Every year, the back to school season brings excitement for UBC TSC Triathlon because it means recruitment is just around the corner. Before that could begin, however, some of the returning athletes continued a three year tradition and raced in the Vancouver Triathlon and Cultus Lake Triathlon.
Ashley Lloyd, Katarina Wind, Andrew Powell (coach), Rocio Hollman, Ethan White celebrating after the race
In the Vancouver Triathlon, Ethan White came 4th overall out of 150 men with a time of 1:09:22. On the women’s side, 125 females competed and Katarina Wind was the 5th female overall in 1:20:19, Ashley Lloyd was right behind her as 6th female overall in 1:20:30, and Rocio Hollman was the 8th female overall in 1:21:07.
Rocio Hollman, Ethan White, and Ashley Lloyd at the awards ceremony. Photo Credit: Rob Shaer
In the Cultus Lake Sprint Triathlon, out of 190 females, April St. Pierre was 1st female overall in a time of 1:22:35 and Ashley Lloyd was the 2nd female overall in 1:23:39. In the Standard distance event, Jonathan Chan came 4th in his age group in a time of 2:55:33.
April St. Pierre and Ashley Lloyd celebrating after their 1st and 2nd place overall finishes. Photo Credit: Rob Shaer
The Vancouver Triathlon could not have had better weather. The water was perfectly calm and the sun was out – a huge relief given the stormy waters the athletes battled last year! After a hectic beach start, everyone found their groove and settled in to the 750m swim. The 18.8km bike course included two beautiful loops around Stanley Park, with a challenging uphill and a quick descent which added a good variety to the course. The 5km run featured rolling hills around Lost Lagoon.
The Cultus Lake Triathlon, however, had very wet weather. The athletes were soaked before they even started the race and shivering spectators were lined up on the docks with umbrellas. It was difficult to sight the buoys on the swim because of the heavy rain and fog covering the lake. Luckily, however, the water felt warm which was a nice surprise given the chilly outside air temperature. The bike was very wet since the rain only got heavier, soaking the athletes and spraying their faces with water and mud. After the bike, April and Ashley noticed that their transition area was submerged in a puddle and their running shoes were filled with water! The run was beautiful since it followed the shore of the lake and a few of the campground sites but it included lots of puddle hopping along the way!
Ashley Lloyd crossing the finish line. Photo Credit: Rob Shaer
April St. Pierre crossing the finish line. Photo Credit: Rob Shaer
Jonathan Chan sprinting to the finish line
These two races wrapped up the 2019 season for UBC TSC Triathlon. The athletes have made incredible improvements over the last year and everyone is excited to see what comes next! The team is excited to welcome the 23 triathletes joining the roster this year. Check out the team website, Instagram and Facebook for more information about upcoming events!