The 2010 Jersey Triathlon Club novice event took place at Les Quennevais Sports Centre and consisted of a 300 metre swim, followed by a 6km cycle and a 1.5 km run.

Fifteen competitors took to the starting line to experience the thrill of this three sport discipline for the first time and with novice triathletes usually coming into the race with one particularly strong discipline in this swim/cycle/run sport, the lead often changes hands many times over the course of the race.

The swim consisted of 12 lengths of the Les Quennevais 25 metre pool with the contestants sent off in two waves to ensure the outcome was uncertain until the finishing line. First out of the pool in a highly competitive time of 4minutes 19 seconds was Alex Black closely followed by Andrew Ruddy and Clayton Lidster. Out of transistion, the bike leg involved four circuits of the cycle track and was to prove testing for Black who gave up valuable time to Ruddy, Lidster and Jon Barrett who recorded an impressive time of 11 minutes 57 seconds over the 6 km course.

Leaving transition two on the final 1.5km run, less than a minute now separated the top five including Black, Ruddy and Lidster who had now been joined by Rod Sleath and Andrew Davis after solid swim and cycle performances. “Jelly Legs” after stepping off the bike often account for less experienced triathletes, and it was evident the final leg was going to seem a longer distance for some than others. Local surfer and keen fitness enthusiast Clayton Lidster was the quickest to find his running legs and first caught Andrew Ruddy and then reeled in and passed Alex Black to cross the line first in a time of 23 minutes and 23 seconds. Ruddy was having a real battle for second place with Black and after a frantic final 50 metre sprint for the line, they could not be separated and crossed the line together in a time of 23 minutes and 46 seconds. In a final twist of fate, Black was penalised going into transition two for a helmet infraction and was forfeited 10 seconds and “relegated” to third place overall.

In the womens race four competitors started the 300 m swim with Arlene Lewis proving quickest in the water but conceding time to Heather Marshall on the bike. Leading off on the run only a minute separated Marshall and Lewis from third placed Nicky Ludlam. Arlene Lewis pushed on strongly in the run to record the second quickest time of the day in 6 mins 33 secs and take the ladies title with Marshall second and Ludlam third. With a little more training and experience on the bike, Lewis could be a keen competitor for the ladies senior triathlon season ahead. Heather Marshall also showed good consistency and skill across the three disciplines.

After the race, presentations of silver salvers were made to the first, second and third in each category and all competitors were presented with a hooded sweatshirt courtesy of the race sponsors Ogier recognising 2010 as the 25th Anniversary of the Jersey Triathlon Club. The Jersey Triathlon Club also thanked Les Quennevais Sports Centre and Race Marshalls on the day for their assistance.