The Edge Sport Blackwater Triathlon - 2024
Some of the Blackwater Triathlon Club Crew before the race
The Edge Sports Blackwater Triathlon event took place in Fermoy on Sunday June the 23rd 2024. There were three separate races for athletes to take part in on the day. The main event was a Standard distance race which, this year, was part of Triathlon Ireland’s National Series and attracted elite athletes from all over the country. We also hosted a Super Sprint distance race and, for the first time, an aqua-bike race. Fermoy is uniquely situated to hold an event such as this. The town is based in the heart of Munster with excellent road links and of course we also have the River Blackwater, which is ideal for the swim. After several weeks of less than summery conditions, all eyes were on the weather leading up to the big day. The forecast for Sunday was pretty good and while the day dawned somewhat overcast and cloudy the weather improved as the day progressed. Conditions were pretty good for the athletes, with very little wind. The clouds cleared around lunchtime, so for many of the Standard distance competitors, the run took part in blazing sunshine. The first race was scheduled to start at 10a.m. which meant lots of work for club members on Saturday evening as we prepared the park, set up the transition area and marked out the routes. It also meant a very early start on Sunday morning as club members started arriving at the park as early as 7 o’clock to finish off the preparations and get ready for the arrival of the athletes. The park soon filled up as BTC club members, athletes, supporters and marshals arrived for the day.
Following a briefing at 9.30, 277 athletes crossed the bridge to make their way down to the rowing club for the race starts. The Standard distance race (also known as Olympic distance race) was the first to start. The race was made up of a 1500 metre upriver and back down swim in the Blackwater, followed by a 40 km cycle of two laps going to Glanworth, then Ballyhooley and back to Fermoy before finishing with a 10 km run. The run section of the race was a 10km, consisting of two laps of an out and back route which was described as ‘undulating’ by some and ‘hellishly hilly’ by others. It’s a tough route but that’s part of the fun of triathlon.
Just before 10.00 a.m. 200 triathletes entered the water by the rowing club for a mass start and Michael Lyons, the race organiser this year, counted down the seconds to the start. Competition was fierce on the day with many top-class athletes taking part. Stephen Donnelly from Liquid Motion was the first athlete home, finishing in a very impressive time of 2:04:50. He was closely followed by his teammate Shane Dunne, who came in just 35 seconds later in 2:05:25. Last year’s race winner, Ronan Costelloe from Limerick Triathlon Club, completed the podium places, crossing the line in third place in a time of 2:07:38.
The first female athlete home was Deidre Casey of the TriDubai Team, who crossed the finish line in a very impressive 2:17:00. Áine Kinsella from Waterford Triathlon Club finished in second place in 2:22:08 and in third place was Meadhbh Moynihan from Crosshaven triathlon Club. Meadhbh crossed the finish line in 2:22:59.
The Super Sprint event and the aqua-bike race started together at 10.30am. The Super Sprint race consisted of a fast 400 metre down river swim followed by a 20km cycle and a 5km run, with racers following the same route as the standard distance athletes, but only doing one lap. The aqua-bike competitors did the same swim and cycle but skipped the run section. The swimmers entered the water from the river bank several hundred metres upstream from the rowing club and as the last of the standard distance swimmers passed downriver on the opposite bank Michael once again counted down the seconds to start the races, which had a combined total of 77 competitors.
Once again competition was fierce in these races. First home in the Aqua-Bike race was Ben Leahy from the Crosshaven Triathlon Club in 47:57. As in the Standard distance race, he was closely followed home by a teammate with Eoin Healy crossing the line less than a minute later in 48:56. Blackwater Triathlon Club’s own Julian Boeg was third in the men’s race, finishing in 1:03:13. The first female home was Aisling Heeran from Belpark Triathlon Club in 50:29, followed by Amy Hosford of Kinsale Triathlon Club in 54:18. Niamh O’Mahony of Tried and Tested completed the podium places in the female race, crossing the line in 56:13.
Competition in the Super Sprint Race was fierce with Eric Dunlea winning the men’s race in 1:09:55. He was followed by Kevin Condon of Clonmel Triathlon Club in 1:11:48 and Derek Ahern from South Coast Triathlon Club just 8 seconds later in 1:11:57. In the female category Sally McCarthy won the Super Sprint in a time of 1:12:16. Sally was joined on the podium by Linda O’Connor of Cork Triathlon Club who came in in a time of 1:15:33 and Kate Ruane of South Coast Triathlon Club who finished in 1:20:27. The performances in all of the races were excellent all round and a credit to the hard work and effort put in by these athletes.
Once again, we are grateful for the good will and support of the people of Fermoy who came out to support the athletes during the race. Credit must go to the race organisers and club members who have put so much time and effort into making the Edge Sports Blackwater Triathlon the best race it can be. We would also like to acknowledge the huge contribution made by Cork County Council, the Fermoy town council, the Gardai, local businesses and members of the local community, without whom the event could not take place. We would especially like to thank Blackwater Sub Aqua Club, Fermoy Rowing Club, The Red Cross, Suzie and Dave Horan of Raffeen Parks for access to the swim exit and Triathlon Ireland. Without the marshals we couldn’t run the race on the day, and we get great assistance from the people of Fermoy every year. A special mention must go to our fellow athletes in Grange Athletic Club. They turn out in big numbers to assist our marshalling efforts each year. Thanks also to club members and their very understanding families, without whom, none of this would be possible. A big thank you must also go to the residents on the route, the people of Fermoy for their support and of course the competitors. The Edge Sports are our main sponsors again this year and we’re delighted to have them on board. We'd also like to thank our other contributors: Synergy Credit Union Ltd; AIB; MIG McCarthy Insurance Group; Dairygold; Podium Fitness; DM Fruit & Veg; Greenman Investments and Lyons Family Pharmacy.
See you all again in 2025.
Deidre Casey receiving the Helen Lyons Memorial Trophy from the Lyons family.
Stephen Donnelly, Standard Race Male Winner receives his prize from Michael Lyons, Race organiser.
Sally McCarthy, Super Sprint Race female Winner receives her prize from Michael Lyons, Race organiser.
Eric Dunlea, Super Sprint Race Male Winner receives his prize from Michael Lyons, Race organiser.
Aisling Heeran, Aqua-Bike Race Female Winner receives her prize from Michael Lyons, Race organiser.
Ben Leahy, Aqua-Bike Race Male Winner receives his prize from Michael Lyons, Race Organiser.
