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2024 Race Report

Back for 2024, saved from cancellation, Always Aim High Events are proud to host the iconic Triathlon Y Bala for the local & triathlon community, with the addition of the Welsh National Aquabike Championships.

Triathlon Y Bala Saved from Cancellation

Conditions were ideal for The Cycle Retreats Triathlon Y Bala, with no sign of the famous Llyn Tegid mist as athletes were racking their bikes.

The Sprint triathlon was the first to go, with a single wave setting off on the swim course at 9:25am.

In the Open category, Greg Moore lead out of the swim, leaving the water after just 11min 32sec, followed just over a minute later by Jacob Welsh. Jacob chased Greg out of transition, with Daniel Perkins bringing up third. Greg maintained his lead over Jacob over the bike course, but Ioan Wellsbury of GOG Triathlon put in a strong performance to put him in 3rd place ahead of Daniel as they returned to T2. Greg's strong performance on each section off the race saw him lead right through to the finish line, winning the race in 1:04:37, with Jacob chasing hard on his heels with a finish in 1:04:57. Despite Daniel's strong bike performance and fast transitions, it was Ioan who crossed the line in 3rd place, in 1:07:47.

Medi Lewis was the first to leave the water in the female race, with a 12:42 swim time, followed in 14:08 by GOG Triathlon's Emily Hanlon, with Molly Brice of Total Transition Training and Megan Whitaker close behind. The bike course saw Emily take the lead from Medi, with Ruth Evans of Team Cherwell chasing in third place. The results at the end of the run were Emily Hanlon in 1st place in 1:12:11 following a strong run, with Molly Brice having recovered her 2nd position, finishing in 1:15:23 and Ruth Evans in 3rd in 1:17:24. Medi came in 4th position, winning the U24 age category in 1:18:29.

The team race was won by Team Whiter than Whyte in 1:31:31.

The Standard triathlon first wave set off at 10:00am, with Aqua Bike athletes following in the second wave at 10:05am.

Ross Hosking and Sam Proctor battled it out in the swim, leaving the water in 20:19 & 20:22 respectively. A fast transition saw Sam leave T1 just ahead of Ross, with Tony Marshal just over 5 minutes behind. The bike course saw Sam & Ross change places again, with Ross leading back into T2, but it was the run that clinched victory for Sam, who finished in 1:52:78, ahead of Ross' 1:57:02. The fastest run time of the day saw overall third place taken by Richard Elston in 2:04:27.

In the Female race, it was Jessica Caughtry out of the water and onto the bike ahead of the field. No-one could make up for the gap Jessica had created during the swim, with a final finish time of 2:11:26, but it was Julie de Winton and Jane Halliday who claimed 2nd and third place, having established their positions on the bike. Julie's finish was 2:21:06 with Jane crossing the line in 2:27:02.

The team race was win by Team Bala Triathlon Ninjas, local athletes Iwan Davies, Eilir Davies & Bryan Jones in 2:14:45.

In the Aquabike it was Oliver Simon, Clive Tilbury & Colin Wallace who left the water, ahead of the first Female athlete Rosie May Bennett. Following the bike section, the Open race was won by Oliver, in 1:15:52, having held his lead throughout. Colin Wallace took second place in 1:24:36 while Tim Burnett came from 5th position leaving the swim to claim 3rd place overall in 1:27:10.

In the Female race, Rosie was passed on the bike by Stephanie Waring, who crossed the line in 1:32:58, with Rosie less than a minute behind in 1:33:54. Gwenllian Thomas took third place in 1:37:52 to complete the podium.

The Aquabike was also the Welsh National Championship, with full age-group awards made on the day by Amy Jenner of Welsh Triathlon. Full National Championship results will be available on the Welsh Triathlon Website.

Always Aim High Events Director Tim Lloyd shared his thoughts on the weekend's racing: “It was a pleasure to be able to rescue this iconic event from cancellation and create another memorable Triathlon Y Bala for the triathlon community."

“We want to extend a huge thank you to all our athletes, whose talent and sportsmanship bring our events to life. We’re also grateful to the Bala community, and our event sponsors and partners for their unwavering support.

Most importantly, we owe a special thanks to our world-class marshals and volunteers, without whom this race simply wouldn't be possible.”