A group of 140 athletes have taken part in the Royal Navy Triathlon Championship 2018 held at HMS Raleigh.
The competition, which was open to athletes of all abilities across the Naval Service and guests, consisted of a 400 metre swim, a 20 kilometre cycle ride and a final run of five kilometres.
First across the line in the women’s veterans category was seasoned competitor, Lieutenant Commander Tilda Woodard from Britannia Royal Naval College.
She said: “Thank goodness there is a Female Vets category, as there is some stiff competition out there now and a lot of youngsters less than half my age.
“It is so nice to see so many old and new faces competing. It is amazing to see how triathlon as a sport has grown over the last few years, within the Navy as well.
“Personally I prefer Olympic distance, but this race is a great way to kick off the season and is open to all abilities – from novices to top athletes in the RNRM Tri Team, and then ‘seasoned old veterans’ like me.
“It is also a good way to spot budding new triathletes for the RNRM Tri Team in time for the Inter-Services in July.”
Lieutenant (Lt) Brian Bennett, from the Commando Training Centre, was also among the competitors. He has been competing in RN/Inter-Service and open/civilian competitions for about 18 months and is currently in his second season.
Lt Bennett is still training hard to improve his overall performance and competed this time in the Male Veteran’s category.
He said: “When I finished the race I was, at the time placed first in my age group, hence the "number one" pose in the photo.
“However, after all of the other competitors had finished I was 12th in my age group and about 80th overall, but for a brief moment I felt like a winner.
“I was happy with my race at Raleigh, but to be honest I was disappointed to be placed so far down the field, but seeing as some of the best triathletes in the RN were competing, I'm not surprised about my position as it was a very strong field.
“The race was brilliantly organised and the marshalls did a great job; all the competitors after the race commented on how smoothly it ran.
“These events can be over in a few hours, but they take a significant amount of planning, setting up and clearing down; it was great effort by the staff at Raleigh.”
The event was organised by Leading Physical Trainer Suzanne Turner with the support of the wider HMS Raleigh PT department.
She said: “A massive event like this really highlights the professionalism of the HMS Raleigh’s PT Staff, working together to make it a highly successful competition.
“There was a great atmosphere throughout the day with all winners receiving a trophy on the day.”
