Blackwater Triathlon Club
Skip to content
  • Home
  • Club News
  • Club Events
  • Event Info
    • Olympic Race
    • Great Blackwater Swim
    • Sprint & Try a Tri Race
    • Aquathlon
  • Training
  • About Triathlons
  • Club Info
    • New Members
    • Club Policies
  • Contact Us

Club Policies

Click for Triathlon Ireland Clubs Child Safeguarding Statement 2018

News

  • The Wicklow 200
  • Hillfest Duathlon
  • The Rebel Plunge
  • The Schull Fastnet Triathlon
  • The Edge Sports Blackwater Sprint Triathlon

Club Events

Aquathlon

Date: July 11, 2018

Register When Open

Great Blackwater Swim

Date: July 14, 2018

Register On Eventbrite

Sprint Race & Try A Tri

Date: August 12, 2018

Register Now

Olympic Race

Date: August 12, 2018

Register Now

All Events

Facebook feed

1 week ago
Triathlon Training Explained | Swim Drafting Position - Hips Vs. Feet

BTC looking forward to our popular Great Blackwater Swim and Triathlon events this summer. Drafting off the hip good for you bad for them , all is fair...

We’re going to be investigating one of the most important parts of the triathlon swim, drafting. Swimming behind someone will save you energy and allow you t...

1 week ago
Alex

1 week ago

The Wicklow 200.
The Wicklow 200 is a non-competitive one-day cycle ride that takes place every June and attracts over 3000 cyclists from many different countries. Established in 1982 the Wicklow 200, as the name suggests, covers over 200 kilometres around Co. Wicklow, taking in most of the famous hills that have made Wicklow a major international cycling destination over the years.
The shorter Wicklow 100 Challenge takes place on the same day, and shares most of its route with the Wicklow 200. The event is famous for its relaxed, friendly and welcoming atmosphere and superb organisation. The event has been organised each year since it started in 1982 by the Irish Veteran Cyclists Association. Two members of The Blackwater Triathlon Club, Ashleigh Byrne and Karen McNamara headed to Wicklow on Sunday to take part in this event. Karen completed the 100km challenge and Ashleigh managed to survive the 200km route. Starting at Bray Emmets GAA Club the route took the riders to Enniskerry, Old Long Hill, Roundwood, Laragh, the Wicklow Gap, Hollywood, Baltinglass, Aghavannagh, Slieve Maan,Glenmalure, Drumgoff, Rathdrum, south through Ballinaclash before turning north for Glenealy and Ashford when the route takes the riders through Newcastle, Kilcoole, Greystones, up the short climb at Windgates before cutting west to Enniskerry and on to the finish at Bray Emmets . The Wicklow 100 veered left in Laragh and headed straight to Rathdrum before returning on the same route as the Wicklow 200. This was a very challenging , starting with a 4.6% climb right out of the Bray Emmets clubhouse! The climbs continued all day, taking in the beautiful Wicklow Gap and Slieve Mann and loads more in between. There were 2 food stops, at 75 and 140km. The last 60km home was especially tough, with surprise climbs all the way as well as a brisk headwind to contend with. Ashleigh finished the cycle, just shy of 3000m climbing in 202.5km, in around 7 hours and 45 mins. Well done to both Ashleigh and Karen on the day. This was once again a really well run and friendly event. The I.V.C.A, supported by Wicklow County Council and The Irish Red Cross, had approximately 200 volunteers helping out on the day providing first-aid cover, mechanical breakdown cover, route marshalling, car parking, changing rooms, showers and refreshment stops along the way and at the finish in Bray Emmets GAA Club. All finishers were presented with a special Wicklow 200 medal. ... See more

1 week ago

Hillfest Duathlon.

