The 2015 Cayman Islands Triathlon presented by Elian, took place on Sunday November 1st awarding top accolades to both local and international triathletes. The event was held at Seven Mile Public Beach, and attracted just under 200 triathletes and 100 volunteers, the largest number of participants for a Cayman Islands triathlon to date.
Marius Acker took first overall in the men’s Olympic course of 1,500 meters swim, 40k bike and 10K run in an impressive 2 hours, 14 minutes, 44 seconds. First time Olympic distance competitor Stuart Bray took second place, shortly followed by 2015 double Ironman Dale Avery.
Visiting athlete and past winner Arwen Lawson once again gave the on-island female athletes a run for their money. Arwen’s quick transitions saw her secure the women’s Olympic title in a time of 2 hours, 45 minutes and 43 seconds. Michelle Bailey and Alyssa Dodson were hot on Arwen’s heels in the closest finish of the day, to take 2nd and 3rd place respectively.
Brandon Williams took the Men’s Sprint distance title in a time of 1:13:15 with Graham Blyth and Daniel Cummings who took 2nd and 3rd respectively after a tight battle throughout run course.
The women’s Sprint distance saw Gill Comins and Elena Testori battling for the title spot. Gill took first place in a time of 1:21:13 with less than a minute between them. Fleur Vagniez took 3rd place for the women.
A record 16 relay teams enjoyed the competition with top finishes earned by ‘Tag You’re It!’ (mixed), ‘Bailey’s Cream’ (mixed) and ‘No Balloons’ (female).
The particularly hot weather conditions meant that that the volunteers at the Cayman National Bank and Red Sail Sports water stations were on their toes to ensure athletes stayed hydrated throughout the course.
Cayman Islands Triathlon Association (CITA) board members Paul Schreiner, Trevor Murphy and Johann Prinsloo were keen to thank all the volunteers, the event sponsors and timing experts Race Caribbean, for all the input that helped make the 2015 Cayman Islands Triathlon such an enormous success.
“The record turnout at the tri-training series and triathlon this year is testament to the success of CITA. We knew the day would be successful from the outset as the weather was definitely on our side, with clear conditions and calm waters” said Mr. Schreiner. “We were able to start promptly at 6:45am at Seven Mile Public Beach and the entire race went smoothly and without a hitch. We had over 100 volunteers and many people out cheering the triathletes with everyone playing an important part to ensure the success of the day.”
Mr. Murphy added: “Everyone who participated put in a tremendous amount of hard work to ensure we had a fantastic race and we would like to thank them sincerely for all that they accomplished, making the 2015 Cayman Islands Triathlon our best year yet!”
Katherine Atkinson, Elian Business Development and Marketing Manager said “Elian is honoured to be supporting such an important event that not only fuels Cayman’s competitiveness, but also gives back to the community by contributing to the 2015 charity of choice, the Cayman Islands Cancer Society.”
As well as Elian’s generous title sponsorship of the 2015 Cayman Islands Triathlon, organisers also thanked Dart, Health City Cayman Islands, Tower, Cayman National Bank, Red Sail Sports, Baptist Health, Governors Square, Regenexx, Fosters Food Fair, Cayman Reporter, Cayman Airways, Spin and Vibe.
For full race results, visit: http://racecaribbean.net/category/race-results/
November 19, 2015 – Cayman Reporter
