2024 Race Report

The 2024 event made a triumphant return to the Welsh capital, where spectators lined the finish line, framed by the stunning backdrop of the Wales Millennium Centre. Not to be overshadowed by the impressive setting, the athletes rose to the occasion, showcasing exceptional racing in this superb closed-road event.

In addition to serving as an age group qualifier, it hosted stage 3 of the Welsh Triathlon Super Series for the standard distance.

Legend

Our first race of the day commenced at 6 am, with the Legend (70.3) athletes taking to the water for a 1900m swim, enjoying a warm water temperature of 20.4 degrees. Ben Campbell emerged first from the swim with an impressive time of 31:08, leading the transition to the bike segment. Strong cycling performances by Jordan Pierce and Lewis Bowen saw them rise in the rankings. Ultimately, it was Lawrence Lees Baker’s exceptional run that secured him first place, followed by Jordan Pierce. David Potter climbed to third place with a remarkable run.

In the women's race, Ruby Verge dominated from start to finish, posting the fastest swim time of the entire race at 30:58, over 13 minutes ahead of her nearest competitor, Melanie Hurt. Despite Melanie making up 5 minutes on the bike, Ruby clinched the win with a commanding 26-minute lead. Michelle Lau secured third place after a fierce contest with Elanor Hawes

Standard

The Standard wave featured 404 athletes, with four swim waves starting from 7:05 am, also forming part of the Welsh Triathlon Super Series.

In the women's race, Becky Owen was the first to emerge from the water, clocking in at 25:43. However, Serena Rendell and Lucy Marland from Rhondda Tri Club quickly overtook her on the bike leg before T2. Lucy’s prowess on the run course secured her the win, with Serena finishing second and Becky taking third. Lucy also claimed the title of Super Series stage 3 winner.

In the Open Standard category, last year's third-place finisher, Will James, led out of the water, closely followed by Matthew Grantham and Pawel Traczyk. Unfortunately, a mechanical issue for Will on the bike left Matthew and Pawel in the lead, with Iwan Jones being the only other competitor to complete the bike leg in under an hour. Matthew’s strong run earned him the victory, with Iwan and Pawel finishing second and third, respectively.

Sprint

In the women's race, the bike leg proved decisive. Although Beth Jones was first out of the water with an impressive time, it was the strong bike and run legs that determined the final standings. Eleanor Perkins of Chester Tri Club secured the victory, followed by Abbey Sims in second and Olivia Michael in third.

In the open race, James Bull led out of the water, closely followed by last year's winner, Jordan Clarke. Jordan overtook James during the bike leg and extended his lead during the run. With a swift T1 and an excellent bike lap, Mark Jones of Cardiff Triathletes claimed second place, maintaining his position during the run. James Bull rounded out the podium in third place.

Super Sprint

In the women's race, Katherine Baldwin delivered an outstanding performance, finishing with the event's fastest overall time of 40:56, over two minutes ahead of the open race winner, Brynmoor Rees.

Katherine emerged from the water alongside Debbie Curtis, who secured second place in the women's race, while Grace Cargill completed the top three. In the open race, Elgin Davies claimed second place, followed by Keith Dominican in third.

Duathlon

The Sprint Duathlon began at 7:30 am with over 52 athletes lining up at the start.

In the women's race, Alex Cawthra had the fastest T1, with Megan Powell just seconds behind. Megan overtook Alex on the bike to claim the lead and held on despite Alex's impressive run. Megan secured the win, Alex finished second, and Melissa Dando took third, narrowly beating Alice Robinson on the bike.

In the open race, last year's winner, David Crawford of Pure Endurance Triathletes, posted the fastest first run, just ahead of Adam Townsend. Both athletes had lightning-fast transitions and were closely matched in both the bike and second run. Ultimately, Adam edged out David with a 12-second lead to take the win. Jason Cole fended off strong competition to secure third place.

Sprint Age Group Qualifier

Later in the day, the draft-legal World Triathlon Age Group Qualifier took place, with athletes vying for a spot in the 2025 World Championships in Wollongong, Australia.

The open category kicked things off, featuring two waves of competitors. The races were fast and thrilling, culminating in Matt Barnes crossing the finish line first with an impressive time of 59:49, breaking the hour mark.

