A TRIO of Stratford-upon-Avon Athletic Club athletes competed over remarkable distances at the World Triathlon Championships.
Stratford athletes Kim Lee, Ben Phyall and Paul Faithfull took part in long distance triathlon and aquabike events respectively in Ibiza, Spain.
Lee represented Great Britain in the age group triathlon having run her first iron-distance triathlon at the Lakesman last year.
She was selected as part of a 20-strong GB squad in her age group and trained relentlessly in the 20-week period before the race.
And come race day, Lee completed the 3k swim, 120k bike ride and 30k run in a time of 8 hours and 34 minutes.
She swam in choppy conditions whilst the bike ride included some thrilling downhill straights as she overtook 37 of her competitors during the bike leg.
And despite having to run in hot conditions, on a challenging course with short steep inclines and declines, she finished as the 88th woman overall, 19th in her age group and as the ninth GB athlete.
Stratford athlete Phyall completed the aquabike event as he joined 300 competitors in a 3000m swim over both choppy and calm sea.
Phyall then took on the 114km bike ride to finish in 4 hours 22 minutes to place fifth in his age group and second GB athlete is his age group.
Fellow Stratford representative Faithfull took on the longest triathlon he had attempted and his first run over 25km.
Faithfull’s swim started well, despite a stray foot catching him in the face, as he settled into a good rhythm in choppy seas to place ninth ahead of the transition to the bike leg.
And Faithfull defied the heat and humidity to finish the bike leg in good time which left a daunting 30k run, with 500m of ascent, to complete the race.
Faithfull’s fast pace over the three-lap course meant getting to the finish proved a test of his willpower as the Stratford athlete showed great courage to cross the line in 6 hrs 50 mins, 11th in his age group and the third GB athlete.
