TRIATHLON EVENTS
H
alfway between Sydney and
Brisbane, on the stunning NSW
Mid North Coast, is the home of
the popular annual multisport
festival, the bcu Coffs Tri. With a protected
harbour swim, closed roads for the cycle leg
and a flat run around the picturesque Jetty
foreshores, the course will not disappoint.
The weekend of events includes races
for children aged six and up as well as an
‘enticer’ triathlon for those new to the sport,
and the headline Standard Distance event
for individuals and teams.
The Standard Distance event on
March 5, 2017 is an Age Group ITU World
Championship Qualifying Race and will
double as the NSW State Championships.
Event organiser Sinclair Black said, “Being
awarded a world championship qualifying
race from Triathlon Australia is not only a
coup for the event but also for the Coffs
region. We are excited to continue to deliver
a world-class event and to add even more
reasons for people from all over Australia to
come and visit the beautiful Coffs Coast.”
The bcu Coffs Tri has a total prize
purse of $4,500 on offer for the top three
overall male and female place getters and
is expecting to attract a high calibre of
professional athletes.
Since its inception in 2013, the event
has enticed some of the big names in the
sport to Coffs Harbour including Michellie
Jones and Brad Kahledfelt. Other wellknown triathletes who have raced the Coffs
Tri course include Lindsey Wall, Clayton
Fettell, Mitch Dean, Rachael Paxton, Matilda
Raynolds, Anna Cleaver and Holly Khan.
In addition to the popular Standard
Distance event with individual and team
options, the bcu Coffs Tri includes an
Enticer triathlon (375m/10km/2.5km), as
well as races for children aged 6–14, and
promises to be a weekend of fun racing
action for all ages, motivations and abilities.
The 2016 event attracted over 800
competitors from all over Australia with
organisers expecting to eclipse that number
this year. Lyndsey Wall claimed line honours
in the 2016 Standard Distance event and
said it is one of the most spectacular
courses he has raced on.
“This race is as good as they get – it’s one
of those events that can be hard to focus
on the actual race because the scenery and
atmosphere are so unreal,” Wall said.
The spectacular ocean swim, considered
one of the most beautiful in the country, is
held inside the protected, pristine harbour
with spectators getting a birds-eye view
from the Jetty. The two-lap bike course
is fast, yet challenging on a completely
closed road out towards Sawtell. The run
comprises two laps around the beautiful
harbour foreshores incorporating the iconic
Coffs Jetty and southern break wall with
views looking back towards Coffs and its
stunning mountain backdrop.
Black says, “Our aim is to deliver a
professional event with a quality course
in a beautiful location, whilst maintaining
affordable entry fees. We want to attract the
top of the sport as well as those just
starting out.”
It takes the involvement of the whole
community to deliver a quality event.
Volunteers from the local Coffs Harbour
community, including three surf clubs, the
Coffs Tri Club, SES and St John Ambulance
all pitch in to ensure the event runs
smoothly and flawlessly.
Not only is the bcu Coffs Tri a fantastic
community event, all proceeds raised are
distributed to local charities including Life
Education, Camp Quality, Early Connections
and Coffs Coast Autism. Event organiser
Village Sports has donated $230,000
to local community groups since 2011.
Volunteers from each of these organisations
will be playing a very important role on race
day, handing out water at the drink stations,
assisting in transition and cheering on the
athletes as they make their way around
the course.
An important message from the
organisers is that you don’t have to be a
triathlete to take part in the bcu Coffs Tri.
As long as you can swim, know how to ride a
bike and can walk or run, you’ve got what it
takes. And, if you’re not up for all three legs,
the Standard Distance event has a
team option.
“For those with reservations about the
swim leg, we are very fortunate to have a
safe harbour for the swimmers. The buoys
in the enticer and children’s events are set
close to the beach so competitors don’t
have to venture very far from shore and
it’s more of a wade than a swim. We have
invested a lot of time and money to ensure
our cycl