Powerade Salmon Run 2007

On Saturday the 7th of July the second annual Powerade Salmon Run Triathlon took place in Ballina. The event which is held in conjunction with the Ballina Streets and Arts Festivals was regarded by all to be a great success. The sheer number of spectators on the day was evidence to show how popular the event has become. The Gods were smiling down on race organisers as the torrential rain which had been a constant all week let up just in time for the race. The race itself was a very exciting affair with the lead changing hands on a number of occasions. Before the big event as the competitors organised their transition area there were some nervous faces and some very relaxed faces around. It soon became apparent who were the first timers and who were the seasoned pros at this. As the swimmers entered the water for the 750 meters down stream swim some who were checking the temperature were caught unawares by the shear force of the flow and were nearly swept down stream. Once the swim got underwear it was a mad dash to the first bridge with people jostling for the best position. As they passed under the first bridge the group started to stretch out and more space became available. The fast flowing river meant that the swim times would be very quick. This was shown when the lead swimmer Brian Moran exited the water in 6m 11sec. The first man out for the 20k bike was Tomas Lynn but his time at the front was short lived as the stronger cyclists quickly caught him up. Paul Dunne hit the front and was closely followed by David Sands. The bike course which is relatively flat brought the competitors out to the village of Bonniconlon and back again. As the battle for the lead intensified there were lots of other little battles going on through out the field as people were desperately trying to get ahead of the person in front of them. With about 5k to go Paul Dunne powered ahead and tried to shake off David Sands and take a lead into the run. Paul entered transition around 50 sec ahead of David. As the run got underway Paul tried hard to hold off David but David on his strongest leg of the race closed the gap and took the lead. He held this lead all the way to the finish line and took the title in a blistering time of 59 minutes flat. It was a fantastic result for David good to see the title going to a local man. There with a number of person bests recorded on the day will almost everybody improving their times from last year. It was a great day overall and a lot of credit must go to Paul and Mary Dunne who worked very hard in organising a great race. A big thank you to all the stewards who gave up their time helped out on the day. It was a fantastic occasion for Ballina and the reason that makes the Salmon Run Triathlon so special is that, a lot of the competitors taking part in the race are from the town. This made for a special atmosphere as the crowds cheered for the locals as they came across the finish line. There are a number triathlons taking place across Ireland throughout the summer but none will be able to compete with Ballina on terms of the atmosphere.

July 15, 2007 17:33

Tom