Philip Woolins and Colette Durkin have been crowned the male and female champions after a thrilling start to the Bermuda Triathlon Association’s Summer Series Tri-A-Tri at Clearwater Beach.
Under brilliant blue skies at the scenic eastern venue, a competitive field descended on St. David's to tackle the fast and furious sprint format, which features a 200-meter open-water swim, a flat 8-kilometer bike leg, and a grueling 2-kilometer run to the finish line.
In the men's division, Woolins laid down a spectacular marker for the rest of the summer. Displaying superb transition speed and a clinical pace on the run, he crossed the tape in a blistering time of 27 minutes and 40 seconds to claim the overall top spot.
He was pushed all the way by a relentless chasing pack, with Owen Fosker turning in a highly impressive performance of his own to claim the runner-up spot in the men's category with a time of 28:42.
The women's championship safe-cracking was equally compelling, evolving into a battle of sheer endurance between two of the island's rising multisport athletes.
Ultimately, it was Durkin who asserted her dominance, stopping the clock at an incredible 28:04—a time fast enough to secure her the women's title and an astonishing second place overall in the combined standings. Sofia LeClerc also produced a standout performance on the Clearwater course, finishing a strong second in the women's field and fourth overall in 29:34.
Further down the field, Austin Carr led a tight mid-pack battle to cross the line in 32:14, finishing just ahead of Jeremiah Murphy in 32:27 and Lionel Quinton in 32:53. The tandem team of Matthew and Katrina Carr worked seamlessly across the three disciplines to clock 33:59, while Emma Palmer showed immense grit to complete her morning in 39:49.
The event also showcased spectacular individual efforts across tailored development distances. Seamus Durkin caught the eye in the swim-bike format, registering a quick 22:10 over the 200-meter swim and 8-kilometer bike ride. Meanwhile, Tatum Carr successfully navigated a 100-meter swim, 5.3-kilometer bike, and 2-kilometer run in 29:14, while Feargal Murphy completed a modified 8-kilometer bike variation of the course in a hard-fought 35:58.
|
