Muggy weather can’t hold back stellar athletes at Bunbury City Classic Triathlon

Athletes battled through high temperatures to set impressive scores in Sunday morning’s LGM Industries Bunbury City Classic Triathlon. Over 200 athletes travelled from across the State to compete in three distances of triathlon along Koombana Bay, through the Bunbury CBD and along Back Beach. Representatives from Albany to Perth travelled to Bunbury for the event, one of the biggest triathlons that allows a standard distance race, which is the length of an Olympic triathlon. The standard distance — the main event of the competition — comprised of a 1.5km swim, a 40km bike ride and a 10km run. Ronan Hays, 22, of Mandurah Tri Club won the major standard race after a stellar catch-up on the run. Hays was two minutes behind the leader going into the bike transition, and took the lead back on the last lap of the 10km run. Second place was Damien McAleese of the Albany Tri Club and third was Jarryd Heldt of the Busselton Tri Club. It was a family affair for the Hayses, as Ronan’s father Phillip placed third in the standard race in the 55-59 age division, behind Matt McKay of the Mandurah Tri Club and “Lucky” Phil Monks of the North Coast Tri Club. Fremantle Tri Club’s Kate Bevilaqua was the first woman to cross the finish line with a great pace. Melanie Wade of Stadium Tri Club in Perth finished second and Sarah Nisbett — also of Stadium Tri Club — came third. Standard event winners were awarded cash prizes, $300 for first place, $250 for second and $200 for third.