Athletes post bests

The 2016-17 WA Triathlon season came to close with the running of the 70.3 Half Ironman Championships in Busselton last weekend.

Fifty-nine Rockingham Tri Club triathletes were out in force and after months of preparations several athletes managed to post personal bests and complete their first Half Ironman.

The race covered a 1.9km swim in Geographe Bay, a 90km flat and generally fast bike leg and finished with a 21.1km run along the foreshore of Busselton.

Some of those to compete for the first time were David Ware (5hr 7min.) David Bettel (5:14) Mandy Grov (5:38), Kate Zabiela (5:56), Monica Borrill (6:05) and Sharon Sharman (6:29).

At the fast end of the field, Wade Adam blistered around the course in 4:11 to finish fourth in his category, followed by James Martin (4:26) and Shayne Dimmer (4:31).

Steve Ware competed in the 60-64 age group and successfully defended his title from last season with a personal best of 4:37, while club president Gloria Stewart finished second in the 55-59 group with 5:25.

A majority of the triathletes will take a well-earned break, although several will begin preparations for World Championship events to be held later this year in Penticton, Canada, Chattanooga in the US and Rotterdam in the Netherlands.