The women’s race wrapped up the event, with young talent Mia Goddard claiming the overall win and topping her 20-24 age category with a time of 1:06:01. British Triathlon will contact all qualifying athletes after the race.

Race Report from @age_group_news

At Cardiff, favourite on paper Ed Castro swam fastest as expected before (as speculated in the preview) feeling the effects of his first marathon at long course weekend. "Horrendous, got on the bike and had nothing!" said Castro who still qualified in 11th.

Matt Barnes took full advantage. “I caught Andy [Martin] before the turnaround and bridged the gap to Iain [Hodgson] with a kilometre to go” said Barnes.

It set up a breathless finish in which Barnes prevailed over the English National Champion by just 8 seconds. A great result for Barnes who looks to defend his 45-49AG world title in Malaga. Meanwhile, Ben Somerville made the overall podium at a qualifier for the first time in third.

The women’s result was truly unexpected. Mia Goddard finished outside the top 50 in the recent British Universities championships, but draft legal made all the difference for the strong runner who switched focus to triathlon 9 months ago.

Exiting the swim a minute down on Rachel Morris and Agatha Skelton, Goddard found herself with Jane Eaton. “I sat behind Jane for most of it!” said Goddard “She was really strong, we gained around 35s from being a minute back”. A run split over a minute faster than all competitors sealed the deal, as Eaton was rewarded for her efforts on the bike with third.

Nigel Kendrick, Managing Director at Always Aim High Events, remarked: "Cardiff Bay provides an exceptional setting for a triathlon, featuring an exciting closed road section. The city's vibrant atmosphere adds an extra layer of excitement, with spectators lining the route, cheering and offering tremendous encouragement.

"We extend our heartfelt thanks to all our athletes for making this event so special and for their ongoing support. It was wonderful to see a diverse mix of first-time participants and seasoned triathletes joining us. Additionally, we are grateful to Cardiff Council for their unwavering support, as well as the local community in Cardiff Bay and all the spectators who came out to cheer on the athletes.

"Lastly, we want to express our deep appreciation to our amazing marshals and volunteers, without whom this race would not be possible. We were thrilled to welcome back Ysgol Gyfun Cymraeg Llantaf for their second year as our volunteer marshals team, raising funds for their trip to South Africa through our volunteer reward scheme.

Complete Cardiff Triathlon race results by TDL Event Services are available here, and links to race photography, courtesy of Sport Pictures Cymru, can be found here.

Selected 2024 Cardiff Triathlon Results

Super Sprint Triathlon Open
🥇 Brynmor Rees 43:08
🥈 Elgan Davies 44:26
🥉Keith Domican 45:24

Super Sprint Triathlon Female
🥇 Katherine Baldwin 40:56
🥈 Debbie Curtis 44:14
🥉 Grace Cargill 46:17

Sprint Triathlon Open
🥇 Jordan Clarke 59:57
🥈 Mark Jones 1:05:55
🥉 James Bull 1:06:37

Sprint Triathlon Female
🥇 Eleanor Perkins 1:10:36
🥈 Abbie Sims 1:11:35
🥉 Olivia Michael 1:14:55

Sprint Duathlon Open
🥇 Adam Townsend 54:24
🥈 David Crawford 54:36
🥉 Jason Cole 57:53

Sprint Duathlon Female
🥇 Megan Powell 1:02:38
🥈 Alex Cawthira 1:04:58
🥉 Melissa Dando 1:05:43

Standard Triathlon Open
🥇 Matt Grantham 1:51:12
🥈 Iwan Jones 1:56:12
🥉 Pawel Traczyk 1:56:27

Standard Triathlon Female
🥇 Lucy Marland 2:06:28
🥈 Serena Rendell 2:13:02
🥉 Becky Owen 2:15:31

Legend Triathlon Open
🥇 Lawrence Lees- Baker 4:39:51
🥈 Jordan Pierce 4:40:40
🥉 David Potter 4:41:59

Legend Triathlon Female
🥇 Ruby Verge 5:43:26
🥈 Melanie Hurst 6:09:38
🥉 Michelle Lau 6:30:29

🥇 WTAQ Sprint 1st Female - Mia Goddard 1:06:01
🥇 WTAQ Sprint 1st Open - Matt Barnes 59:49

Full results can be found on the TDL Timing Website.