Seven Frogs Tri – Casltegregory

With over 200 racing in the Seven Frogs Triathlon, the number racing last weekend was almost 1,000.  Who said that the race season was over???  Race report from the organizer Nuala Moore.

“The 7 Frogs Triathlon Castlegregory, The Maharees- Sprint/Olympic distances.

The 7 Frogs triathlon is very much a relaxed event. I pride myself in a chilled atmosphere but this does not for one second prevent anyone from clocking magnificent times.

The Olympic Distance was won in 2:14 and the Sprint Distance in 1: 12.

It is so important to create an atmosphere which allows new Triathletes and non competitive to enjoy the day as well racing side by side with the elite of the sport. Together everyone goes home with new targets-regardless of it being taking 5 minutes of their transition or taking 15 seconds of their bike ride. It’s great to have such support for this event.

What an amazing day- the weather was surreal, not a whisper of wind, and the water was glass like. This allowed very smooth swimming conditions in the swims so the times were super fast. The Olympic distance started in a deep water start and headed north under the watchful eye of Mallow Search and Rescue.

The Sprint waited and welcomed all the swimmers out of the water which actually built a super competitive atmosphere, before we had a deep water start in the sprint as well.

Between both distances and relays we had 260 competitors-

The roads are beautiful for the cycle- the main challenge was racing through a small village. The bike routes took the Triathletes up to the Conor Pass and down to Cloghane-and back to the Maharees. The scenery is so beautiful that sometimes the bikes can be separated and you are truly racing against yourself.

The sprint bikes just did a loop of the village –both runs took the wonderful back roads down to Kilshannig and this has very little traffic so that was a super advantage.

The atmosphere was brilliant and the comradie as runners ran through the routes

The main objective of this event when I started in 2003 was to allow triathletes a place to race before they truly enter the sport of Triathlon- I like to look on it as the training wheels where you can mess up in private.

Over the years it has attracted so many super athletes. Many did their first with me and have since completed Ironman.

The overall ingredient is fun- it is a super end of season triathlon and each year we move forward and try to make it better. There is as much importance to the last finisher as there is to the first.

Here’s to next year –all details www.nualamoore.com – results are on www.precisiontiming.net also FB- Seven Frogs Triathlon

The charity I am supporting is Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin around the €5,000- I am also giving a donation €1,500- to Mallow Search & Rescue unit- they are a magnificent group of volunteers who set up this group to help search and recover causalities from the water- they are called all over the country to assist. They have assisted on all my swims- made my swims safer and my job easier“.

The best day out-we could have had-the atmosphere-

Olympic 1 Male – Milosz Wojcik  2hrs:14mins

2 Male – Paul Tanner 2: 17mins

Olympic 1^ST FEMALE- Denise O Connell 2 hrs 27mins

2 st female – Ellen Vitting  2 hrs 41mins

Sprint-  1 st female Rachael Hawker 1 hr 14mins

2 nd female Grainne Read 1hr:17min

Sprint 1 st male Mark Waters-Dublin 1hr 12 min

2^nd male Donal Brady – Dublin 1 hr 12 min