Bournemouth AC has had a proud tradition of top triathletes in their squad over years. Emma Caplan competed in age category races for Team GB in numerous World and European Championships. Caitlin Peers also represented her country at World Championship level in Triathlon and Duathlon. She also did the Ironman 70.3 World Championships, as did Laura Daly the following year.

There are several talented triathletes in a club at the moment including the 9 Endurance crew led by Will Newbery. Laura Daly also forms part of that group, along with Will’s son Oscar who is a very bright prospect and is, in fact, already a top quality athlete.

They were all competing in the Sprint race at the Salty Sea Dog Triathlon which consisted of a 750m swim, a 23.4km bike ride and a 5km run. Oscar went into it off the the back of a disappointment in the French Triathlon Championships. In that race he incurred a penalty for forgetting to put his wet suit in the box during his first transition. Then he got a flat tyre whilst on the bike and was sick as well when trying to make up the ground he’d lost.

It was a tough one to take as Oscar has so much scope to do well and works ever so hard in training to be the best that he can be. Laura also went into it off the back of a slight disappointment at the IRONMAN 70.3 Alcúdia-Mallorca where, owing to an injury during the build up, she wasn’t quite able to hit the heights she had done previously.

The swim took place near the Hengistbury Head end and the water was very choppy on the day. Oscar was the fastest of the BAC affiliated athletes, completing it in 12 minutes and 4 seconds. That put him in 3rd position. He then ran quicker than anyone else to the transition point heading off on his bike.

Will was the next fastest man in the swim after Oscar. He got through it in 12:43 before taking to the bike. Despite getting tangled up in a buoy, Laura was fastest female in the swim, completing it in 13 minutes 53 seconds. That made her 8th fastest person overall.

For the bike section, they headed from Southbourne to Boscombe and then back before turning and going back to Hengistbury Head. Oscar was 4th fastest overall on the bike in 40 minutes 31 seconds. Laura was the next quickest, getting round in 42:03.

Will was 10th fastest on the bike in 43:12, just behind another Bournemouth AC member by the name of David Pinney. He completed the bike ride in 42:51 and was 31st after the swim, getting through it in 42:51.

In the run, Will was the strongest of any of the athletes, completing the 3.25 mile route in 20 minutes and 13 seconds. Thinking that he might have a 1500m to run later, Oscar took the run fairly steady but was still 3rd fastest with his time of 21:05.

The run was an out and back along the prom but with the first 200 metres being on grass and the finish being on the beach in the sand. The running element is what Laura has been struggling with most this season and she finished 2nd female to wily vet Valeria Seston.

Laura’s run was completed in 22:32, which put her 11th fastest in the field. Registering a time of 23:24, David Pinney was 15th fastest on the run.

The was one other Bournemouth AC member in action in the Salty Sea Dog Sprint Triathlon and that was Jason Coltman. He was 46th fastest in the swim, recording a time of 26:05. 38th fastest on the bike, Jason clocked a time of 51:51 before moving onto the run which he conquered in 26:44. That made him 23rd fastest in the field for the run.

In the final standings, Oscar finished 2nd overall in a time of 1 hour 15 minutes and 33 seconds. Will completed the triathlon in 1:18:37 which put him in 3rd place. Ted Ward was the only man able to beat them and he was quite a way ahead, wrapping up his race in 1:08:37.

Coming 13th overall, David clocked a time of 1:30:45 which put him 3rd in the 30-34 category. Jason got round in 1:50:26 which put him 38th overall and 4th in the 50-54 category.

Recording a cumulative time of 1:21:33, Laura came 6th overall and was 1st female. That put her 12-and-a-half minutes ahead of Summer Sutton who was her nearest rival. She was 17th overall in 1:35:09.

It was encouraging to see so many Bournemouth AC members at the sharp end, battling it out for the top positions. It shows the strength that they have in their ranks. Not just in running terms but in multisport too. It’s a kind of mutually beneficial trade off between the 9 Endurance triathlon club and Bournemouth AC as the 9 Endurance athletes can improve their running by going to the Tuesday night training sessions and BAC go on to benefit if they do any road races