Byron athlete Matt Slee battled more than 500 other competitors, high temperatures and extreme humidity for more than four hours to win the Tweed Coast Enduro triathlon at Pottsville the weekend before last.
Matt is a member of the Byron Tri Club which is an offshoot of the Byron Bay Cycling Club.
‘Matt was a first-class bike rider originally but has switched to triathlon in the last 12 months or so and is achieving some great results’, Byron Bay Cycle Club member Richie Duncan said.
Overall the race day went well, despite the extreme heat as the temperature rose well above 30 degrees.
Competitors endured the worst of the conditions during the second leg of the race, the 90-kilometre bicycle ride, ‘as the humidity went through the roof,’ race director Mike Crawley said.
‘People delayed by the humidity then had the 21.1km run to contend with close to the middle of the day.
‘There was plenty of physical trauma,’ Crawley said.
The long-course athletes kicked off the day with a 1.9km swim that left the Buckingham Street beach at 8.20am.
Men’s winners included: Matt Slee (4:25:48), Nick Hull (4:27:51) and Nathan Dortmann (4:28:42)
Women’s winners included: Marion Tuin (4:50:34), Stella Foley (5:07:30) and Jenny Alcorn (5:10:24).
The Tweed Coast Enduro had a goal of raising $7,000 for local groups including the Cabarita Surf Life Saving Club, Pottsville Beach Neighbourhood Centre, Tweed Raiders JRL, Pottsville Cricket Club, Murwillumbah Venturer Scouts, Pottsville Men’s Shed, and the Walkie Talkies.
The Kingscliff Triathlon is set down for March 25 and the Byron Bay Triathlon will be staged on May 13.
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