Bala Shines for a Sold-Out Weekend of Championship Racing - 2026 Race Report

We were also incredibly proud to have Tom Harrison House joining us as our headline charity partner for the event once again, with participants helping to raise vital funds and awareness for the fantastic work they do.

The day kicked off with the British Triathlon Super Series Grand Final, welcoming invited athletes from across the country to Bala to battle it out in the final race of the series.

It was fantastic to see elite racing return to Triathlon y Bala once again, with some brilliant performances out on the course. In the Open race, Daniel Van Aardt claimed the win in an impressive 51:11, while Sam McInnes took the Female title in 58:11, bringing an exciting start to a packed day of racing.

Legend (70.3) Triathlon

Following the elite action, this year saw the much-anticipated return of the Bala Middle Distance, our Triathlon y Bala Legend event. This iconic distance has a long history in Bala, having been raced here for many years, so we were delighted to bring it back to the event as part of the Always Aim High Events programme.

With 115 athletes signed up for its first year back, it was fantastic to see such a strong turnout and so much support for the return of this classic race. We hope to continue building on this in the years ahead and see the Bala Legend Triathlon grow even further in 2027 and beyond.

The Open race saw Joe Holt put together a superb performance to become the first winner of the returning Bala Middle Distance, breaking the four-hour mark with a winning time of 3:59:32. Holt completed the swim in 33:10 before producing an impressive 2:08:45 bike split, giving him a strong advantage heading onto the run. A 1:14:52 run was enough to secure the victory.

Scott Malson of Tenby Aces took second place in 4:06:58, just over seven minutes behind Holt. Malson was the quickest of the leading athletes in the water with a 32:54 swim and recorded a 1:14:44 run to comfortably secure the runner-up spot. Gareth Bowen of Caffi Gruff completed the podium in 4:36:48, narrowly holding off Luke Foster, who finished just 12 seconds behind in 4:37:00. Gareth Bowyer of GOG Triathlon rounded out the top five in 4:45:15.

In the Female race, Catherine Marks of Pembrokeshire Triathlon Club produced a brilliant performance to take the inaugural returning Bala Middle Distance title in 5:13:21. Marks started strongly with a 35:28 swim before completing the bike course in 2:57:00 and finishing with a 1:38:08 run. Her performance also placed her an impressive 10th overall.

Tessa Hemming claimed second place in 5:38:05, finishing 24:44 behind Marks after a strong 34:34 swim and 1:46:23 run. Sarah Drake completed the Female podium in 5:46:49, while Alex Rogers of Tricentral UK took fourth in 5:53:05, and Lana Wright of Mersey Tri followed just 30 seconds later in fifth with a time of 5:53:35.

Sprint Triathlon

The Open race saw some close competition at the front, with Ben Cocker taking the overall victory in an impressive 1:09:15. Cocker put together a strong performance across all three disciplines, including a 33:06 bike split and 18:29 run, to secure the top spot. Ian Usher of Newark Triathlon Club followed in second, finishing just 1 minute 38 seconds behind in 1:10:53, while Andrew Price completed the Open podium in 1:11:08. Charlie Porter was next home in 1:12:12, with John Bennett rounding out the Open top five in 1:14:02.

There was an equally impressive battle at the front of the Female race, with Molly Bryce of Total Tri Training producing a fantastic performance to take the win in 1:11:02, placing third overall across the entire field. Bryce started strongly with a 13:11 swim before completing the bike in 36:02, and the run in 19:39. Mollie Dacey of Cardiff Juniors Tri Club claimed second place in 1:11:59, less than a minute behind Bryce, after recording the fastest swim of the leading athletes in 10:42. Evie Bayman completed the Female podium in 1:18:48, with Katherine Grainger fourth in 1:22:23 and Jess Hacker fifth in 1:23:04.

Standard Triathlon

Next up was the Standard Triathlon race, which saw over 500 athletes take to the water across five wave starts. By this point in the day, the weather had begun to turn, with increasing winds.

