LAKE Macquarie triathlete Tim Lang scored a victory for veterans when he won the Acclaimed Financial Services Crowdy Head Triathlon in a tight finish from teenager Sam Lewis from Port Macquarie.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Lang is 46. He is by far the oldest winner of a triathlon held here - stretching back to the original race in Taree in the mid-1980s before it moved to Cundletown and now Crowdy Head. Lewis completed the 500m swim, 20km bike ride and 5km swim in 55 minutes 29. Last year Jack Schumacher from Forster clocked 55.59.
The second placed Lewis recorded 55.31 while another veteran, Nathan Stewart from Newcastle, was third in 56.29. Stewart led the field after the bike leg but was overhauled by Lang and Lewis in the 5km run. The leading pair were neck and neck at the start of the 500 metre run up the beach to the finish, but Lang held on to clinch a memorable win.
A field of 95 hit the surf at Crowdy Head in perfect conditions for the race, although a half metre swell tested the triathletes in the 500km swim.
“It was close racing,’’ Lang said soon after crossing the line.
“Nathan (Stewart) had a good lead on the bike and then I took over from him for a few ks. Then Sam caught me just as we were coming on to the beach and I thought ‘here we go.’ He went past me like I was standing still.
“So I just sat on him, got my breath back and had a dig at the end.’’
Lang confirmed it was his first race on the course. In fact, it was his first trip to Crowdy Head.
“It’s a beautiful spot,’’ he said,
“It’s a well run race, no dramas, I thought it was good.’’
Lang said it was different finishing the race with a run up the beach.
“I think Trial Bay’s similar to that,’’ he said.
“It’s good that the tide’s out so the sand is nice and hard.
“But I’ll be back next year. I’ve been doing tris for 30 years and this is the first time I’ve been here - although I did do the race at Cundletown once.’’
Lang said he’s still enjoying the sport as much as ever. He races once or twice a month. He’s now preparing for the Australian championships in Geelong in a fortnight.
Lang revealed that he’s competed in the longer distance events when he was younger, but prefers the shorter races these days.
“It’s all good - and here comes my young bloke now,’’ he added as his son, Cal, made the finishing line.
Lang-the-younger was sixth overall in a time of 58.57.
Aaron Hayward was the best placed local performer, finishing eighth in 59.30.
