Dozens of athletes from across the region have converged on Burnham-On-Sea this morning (Sunday, April 29th) as the town holds its annual spring triathlon – however the bad weather has affected the event.
Gale-force winds have led to the cycling event being cancelled, and only the swim and run going ahead.
Organisers of the SuperSprint Triathlon, which is run by Burnham-On-Sea Swim and Sports Academy, took the decision at 5.30am today to cancel the cycling as the conditions were judged to be too dangerous.
Burnham pensioner Arthur Gilbert, who was last year named the world’s oldest triathlete and will be carrying the Olympic Torch during May, was due to take part but pulled out at the last minute.
Competitors will be starting in waves every five minutes up until 8.30am. Having swum 10 lengths of the pool, the athletes will then run to their bikes racked on Seaview Road, and ride three laps (10km) of The Esplanade, taking them down to Burnham Yacht Club and back.
Racking their bikes again in Seaview Road, the competitors will then run 2.5km along the beach to the town jetty and back along the seafront to the finish line, opposite the Swim and Sports Academy. The last of the adult competitors will cross the line at approximately 9am.
The Junior Triathlon will start at 9.40am and the event has been selected to be part of the South West Triathlon Series, one of only four events used for ranking purposes.
Ttherefore many of the nation’s top juniors will be racing, with entries from Scotland to Cornwall, against 40 of Burnham’s junior tri team who will be cheered on by spectators.
The first race is for 9 and 10 year olds (9.40am), followed by 11 and 12 years (10.05am), and then 13-14 year olds (10.30am).
Entries for the popular event closed early this year as both the adults and juniors races quickly reached maximum capacity.
For spectators, the best viewing areas can be had at either the Swim and Sports Academy (adult and junior swims), Seaview Road (transitions for both adults and juniors), along The Esplanade for bike races, and the north side of the beach from the zebra crossing (for the junior run).
The event will be finished by 11.30am, with all road closures fully open by 12 noon. The road closure from Pier Street to the Yacht Club will open up at approximately 9.15am following the conclusion of the adult race.
Prize giving will be at the Swim and Sports Academy at Noon. The swimming pool will be open to members of the public for nomal swimming from 11am-1pm.
