As the sun rose on Sunday, 6 February 2022, 500 triathletes were getting ready to race along the stunning Rockingham Foreshore. Highlighted by the golden light peeking through the trees at Bell Park, athletes were treated to perfect racing conditions – a calm 22 degrees with a light sea breeze and glass-like blue water. As hundreds of bikes were racked in transition, club alley was rearing and ready to go; filled with the excitable, frenetic energy only a big race morning brings. Expo holders had their wares on display, assisting athletes with caffeination, gear and mobilisation before all the action kicked off as the clock struck 7.
The Rockingham Foreshore Triathlon was a WA State Series Event organised and executed by Triathlon WA. The event included a SunSmart Kids Triathlon (100m swim, 3km bike, 500m run), an Enticer Triathlon (200m swim, 7km bike, 2km run) and a Sprint Triathlon (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) race.
The littlest triathletes were up first, receiving their brief on the beach before taking off like rockets. Spurred on by the cheers and smiles of friends, family, and older athletes, they barrelled through the course to the finish line like unstoppable trains to claim their medals and big hugs from loved ones.
The Enticer competitors took to the course next, novice athletes and seasoned athletes alike. The sun took its opportunity to shine, bringing gorgeous sunshine to the course and some warmth for the athletes as they emerged from the ocean and headed towards transition. After some impressive performances on the bike and run course, we saw the first of the Enticer competitors racing up the final stretch to the finish arch.
EFS athlete Ivan Nagel was the first Enticer athlete to cross the finish line in a blistering 22 minutes and 6 seconds. Hot on his heels were fellow School Sport WA teammates, Connor Richards (North Coast) and Will Cramsie (North Coast) who finished second and third respectively. The first Enticer female to finish was Erin Driscoll (North Coast) who beat her club mate, Bridie Crew (North Coast) by less than two seconds and Billie Mincham (Fremantle) took third place, mere moments behind. These 14-15 age group category athletes dominated the Enticer race, proving they can more than keep up with the older athletes.
With reigning Ironman Matt Burton (Oceanic) pulling out of the Sprint distance race last minute due to an injury, the first-place crown was well and truly open for the taking. The competition was tight with experienced triathlete Guy Crawford (Fremantle) leading the pack for most of the race. It was a thrilling race as spectators and fellow athletes lined the edges of the bike and run course, hoping to catch a glimpse of the action. Young gun Zeke Tinley (Bunbury) put the pedal to the metal on the run course, overtaking Crawford and flying home to claim State Sprint distance champion in an impressive time of 00:56:28. Crawford came in second a minute later and Para triathlete, David Bryant (Oceanic) finished in just under an hour to take third place.
During his podium interview, Tinley stated “I feel like I’ve been working hard for a long time and it’s catching up. I’ve really been enjoying it and I’m so lucky to have the support around me.” He thanked Keep on Running and the City of Rockingham for supporting the Rockingham Foreshore Triathlon, Triathlon WA and the volunteers for putting on a fantastic event, the spectators and competitors for coming out, his coach, training partners and family for their support.
Twenty-two (22) year old athlete Aleisha Wesley (North Coast) was not far behind the male competitors, dominating the female field to finish in an excellent time of 1:01:57. Wesley was crowned the Open Female champion taking her winning streak to an astonishing five state titles in a row. Team XTR athlete Indie Arbuckle finished second and seasoned triathlete, Kate Bevilaqua (Fremantle) crossed the line in third place.
On the podium, Wesley commented that she’d been getting into top form and preparing to race in Europe in a few weeks’ time. When asked what she attributed her success to, Wesley said “a different mindset. I’ve been working hard during the off-season and the hard work has been paying off. I’ve moved running groups which has definitely improved something that has been a weakness in the past.” Wesley thanked North Coast Tri Club and Eclipse Performance Centre for their support, the volunteers, event sponsors and all competitors.
Being a State Series event, Triathlete of the Year (TOTY) points were up for grabs in all age group categories. Tinley’s win in Rockingham puts him on top of the TOTY Open Male leader board and Wesley retains first place on the TOTY Open Female leader board after round 5. James Kjellgren-Lewis (Fremantle) also continued his winning streak and holds onto male TOTY leader in the 16-19 age category. The promising young athlete had an outstanding performance in Rockingham, finishing third overall in the Sprint distance race. Emily White (Exceed) added to her TOTY lead in the 16-19 female category after crossing the line first in her age group.
In general, the Rockingham Foreshore Triathlon was a fantastic day of racing, and everyone involved left feeling elated and ready to take on the next challenge.
Triathlon WA would like to thank the amazing sponsors; City of Rockingham, Keep on Running, Beach Rock IGA, Tourism Rockingham, Quest Rockingham, Coast FM for their support and contribution to the event. All expo stall holders; Total Recovery WA, Keep on Running, Outside the Locker Room, PA Sports and Leisure and TransitionWear. TWA would like to extend an extra special thank you to all of the volunteers, staff, clubs (especially Rockingham Triathlon Club) and athletes who made this event possible. We appreciate your support and couldn’t have done it without you!
Next up on the State Series calendar is the Joondalup Autumn Classic on Sunday, 7 March at Mullaloo Beach.