Hundreds of athletes put through their paces as Shropshire Triathlon returns to Ellesmere
They tri-ed - and they succeeded.
Hundreds of athletes took part in the two-day Shropshire Triathlon in Ellesmere with the elite competitors vying for a place in the World Championships in 2023 on the Saturday and the main event seeing entrants looking to get onto the podium, clock their own personal bests or simply cross the finish line.
The event began with a swim in the town's mere, a bike around local roads and then a run taking in a local lane and part of the Cremorne gardens around the water's edge.
Spectators lined the mere to urge on the athletes.
Keith Hancock race director for UK Triathlon, which organises the event, said it was great to be back in the Shropshire town.
"This race has been on the sporting calendar for 25 years and it is here to stay," he said.
"It is a tough course, particularly the run and everyone did brilliantly."
UK Triathlon took over the running of the event from Shropshire Council when the authority decided it was time to hand over the mantle.
Mr Hancock said the event always brought several hundred competitors and their supporters to Ellesmere, helping the local economy.
And local organisations benefit with donations given by UK Triathlon in return for marshalling and stewarding.
Athletes from across the UK take part in the event each year but it also attracts triathletes from the town itself and from Shropshire and the Welsh border.
As well as individual events there is the chance to take part as a relay team.
The elite athletes completed the standard/Olympic version with a 1,500 metre swim in the mere, followed by a 40k bike and a 10k run.
On Sunday there was a choice of the standard, the sprint, half distance race, or the middle distance (2,000m swim, 78k cycle, 20k run).
The Shropshire Triathlon follows two sporting events in Ellesmere last weekend: a 10k race through the town centre on Sunday and the mere mile swimming event for the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital on Monday.
This weekend also saw Ellesmere Cricket Club's President's Day.