The June bank Holiday weekend was the 5th year of the Hillfest festival in Watergrasshill. An initiative of the Watergrasshill Community and National School association, Hillfest is an opportunity for clubs in the local area to work together, hold an event and raise much needed funds for the local community and their charity partner, Pieta House. Following the success of last year’s duathlon, the oragnisers decided to have another one this year.
The race, which consisted of a 3km run, followed by a 16km cycle and then a 5km run, attracted large numbers of competitors and among them were 15 of Blackwater Triathlon Club’s finest. The race started with the runners running through Watergrasshill and heading for Glenville before turning back to the transition area in the school car park. The cycle was out towards Glanmire and back, with strong headwinds heading out and some very challenging hills on the way home. The final 5km run took the competitors out towards Knockraha and back to the village. There was great success for the Blackwater Triathlon Club on the day. The Blackwater ladies were in absolutely flying form, with BTC members Ashleigh Byrne, Deidre Morrisson, Gina Lyons and Ann Lyons finishing in 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th places in the ladies race. Ashleigh and Deidre were also first and second in their age group, while Gina and Ann were 2nd and 3rd in theirs. Niamh Fleming also excelled on the day, also winning her age group. James Slowey and Shane Collins also had a good evening, finishing 6th and 7th overall, 4th and 3rd respectively in their age groups. All of the Blackwater Triathlon Club members who competed on the day did really well and all really enjoyed the race. The weather conditions on the day were warm and dry and it was a tough event but very well marshalled and organised by Hillfest with a special mention to the Watergrasshill Athletic Club and The Over The Hill Cycling Club. The competitors were especially impressed by the huge selection of much needed refreshments on offer after the race. ... See more

1 week ago

The Rebel Plunge

The 3rd annual Rebel Plunge open water swim took place on Sunday the 10th of June as part of the Cork Harbour Festival. 294 brave souls entered the water at 5p.m. on Sunday evening with the Blackwater Triathlon Club providing no fewer than 10 swimmers on the day. There was a great mix of swimmers taking part in the event, from hardened sea swimmers to relative novices. The youngest person swimming was only 12 years old. The Swim was 3.8km downstream from Port of Cork Buildings on Custom House Quay to the Blackrock Boat Club. The Swim is along a spectator friendly course, with views from the Marina to the Finish. It was open to both Wetsuit and Skins (togs only) swimmers and the conditions could not have been better with an outgoing tide, warm clean water, and a gentle breeze assisting the swimmers down river. The sun even made an appearance at one stage, nudging the water temperature to a tropical 19°C in places. The first BTC member home was Julian Boeg in 43:34, for a highly credible 13th place overall in the Wetsuit Category. The next three swimmers were covered by just over a minute, with Jonathon Kenneally at 48:06, Frank Hallissey (in skins) at 48:42 and Aidan Sheridan at 49:11. Stephen Dalton was next home in a time of 50:50, improving on this 2017 time for this course by 8:49, surely the performance of the day from a BTC member. Christian Board was home in 52:32, closely followed by Niamh Fleming in 53:23, Adam Blaiklock in 56:09, Megan Carey (in her first event as a BTC Member) in 57:06 and Dave Mulcahy (also in Skins) in 57:26. Ever consistent, Dave finished 3 seconds faster than in last year’s event. The event was put together as part of the Cork Harbour Festival, and the team could not have done a better job. Ribs, kayaks, goody bags, tee shirts, hats, showers, food, changing rooms all pointed to a very well run event with any funds raised on the day going to the Cork Lions Club. Well done to the organisers and everyone who took part on the day. Definitely an event to mark down in the diary for 2019. ... See more

1 week ago

The Schull Fastnet Triathlon.

Blackwater Triathlon Club had two members taking part in the Centra Fastnet Triathlon which took place in Schull on Saturday the 10th of June. Now in its 14th year, the Centra Fastnet Triathlon is one of the longest established sprint distance triathlons in Ireland with a reputation for being among the best organised sprint events in the country. The race, which was a National Series event this year, is a favourite with some of Ireland’s top triathletes whilst also being very encouraging of the beginner triathlete. This was the 14th edition of this popular race which takes part in one of the most scenic areas of the country. The race started with a 750m swim in the sheltered harbour followed by a 21km cycle along a coastal route and a 5km out and back run also following the shoreline. Blackwater Triathlon Club members Deidre Morrisson and Jonathon Kenneally joined the 285 plus athletes taking part on the day. Conditions on Saturday were very good. The sun was shining and it stayed dry, although it did get a bit breezy. The swim was relatively easy in the calm water conditions in the harbour but the bike route, while very pretty, was a little more challenging with lots and lots of hills. Having completed the cycle the competitors were then faced with more hills on the 5km run. Jonathon, in his first race under BTC colours, was first home in a time of 1:21:48 with Deidre just 4 minutes behind in 1:25:58. Excellent times from both of them. This was a very friendly and well run event, with excellent marshalling. Well done to the folks at Schull Triathlon Club and all who took part on the day. ... See more

1 week ago

The Tour Divide.

