ed Povey in 2:28:49 who came first in age group 16-19.

Sue Payton brought the ladies home in the Standard race finishing in 2:59:08 followed by Julie Black in 3:04:52, Louise Westbury in 3:14:57, Lorraine Gayton in 3:21:20 and Meg Gregory in 3:25:18.

These were excellent results as this was some of the ladies’ first open-water event.

The Sprint race had three BCT members competing with Tim Blewitt coming home first in 1:20:51, third in age group 50-54, followed by Lauren Evans in 1:22:17 who was fifth lady and first in age group 20-24 and Shameer Gopal who finished in 1:38:15.

The juniors were also out representing the club on Saturday with Reece Ashfield and Zoe Brickley taking part in the British Triathlon Youth Super Sprint Series at Eton Dorney with a 400m swim, 10.6k bike and 2.5k run. Ashfield finished in 34:64 and Brickley in 49:46.

In the afternoon, the rest of the club juniors raced in the club triathlon at Wombourne.

Owen Ulfig and Thea Blakemore took first in the Tristar 1 category, Noah Sandland and Holly Briscoe claimed top position for the Tristar 2 age group and Joel Humpage and Ellie Willis clinched first for the Tristar 3 category.

The 26th Wenlock Olympian Triathlon took place on Sunday with athletes taking part in a 500m swim, 19km bike and a 7km run. Paul Rogers, Chris Pedley, Warren Haynes and Mark Smith took part.

Mark Anslow took triathlon one step further and completed the Artemis Great Kindrochit Quadrathlon in 11 hours 33 minutes and finished 10th out of field of 130 entries.

Steve Blakemore also raced in the new event organised by Outlaw, the Holkham Half which involved a 1.2m swim, 56 mile bike and a 13.1 mile run in around Holkham Hall in Norfolk. Blakemore finished in 5.00.59, seventh in his age group.