Boris Karloff, Aquaman and the Time Lords!!
And Lo…the dark, mysterious, foreboding storm clouds did gather over the sacred waters of Merchant Taylor School – a school founded in 1561 with a plethora of famous alumni, but one that stands out to match the menacing, ominous weather – Boris Karloff!
What a difference a few days makes – the temperatures that were hot enough to melt Icarus’ wings at the Club Champs at Dorney at the weekend (with some still bearing the scars of suncream rookie-ness) had passed & a hot & humid atmosphere greeted the athletes, a non-wetsuit swim being compulsory for all but a few.
The advance crew of Set Up Samurai bore no mind to the prescient conditions & set about their tasks - marking the course, creating 2 transition areas, enabling a swift & hassle free registration and creating a Communications centre fit for a sprawling outside broadcast!
Hats were worn, umbrellas unfurled & trainers dampened as the Hilly Event Crew made sure that the scores of wild animals coming to race would be allowed to focus on one thing & one thing only – Super League points!
Daniel Crow, Mark Eidem & Brian Leach made sure all the timing stations, chip readers & swim out/run out signage were in in prime position, with clipboard backups just in case.
A BIG thanks to Marcin Kunecki to make sure I wasn’t overwhelmed with multiple finishers at the finish line!
It’s easy to forget the amount of work & effort that the Timing Team have gone through in the last 18 months to allow us to get quick results & hassle free racing, aligned with some of the biggest events in the country for a fraction of the cost due to goodwill & skillz on their behalf, so an extra chapeau from me (and all of you I suspect)!
The animals arrived in their packs/flocks/prides & whatever the collective noun for Honey Badgers is, with intent on their mind.
All were represented, the seemingly invincible Wolves led by Sylwia Radomska – an Alpha Female if ever there was one; The Falcons swooped in, keen to test their mettle against their land based opponents; The Bears, now long since woken from their hibernation with points on their mind; The Panthers, sleek & cunning, tactically astute & ready to go to war; The Jaguars, powerful & under-estimated, at home in the water & on land – a surprise package?; and the Honey Badgers – a DGAF attitude, take it or leave it, but we are bringing our A game, so be ready!
An hour before race start & the conditions improved to such an extent that our Illustrious Chair Jacqui Burke had the presence of mind to fill a cooler with Iced Coffees! Yet another fabulous freebie, much welcomed, available to the Hillingdon Triathlete’s members, after the race to aid in recovery.
Seriously, for £50 a year we get treated to such amazing rewards, entry into the best club & social events, the best training sessions from BTF award winning coaches for a fraction of the cost of most clubs & an opportunity to wear the kit that is the envy of every other club – Martin Lewis better start adding US to his weekly deals round-up!
Race briefings started, a new, svelte version of our very own MC Robert Finnigan was accompanied by a blast from the past – Aaron Finnigan, back into the welcoming fold of the Hillies with his first multi-sport event in a few years! Dodgy pink top aside ( I think it may have been footy related, but hard to tell), MC Finnigan imparted all the necessary instructions for our competitors to have a worry-free race. And the music was banging (as I believe is current parlance amongst our younger brethren & sistren) too!
Timing chips collected (right leg please!), numbers firmly attached to race belts & transition arranged, it was time for the Super Sprint to go off – one 450m lap of the murky green lake followed by a 2.5km run, out & back along the west side of the lake.
There were 2 clear favourites in the Women’s & Men’s categories for this, and neither of them disappointed – Natalia Radomska, the most powerful, graceful swimmer you will cast your eyes over came out first, had a cuppa, slipped her Croc’s on to meander over to her transition, had another cuppa & decided to put her trainers & go out for the run. Transition measured via sundial rather than stopwatch; no matter, victorious in the Women’s Super Sprint.
Filip Kunecki, a swim that has improved immeasurably out next & a far more serious transition, eager to embark on his favoured discipline – the run! Honestly, its like Usain Bolt & Tigger had a child (weird I know, but bear with me), legs turning over at a cadence hitherto unmeasured to romp home as first male.
Results for the Super Sprint have already been posted, so I will let you catch up on those at your leisure.
On to the Sprint race – with a difference!
750m swim? Pah -we’re Hillies, turn it up to 11!
875m, non wetsuit, mass start – show me what you got!
And boy, you did – the usual suspects brought their A game; Kevin Thomas a man possessed by the spirit of Aquaman, Mark Scott looking like he expends no energy at all with the most beautiful technique, Clark Schofield, always in the top end, ready to blow the doors off in the run & Carina Werner cutting through the concrete & weeds like a hot knife through butter.
Then onto the run, a 5km 2 lap race on the western side of the lake, across varied terrain, but no quarter given.
Every single ounce of effort was spent, runners crossing the line dizzy, bent double, gasping for breath but eager for the prizes handed out by Sandra Barden for a spectacular racing evening.
There were a few legends in the making tonight as well, taking on their first Hilly MT Aquathlon – kudos to you & now that the bug has bitten, have a look at the other events on the calendar.
Kudos to the relay teams who left it all out there, the GB athletes proudly racing in their National kit (a constant source of pride to all Hilles) & the ‘middle of the pack’ athletes – you are out there chasing PB’s, team-mates & personal achievements – and none of these events would be possible without you all. The Sprint Race results have also been published, so again, peruse/marvel/aim for at your leisure!
A big thanks to Chris Marchand for organising all the volunteers, all the volunteers that turned up to help & the organisers of all the events – from the Health & Safety checks, the route-reccy’s & course corrections – it is easy to see why we will be celebrating our 40th Anniversary with Team-mates like this. Big Up Martin Wilson & James Snell.
And from my perspective, standing on the swim transition & finish line, I’m going to name check 4 athletes that embody the spirit of Hillingdon Triathletes – Ju Mills, Chris Mountain, Natalie Wickings & Ash Trowe – smiles, fierceness, a will to achieve & just bloody nice people.
Don’t forget to sign up for the next Duathlon at Minet & get your entries in for Nottingham Relays – if you’ve never been, you haven’t lived! Race against the National clubs in a great, fun format with all your besties – FOMO is real – don’t let it happen to you!