Island Triathlon Club

Last weekend we had another big turn out with 16 triathletes making the short journey to Loughmacrory for Tri-the-Lough Triathlon. This event is organised by Omagh Triathlon Club and as always was a brilliant event.

To add a bit of extra spice to we also had some internal competition with a brother and sister, husband and wife and father and son combinations competing!!😁

Again, another great set of results with Justin Bloomer 🥇and Gary Jeffers 🥇both winning their age categories and Justin managing an overall 6th with Gary just behind in overall 12th. Our other age group podiums were:

Shane Fay 2nd 🥈, Maire Therese O'Neill 2nd 🥈, Patrick Hazelton 3rd🥉, Connie Treanor 3rd 🥉, Mary McCartan 3rd 🥉 and Toby McClean 3rd 🥉

In terms of the family battles lets just say Paul McClean (father), Patrick Hazelton (brother), and Darren Treanor (husband), were declared as the inter-family winners. However, Toby McClean and Connie Treanor have lodged an official objection to this result claiming "well we didn't see you guys on the age group podium". ITC committee have declined to comment leaving this as a domestic matter 😬

Moving swiftly on, Jonathan McBride was also competing last Sunday and travelled further afield to Loughrea, County Galway to compete in a National Series sprint triathlon. Jonathan turned in another strong performance and collected some worthwhile national series points.

Well done everyone another great weekend for the club

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Also racing last weekend we had Daniel Duffy, Gary Jeffers and Justin Bloomer take part in the Tri Tyrone Middle Distance triathlon event in Dungannon. Organised brilliantly (as always) by our neighbours Tri Limits Triathlon Club.

This event has had every weather condition going thrown at over the last few years and Saturday was no exception. This time it was high temperatures adding to the challenge of navigating the 70.3 mile course.

Daniel unfortunately had to retire during the run due to a knee injury (or as he put it they stopped me as I was going to fast🤔 ) but Gary and Justin continued to record 6th and 3rd in their respective age groups. Brilliant racing lads!

Slightly further afield Jonathan McBride and James McShea made the trip to Half Moon Bay, Hazelwood, Co Sligo to compete in an Olympic distance triathlon organised by Sligo Triathlon Club.

The boys brilliantly navigated the course in the hot conditions and were thankful of the shady run through the forest and dip back in the water to finish!!!

Both came home raving about the event and said they’d return next year with maybe a few more club members.

Well done all another great weekend of racing.

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Last weekend Island TC were represented on the European stage with Dermot McCabe donning the Irish colours in Banyoles, Spain for the European Age Group championships.

Qualifying for the championships is a phenomenal achievement in itself and a great opportunity to compete against the best amateurs in Europe.

Dermot did more than compete and finished an unbelievable overall 5th in his Age Group. That is 5th in Europe!!!!🤯

This also included the fastest AG run split!

Just a brilliant result Dermot!

Doin’ the wee club proud

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Last weekend we had three triathletes competing. Justin Bloomer and Gary Jeffers headed to the wilds of Donegal for the Sheephaven Half in Downings organised by Letterkenny TriathlonClub and Patrick Hazelton headed south to Wicklow for the Harbourman Triathlon hosted by Wicklow Triathlon Club .

Justin had another top result coming in overall 6th out of a field of 200 Triathletes and Gary came in 21st overall 🤯Another set of brilliant result over one of the toughest middle distance courses you could imagine. Top class racing again from the lads 💪

Patrick took on the prestigious standard Distance National Championships. The event attracted a strong field of over 400 triathletes and Patrick returned with 3rd place in his age group. Well worth the day out and some hard earned national series points!!!

Another great weekend of racing

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The season is continuing at pace so much so the club secretary is struggling to keep up with the Facebook posts 😬😬.

On Saturday 20th June ITC turned out in force at Tri-the-Orchard in Loughgall Country Park. This race is organised brilliantly by our neighbours and friends in the Armagh Pikekickers Tri Club. It is becoming a very popular race on the local circuit and rightly so.

In total we had 16 triathletes avoid the pikes in Loughgall lake, navigate the bike route to Portadown and back and then survive the hills 🥵 of the run around the park. All made it safely back to collect our medals and tell the usual array of stories and excuses all of which make it a great day out. The podiums kept coming with notably:

Gary Jeffers 1st in age group and 4th overall
Ruairi Conlon 1st in age group and 5th overall
Mary McCartan 1st in age group (her 3rd in a row 🔥)

Shane Fay, Wendy Chambers, Patrick Hazelton, Maire Therese O'Neill all achieved 2nd in their age group and Sheena O'Neill and Connie Treanor achieved 3rd in their age group.

