June 12, 2005
Jon claims fifth win at 2005 Burnham-On-Sea Triathlon
A full list of the 2005 Burnham Triathlon results is available here.
Bright sunshine and cooling winds provided ideal conditions for the 360 competitors taking part in Sunday’s 2005 Burnham-On-Sea Triathlon.
Cheddar’s Jon Rawlings, 38, notched up his fifth win by completing the course in under one hour. He had an impressive time of 59 minutes and 38 seconds.
He told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “I’m delighted to win again. It wasn’t my quickest ever time – I completed it 21 seconds faster one year but it was very windy a lot of the way today.”
The oldest competitor in the race, formidable 84-year-old Arthur Gilbert from Berrow Road, Burnham, drew the biggest cheers from the crowds when he crossed the finishing line in 2 hours, one minute and 53 seconds.
Incredibly, this was the 17th time he has completed the course in the 19 years that the event has been running.
Speaking to Burnham-On-Sea.com, he said: “I was a little slower this year, but considering I had laryngitis on Tuesday and a bad cramp on Thursday and was bandaged up for the event today, I’m very pleased.”
The powerful pensioner hopes to be back again next year.
His efforts have raised more than £400 for Taunton’s Musgrove Hospital Leukaemia Appeal this year.
The Burnham-On-Sea Triathlon is considered by competitors to be a ‘sprint’ distance event.
It consists of a 500 metre swim followed by a 20km cycle which takes competitors along the A370 to Lympsham and back to Burnham via Red Road and Berrow.
For the third leg of the race, the competitors set out on a 5km run along the beach, around the sand dunes and golf course, before returning to the finish line on the beach by the North Esplanade.
It is one of the most popular in the South West and attracts all standards of competitors from Great British team members to the complete novice.
More than 40 volunteers marshalled the competitors safely around the route, including members of the Burnham and District Lions, Wessex Ambulance and Sports Centre users.
This year’s event was supported by Jester Prints and Skidmarx Cycles of Highbridge, plus Tri UK.
Burnham man Jason Emmett, racing for the S.B.R team, finished in 4th place in a personal best time of 1 hour 1min and 57 secs taking over 1 minute off last year’s time.
This was Jason’s second consecutive local victory, and he was followed by event organiser Martin Rogers with Neil Hudghton in third and Bill Gough claiming the 1st local over 40 prize.
16 year old George Lovell was competing in his first ever triathlon and completed the course in a time of 1:30:32.
Sara Hudghton, competing in her first Burnham race, won the local ladies prize in an excellent time of 1:15:20. She was closely followed by Jean Bailey in 1:16:31. Jean also claimed the 1st lady in the 40-44 age category and taking almost two minutes off last year’s time.
Sarah Clarke (1:21:01) and Tracey Cross (1:24:51) claimed the other local prizes. The closest race came in the ladies race where 45 seconds separated the first three places.
Yvonne Cox of Kingswood, Bristol was overall winner in 1:11:01 with Abigail White just 15 seconds behind and Celia Miall of Winscombe racing for Mendip tri club in third place (1:11:45).
RELATED LINKS:
Burnham-On-Sea Triathlon Guide
Photo round-up of the 2004 Burnham-On-Sea Triathlon
