Arundel Triathlon
SADDLE-SORE Stubby Steve Wylie has been on his bike this past month.
Steve took part in the Arundel Triathlon earlier this month. He competed over the sprint distance of a 400m swim, a 20km bike ride and then a 5km run. Steve finished 87th overall in a time of 1hr 40min 4sec, after a 24min 43sec swim (91st), a 49.34 bike ride (81st), and he had the 27th fastest 5km run split of 25.47.
Also taking part in Arundel was fellow Stubby Louise James. She competed in the long triathlon which consists of an 800m swim, 40km cycle ride and then a 10km run to finish.
Louise was the seventh fastest female and 66th overall with a time of 2hrs 29min 30sec. For the swim she recorded a time of 15 minutes dead and 22nd, took 1hr 19min 49sec on the bike for 71st, and 54min 41sec over the 10km which was 69th fastest.
The winner in the long triathlon was Chris Birch from East Street Cycles in 1hr 46min 00sec, and Matt Jolly from Portsmouth Triathletes won the sprint event in a time of 1hr 1min 47sec.
The Arundel Triathlon is now in its third year and is based at the Arundel Outdoor Lido right on the banks of the River Arun.
For the sprint triathlon, the swim was in the outdoor 25m pool, the bike used mainly 'A' Class roads and had a long gradual climb shortly after the start. The run took athletes along the tree-lined avenue by the castle and River Arun before heading towards the Arundel Estate. The Long Triathlon then climbed to the trig point on the estate affording spectacular views at the top, before a rolling section into the village of South Stoke.
A week after Arundel, Steve joined thousands of other cyclists to take part in the gruelling 54-mile London to Brighton bike ride. He completed the distance in a time of 5hrs 17mins.
Steve then competed in the unofficial Brighton to Warsash bike right when he missed his lift home and Network Raily would take any cyclists because it was London to Brighton Day. The 60-mile journey took Steve six and a quarter hours!