Over the past few years Blackwater Triathlon Club’s James Slowey has found more extreme events to take part in. He has competed in Ironman races in sub zero conditions in Norway and up and down mountains in the Pyrenees. This year he and two of his friends have decided to take on The Tour Divide in America in June. The Tour Divide is an annual mountain biking race traversing the length of the Rocky Mountains, from Canada to the Mexican border. Following the 2,745-mile (4,418 km) Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, it is an ultra-distance cycling race that is an extreme test of endurance, self-reliance and mental toughness. The race format is strictly self-supported, and it is not a stage race - the clock runs continuously from the start until riders cross the finish line, more than two weeks later. The race has a very low profile, and is entirely amateur. There are no entry fees, no sponsorship, and no prizes. Although "letters of intent" from likely starters are encouraged, any rider may turn up on the day to participate. Challenges along the route include mountains, great distances between resupply towns, risk of mechanical failure or injury, bears, poor weather, snowfall, and significant unrideable sections that require pushing the bike. Riders usually adopt a "bikepacking" style, carrying minimal equipment sufficient for camping or bivouacking, and only enough food and water to last until the next town. In this way, riders ride huge distances each day, the current race record averaging over 174 miles (280 km) per day. James and his crew will be set off last Friday, the 8th of June and we will be following their progress over the coming weeks as they attempt to complete this challenging race. The latest we heard was that they had reached Montana.... Further updates to follow... ... See more

1 week ago

The John Hartnett 10K.

The annual John Hartnett 10k race took place in Ballyhooley on the evening of Friday the 25th of May. John Hartnett was born in 1950 and was first introduced to the world of athletics as a young man in Ballyhooley. Within a few short years he had gained a scholarship to the world renowned Villanova University, home of many of the world’s top middle distance runners. He represented Ireland in the Munich Olympics in 1972 and during the 70s he went on to break many Irish records. He currently holds the world record for the fastest mile ever ran on grass. In honour of his exploits a 10k race is run every year in Ballyhooley. The man himself was even on hand to present the prizes this year. This year two members of The Blackwater Triathlon Club took part in the race along with 103 others. Bernard Kiernan finished in 50:56 and Conor McCarthy, for whom last year’s race was his first ever 10k race, crossed the line in 1:09:15, over 4 minutes faster than his time last year. It was a beautiful evening for a race as the athletes set off, warm and sunny. Despite its reputation as a generally flat race the few hills on the route certainly helped the competitors to break a good sweat. Well done to both Bernard and Conor and everyone else who took part on the day. Congratulations also to the organisers, for once again organising a very well run and friendly event, and to the spectators who helped cheer the competitors on their way. ... See more

1 week ago

Open Water Training Camp.

Having recovered from his his successful Ice Mile exploits in February, Blackwater Triathlon Club member, Frank Hallissey, took on some more swimming challenges last weekend as he attended the Hit the Wall open water training camp in Carlingford Lough. Over the course of a gruelling weekend, Frank and the other participants took part in 6 swims; one night swim, one race, a channel qualifier and three ‘dips’. Frank and his fellow swimmers also took part in a firewalk, 4 yoga sessions and some sessions concentrating on goal setting and achievement .These sessions were interspersed with the occasional ice bath, just to keep them honest. The main event was the battle of Carlingford Lough on Saturday. This was a 7.5km race from Omeath to Carligford Village. Conditions on the day were pretty bad, with a 2m swell and wind going against an ebbing tide. Frank described it as probably the worst conditions that he’d ever swum in. The entire group was blown asunder and times were around 30 minutes down on last year. Frank finished in 2 hours 21 minutes, 50th out of 235 starters. Despite his experiences on Saturday Frank decided to round things off on Sunday with another ‘dip’, this time a 4 hour, 12 kilometre, channel qualifier swim. Fortunately conditions were better on Sunday and the organisers changed the route during the swim to allow for wind and tide variations. All in all Frank had an amazing weekend and he would recommend the experience to anyone thinking of upping their distance in the open water. ... See more

