RACE director Rhett Pattison expects the winner of Sunday’s inaugural Acclaimed Financial Services Crowdy Head Triathlon to complete the course in under an hour.
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The race will be contested over a 500m swim in Crowdy Bay followed by a 20km bike from Crowdy to Harrington and return and a 5km run through bush tracks and on the beach.
“If conditions are good the winner should finish in around 56 minutes,’’ Pattison said.
The run could be the X Factor. The last 500 metres will be on the beach, however, Pattison believes there will be enough hard sand to assist the runners.
Yesterday the event was on track to attract at least 100 starters.
“We have 85 at the moment so we should get close to 100 or more, which is about what we were hoping for,’’ Pattison said yesterday.
Cameron Pensini, winner of the 2012 triathlon conducted by Forster Tri Club at Cundletown is a definite starter and is expected to be among the front runners. Fellow Port triathlete Harry Jones will also press for honours. Jones was second in the recent tri held at Camden Haven. Peter Morrow from Newcastle was third in the same race and should also be prominent on Sunday.
Beau Harper is expected to lead the local charge, especially on the bike.
Experienced Troy Croker was third at Cundletown in 2012 and is another local with strong credentials as is Matt Watson, an A-grade competitor with the Forster Tri Club.
Jacinta Smithers from Woolgoolga will be among the favourites to be the first woman home.
Action will start tomorrow at Crowdy with the tri club conducting a 500m ocean swim from 1pm and a 1000m swim from 1.30.
Aquathons for juniors will be underway from 2.30. Pattison admits the entries for both ocean swims are down on what he expected.
“They’ve been a bit slow which is surprising. I thought people would be keen, particuarly with the swim at Black Head not going ahead this year,’’ he said.
The triathlon will start at 7am on Sunday.