Well done to all who represented the club so well on the day

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There were two races on last weekend. The first of these was at Castle Ward in Beyond the Wall triathlon brilliantly organised by Down Triathlon Club. This is a relatively new race on the calendar but already has a national series status and attracted a strong field. We had 6 triathletes taking part Ruairi Conlon, Dermot McCabe, Canice Nicholas, Shane Fay and Mary McCartan and Jayne Jackson who were having their first outing of the year.

Yet again Island TC were on the podium with Dermot McCabe achieving his 4th Age group win in 4 outings 🤯 and Mary McCartan also winning her age category 🥇. Special mention to Ruairi who finished 9th overall and 3rd in his age group💪.

On Sunday the racing was closer to home at the Quarry Triathlon at Splash outside Moneymore. This race is organised by ITC member Jonathan McBride and what a brilliant event he put on. 👏

We had 9 triathletes in for this one Dermot, Shane, Ruairi and Canice going back to back from the Beyond the Wall race on Saturday 🙄 and they were joined by Maire Therese O’Neill, Glenn Murphy, Justin Bloomer, Marty Lucas and Sheena O’Neill.

Yet again more podiums!!!

Justin Bloomer recorded a brilliant 2nd overall, Ruairi won his age group and was 5th overall, Maire Therese won her age group and surprise, surprise Dermot made it 5 from 5 with another age group win.

Brilliant effort from all our triathletes this weekend a great showing of high performance and participation.

This weekend week we have the biggest turnout of the season with 15 triathletes starting at Tri the Orchard in Loughall. An event organised by our neighbours and friends in the Armagh Pikekickers Tri Club

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Last weekend we had two triathletes racing with Gary Jeffers heading to Poland for Ironman 70.3 in Warsaw and Marty Lucas keeping it local with his first outing of the season at Crooked Lake, Camlough.

Gary recorded a blistering time of 4hr30mins to finish 27th out of 262 triathletes in his age category. Top racing from the big man.

Marty took on the ever popular Crooked Lake sprint triathlon and powered his way through the hilly bike and run course to finish in 1hr 16mins 💪

Great work guys!

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The season is continuing at pace and last weekend produced another great set of results for the club.

We had Justin Bloomer, Ruairi and Eoghan Conlon making the relatively short journey to County Cavan for the James McManus Memorial Triathlon organised by Cuilcagh Triathlon Club. An event well known for its hospitality and post race curry!!

The boys all achieved age group podiums 1st for Justin and Ruairi and 2nd for Eoghan. Even more impressively all 3 finished inside the overall top 10. 🤯 Justin 5th, Ruairi 8th and Eoghan 10th! Not bad for our wee club.

Much further south in Athy, County Kildare. Glenn Murphy, Dermot McCabe, Canice Nicholas, Shane Fay, James McShea, Daniel Duffy and Corin Kelly all took part in Tri-Athy.

6 of the guys did the Olympic distance race. Dermot was first home and then the other 5 finished within 4 minutes of each other despite almost 2 hours of racing! Bragging rights were definitely banked.

Also Dermot secured his 3rd age group podium in 3 weeks. An Amazing start to the season for him.

Daniel Duffy, however, took on the longer distance of the TA100 2km swim, 80km bike and 18km run and got round in a fabulous time of 5hrs 23mins.

The brilliant start to the season continues for ITC

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Racing this week took place at the Liam
Ball Triathlon hosted and organised by NorthWest Triathlon Club at the Templemore Sports Complex in Derry.

ITC had three triathletes taking part Ellie Kelso, Alexander McAteer and Dermot McCabe and they returned three fabulous results and more podium finishes.

Dermot recorded his 2nd Age Group win in as many weeks and 13th overall. Alexandra set a new pb in the sprint distance and Ellie finished 2nd in the try a tri after a long period away from racing.

Brilliant effort from all three and the medals keep coming.

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Wow what a start to the Triathlon season.

Yesterday ITC had 12 triathletes travel north to Limavady for the Roe Valley Triathlon brilliantly organised by Triangle Triathlon Club, and what a set of results. 7 of the team making either the age group podium or the overall podium. Our podium results were:

Gary Jeffers 3rd Overall
Justin Bloomer 1st AG, 5th Overall
Dermot McCabe 1st AG, 12th Overall
Canice Nicholas 1st AG
Shane Fay 2nd AG
Maire Therese O’Neill 3rd AG
Alexandra McAteer 2nd AG

Glenn Murphy, Corin Kelly, Daniel Duffy, Sheena O’Neill and Simon Givan also turned in great performances this early in the season.

Performances of day have to go to Gary Jeffers for an overall 3rd position and Maire Therese O’Neill who made the age group podium in her first ever triathlon. 👌

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