1 week ago
Photos from Blackwater Triathlon Club's post

Lough Cutra Castle Triathlon

The annual Lough Cutra Castle Triathlon event took place on the weekend of the 26th and 27th of May. Once again a large contingent from the Blackwater Triathlon Club travelled to Gort in Co. Galway to take part in some of the 22 races that took place over the course of the weekendThese range from the Half Ironman distance Gauntlet with a 1900 Metre swim, a 96 km cycle and a 21 km run, to a race for 8-10 year olds with a 100km swim, a 4km cycle and an 800 metre run, with a huge variety of relay and solo options in between. In total The Blackwater Triathlon Club had 18 members racing at the weekend, with some of them doing multiple events. This year there were also three swimming only events added to the calendar, a mile swim, a 2.5km swim and a 5km swim. There was something there for every level of triathlete, whether absolute beginner or grizzled veteran and it’s an ideal opportunity for Triathlon stars of today and the future to compete. It’s also a weekend that is targeted very much at families with onsite camping and races for parents and children. The weekend began with the sprint, super sprint and relay sprint races. Mick Beston and Bill McAuliffe, along with nearly 200 other athletes, took part in the sprint distance race, which consisted of a 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run. Conditions were pleasant , albeit a little breezy. The swim was fine with water temperatures in the lake around 16 degrees with a well marked route, although a few complained that the swim exit wasn’t marked with a brightly coloured buoy. The bike course for the most part was on well surfaced roads with a few drags and a few technical downhill sections. Mick finished in 1:25:39 with Bill coming home in 1:29:39. Mark Ryan was our sole competitor in the Sprint Plus distance race. This consisted of an 800 metre swim, a 40km cycle and an 8km run. Mark finished in a time of 2:38:05, 27th overall and 2nd in his age group. Blackwater Triathlon Club had two competitors in ‘The Gauntlet’, a middle-distance race, consisting of a challenging 1.9km swim, 96km bike ride and 21km run. 170 athletes in total took part and Deidre Morrisson was home in a time of 6:04:13, with Aidan Fitzgerald finishing in 6:33:57. 345 athletes took part in the Olympic distance race, including no fewer than eleven members of the BTC. This consisted of a 1500 metre swim, a 40km cycle and a 10km run and Shane Collins was the first of the BTC crew home, crossing the finishing line in 2:33:37. Martin Feeney, taking part in his first ever triathlon, finished in 2:41:53, followed by Brian Baker and Dave Bartley in 2:45:37 and 2:49:14 respectively. Gina Lyons and Ashleigh Byrne were the next two home, with just 4 seconds between them! Gina took the bragging rights this time, crossing the line in 3:03:48 with Ashleigh just behind in 3:03:52. Ann Lyons, Niamh Fleming and Ciara MacCallum finished in 3:09:43, 3:16:58 and 3:18:09 respectively. Karen McNamara finished in 3:26:25 with Julian Boeg coming home in 3:56:49. Julian and Niamh had also completed the 2.5km lake swim on Saturday, along with another BTC member, Mary Collins. Some people are just gluttons for punishment. Julian swam the 2.5 km course in a very impressive 47:57, with Niamh finishing in 1:06:53 and Mary in 1:20:32. Conditions on Saturday were very choppy and the buoys were not always as visible as the swimmers would have liked, resulting in longer swims for everyone.

The MacCallum and Boeg families weren’t finished there though, with the next generation of Blackwater triathletes competing in the children’s events.
Julian’s daughter Alice completed the 13-15 yrs race, finishing the 300 metre swim, 8 kilometre cycle and 2,400 metre run in 46:46, 15 minutes faster than her time last year. That was an amazing improvement for Alice. Ciara’s daughter Orla completed the 100 metre swim, 4 km cycle and 800 metre run in the 8-10 years race in 38:31. She really enjoyed the race and apparently the triathlon bug has bitten her hard. All the more impressive was the fact that Orla stopped to assist another athlete who had an accident on the course and waited until an adult arrived. Well done to her, she’s a credit to her parents and the club. The children’s events were held entirely on the castle grounds and were very well organised, with loads of kayaks, swimmers and boards in the water to ensure the safety of the competitors. All in all it was a very good weekend for the club. The whole event was extremely well organised and very family friendly with bouncy castles, a band, loads of catering and merchandise. Definitely one for next year’s calendar. ... See more

Iconic One Theme | Powered by Wordpress