An Cosantóir the official magazine of the Irish Defence Forces and Reserve Defence Forces.
Issue link: https://digital.jmpublishing.ie/i/84719
30 | With the arrival of the competitors (of which there were a total of passed then has to drop back so as to not draft from the person in front. This rule which was not observed by one individual would later mean a substantial time penalty costing that individual overall first place in their category. As this year saw the absence of the top three Defence Forces triathletes in both the Male and Female category the top spots were anyone's for the taking and this only added to the competiveness of the event. This year saw the addition of a Try-A-Tri event (400m Swim, 20km Bike and 5km run) to the already familiar event of the Sprint distance race and the ever popular Relay event (750m Swim, 20km Bike and 5km run). As athletes took to the rather calm waters of Lough Ennell (which wasn't to remain calm for long) the 4 Fd Arty Regt started the race with a bang from a 120mm Mortar and a pyrotechnic which quickly resulted in Lough Ennell being turned it to white water frenzy as the athletes set off at a blistering pace led by the two race favourites Sgt over a hundred this year) saw the final preparations for most of their year long training preparation for this race. The registration and Transition area were a hive of activ- ity as people busied themselves with final adjustments to their gear and began to lay out their kit in the all too much rehearsed manner that all triathletes go through before races. The atmosphere was one of concentration however there were the usual few jokes and banter being thrown around as old rivalries amongst friends and rival units across the DF raise their heads as they tend to do at these social gatherings. A safety brief led by Cpl Derek Nugent – Race Director ensured that all competitors and marshals knew what was expected of them especially the athletes with particular emphasis on the rule of drafting. This is where triathletes have to ensure that they are not within 10m x 2m imaginary box of another athlete as this gives them an energy saving advantage over the front competitor. Strict rules enforced by Triathlon Ireland Bike marshals ensure that you must also pass the athlete within 15secs and the athlete that was An Cosantóir October 2012 www.dfmagazine.ie