The Standard distance produced some fantastic racing at the front of the field, with Thomas Bill of TB Triathlon putting together an outstanding all-round performance to take the Open victory in 1:51:16. Bill was right amongst the leaders from the start, completing the swim in 22:26 before producing a superb 52:26 bike split. He followed that with a 34:45 run to secure the win by more than two minutes. Zachary Beddows took second place in 1:53:39, producing the fastest run of the leading contenders with an impressive 33:09 split to finish 2:23 behind the winner.

Completing the Open podium was Ross Hosking of Heathwood Triathlon, who led the leading trio out of the water following an excellent 21:09 swim. A 53:36 bike kept him firmly in contention before he crossed the line in 1:55:14 to claim third. Matt Grantham wasn't far behind, finishing fourth in 1:56:04 after a particularly strong 33:34 run, while Gruffudd Lewis of Caffi Gruff rounded out the top five in 1:57:19, recording the quickest bike split of the top five with a 52:14 ride. James Green and Arran McCloskey also broke the two-hour mark, finishing sixth and seventh respectively in 1:58:47 and 1:58:59.

The Female race was incredibly close at the front, with Rhian Roxburgh of GOG Triathlon taking a brilliant victory in 2:09:26. Roxburgh laid the foundations for her win with a strong 23:44 swim, before completing the bike in 1:02:36 and finishing with a 41:11 run. Her performance also placed her an impressive 24th overall amongst a large Standard distance field.

Behind her, the battle for the remaining podium positions went right to the line. Ella Barnwell of Peak Performance Wales produced an excellent 59:48 bike split on her way to second place in 2:10:31, finishing just 1 minute and 5 seconds behind Roxburgh. Only 12 seconds separated second and third, with Jessica Caughtry of London Fields Triathlon Club taking third in 2:10:43. Caughtry was the quickest of the leading three in both the swim, clocking 22:31, and the run, with an impressive 38:34 split.

The strength of the Female field continued behind the podium, with Veronica Green-Jones of Chiltern Tri taking fourth in 2:13:17, followed by Wakefield Triathlon Club's Isabelle Land in fifth in 2:15:23. Emma Palfrey of Sarn Helen Tri Club followed closely in sixth with 2:16:15, demonstrating just how competitive the racing was throughout the leading Female field.

Always Aim High Events Race Director Rhys Pilley reflected on the weekend’s racing:

“It was fantastic to be back in Bala for our third year delivering this iconic event. The atmosphere throughout the weekend was brilliant, and it was amazing to see so many athletes, supporters and spectators coming into Bala and filling the event village and surrounding areas. Seeing so many people come together to support the racing really added to the occasion and made for another memorable Triathlon y Bala.

This year was particularly special as we welcomed some of the country’s best athletes to Bala for the British Triathlon Super Series Grand Final, alongside the Welsh Triathlon Super Series Grand Final. We’re incredibly proud to have hosted such prestigious racing here in Wales, which will also be showcased on S4C in the coming weeks.

We were also delighted to see the return of the Bala Middle Distance, our Legend 70.3 race, for the first time as part of an Always Aim High event. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our first edition of this race. Bala has a fantastic history of middle-distance racing, and we’re excited to build on this year and hopefully see the race continue to grow in the years ahead.

A huge thank you goes to every athlete who joined us across the weekend, as well as the Bala community and all of our sponsors and partners for their continued support.

And, as always, a very special thank you to our incredible marshals and volunteers. Their enthusiasm and commitment make events like this possible, and we simply couldn’t do it without them.”

Selected 2026 Triathlon Y Bala Results

Sprint Triathlon

Open Category
🥇 1.Ben Cocker 1:09:15
🥈 2. Ian Usher 1:10:53
🥉 3. Andrew Price 1:11:08

Female Category
🥇 1. Molly Bryce 1:11:02
🥈 2.Mollie Dacey 1:11:59
🥉 3.Evie Bayman 1:18:48