In the U-14 Relay, with those doing just the bike and run sections able to tag off Keron Matthew for the swim section, the trio of Nicole Munroe, Lucy Mobbs and Tallulah Kinkead won in 3:55. Keon Frederick came second in 3:58 and Jamoi Bertham third in 4:48. Photo: Gareth Thomas

27 young and enthusiastic competitors, all of whom were under 14 years of age, gathered at Trellis Bay, Beef Island on Saturday March 16, 2013 to take part in the first triathlon youth development event of the season hosted by BVI Triathlon Federation (BVITF) and BSAFE. Photo: Dean Greenaway

In the Under -8 and Under -11 individuals and relays, which were run run simultaneously, Gethin Jones finished first for the under- 8’s and 7^th overall in a time of 5minutes and 50 seconds. He was followed by Hannah Bridson who finished in 7.05 and 13^th overall. In the U-11 individual events, Dominic Munroe took first place ahead of Jelani Lewis and Bradford Green. The winning time was 4:29 with Lewis and Green finishing in 5:36 and 5:45 respectively.

The U-11 Relay, in which all competitors tagged off Lewis or Green, saw L’Mari Duhaney finish first in 4:47 ahead of Aniel Caines in 4:50 and Demani Cupid in 5:37. The first Girl home and 4^th overall was Rennisha Rodgers in 6:25.

The U-14 individual race saw a titanic tussle between brothers Kaheem and Kadeem Callwood, which was eventually won by Kaheem in 4:52 to Kadeem’s 4:57. Charlotte Mason came home 3^rd as the first placed Girl in 6:00. In the U-14 Relay with those doing just the bike and run sections able to tag off Keron Matthew for the swim section, the trio of Nicole Munro, Lucy Mobbs and Tallulah Kinkead came out victorious in 3:55. Keon Frederick came second in 3:58 and Jamoi Bertham third in 4:48.

15 competitors then took part in the All comers run, bike and run Duathlon with Kinkead victorious in a time of 3:28. Dominic Munro was second in 3:45 and Keon Frederick third in 4:00.

Event Organiser Chris Ghiorse noted after the Event that “Since these events are designed to help learn about triathlons, I like to keep everything very short, with my primary concern, at this stage, being safety for all.”

An increase in participation at each race this season is also expected as the Triathlon Federation is focusing on providing free transport to and from the events from designated pick up points. “Last year I felt that many children were stuck at home when they wanted desperately to attend the events I was hosting,” commented Ghiorse. “I think the biggest reason these races are so much fun for everyone is due to the community effort being made by all involved; from the parents/guardians and volunteers who help with a variety of tasks to Karl Scatliffe’s bussing, it truly would not be possible without their commitment,” he concluded.

This season is not all about fun though as Ghiorse has high hopes of identifying talented and enthusiastic athletes who would be interested in specific training for triathlons. “This is a new sport and from my experience our biggest challenge is going to be swimming. Swimming is the shortest leg of triathlons, but without some experience in the water you can’t even get to the next leg.”

The next youth event will be held on Saturday March 30, 2013 at the same Trellis Bay Beach location, starting at 7:30 A.M.