2021 Scottish National Aquathlon Championships
It was a new venue this year for the 2021 Scottish National Aquathlon Championships, with Ayrodynamic Triathlon Club welcoming 68 competitors from across the country to Shewalton Wood in Irvine.
The weather conditions were great, with a calm day and the sun just beginning to break through the clouds. It was a mass, deep-water start and with the water temperature at a toasty 20oC wetsuits were optional. The swim was a single 750m loop and was followed by a flat and fast out and-back 5km run.
The athletes were split into male and female waves and it was the women who were off first. Brooke Gillies (East Fife Triathlon Club) had an outstanding swim, exiting the water in 09:54, 15 seconds ahead of defending 2019 Champion Kara McKenzie-Tait (Edinburgh Triathletes). Kate Alexander (Edinburgh Triathletes) exited in 3rd place, with the three leading females around a minute clear of the rest of the field. Being swim and run only, every part of the race was vital including the run up the beach to transition. Having opted to go non-wetsuit, Molly Kidd made up some time on her competitors with the fastest transition of the day, making it out onto the run course within 27 seconds of leaving the water having exited in 5th place.
Having lost some time in transition, Kara had some ground to make up and was chasing down Brooke who had a 37 second lead going onto the run. An impressive performance saw her post the fastest run split (18:41) and take the win in 29:47, the only woman dipping under the half hour mark. Brooke held on for second in a time of 30:09. Hannah Terrance (Glasgow Triathlon Club) crossed the line in 3rd but was ineligible for a Championships placing. Molly Kidd had a great run to claim the overall bronze in 33:30. All three medallists were winners of their individual age groups.
In the men’s race Jonathan Jackson (Edinburgh#3) was the first out of the water in 09:06 with a 15 second lead over chasers Struan Bennet and Sam Burton (Stirling Triathlon Club). With Jonathan already out on the run, an impressive 26 second transition saw Sam leave transition in second place with Struan not far behind. Jonathan posted the fastest run time of the day (16:08) to cement his victory in a finish time of 25:49. Struan also put in a good run to finish second in 26:52, showing he remains on great form having also claimed second at the Scottish National Sprint Triathlon Championships in June . The second-fastest run of the day was posted by veteran Joel Enoch (Edinburgh Triathletes) and was enough to claim him the 3rd spot on the podium in 27:19. Again, all three overall podium athletes claimed gold in their respective age groups.
The full list of 2021 Scottish National Aquathlon Champions are below and the full results from the race can be found here.
Overall Female
1st Kara McKenzie-Tait (Edinburgh Triathletes) – 29:47
2nd Brooke Gillies (East Fife Triathlon Club) – 30:09
3rd Molly Kidd (Unattached) – 33:30
Overall Male
1st Jonathan Jackson (Edinburgh#3) – 25:49
2nd Struan Bennet (Unattached) – 26:52
3rd Joel Enoch (Edinburgh Triathletes) – 27:19
U20 Female
1st Molly Kidd (Unattached) – 33:30
2nd Ella Chalmers (TrYthan) – 34:34
3rd Maisie Ballantyne (Border Triathletes) – 38:30
U20 Male
1st Struan Bennet (Unattached) – 26:52
20-24 Female
1st Brooke Gillies (East Fife Triathlon Club) – 30:09
2nd Toni Moore (Grangemouth Triathlon Club) – 35:55
20-24 Male
1st Jonathan Jackson (Edinburgh#3) – 25:49
2nd Sam Burton (Stirling Triathlon Club) – 29:47
3rd Andrew Johnstone (Triathlon Inverness) – 30:06
25-29 Female
1st Sophie Canty (Lomond Swimming and Triathlon Club) – 34:16
2nd Jayne Emery (Stirling Triathlon Club) – 35:47
3rd Catherine Campbell (Edinburgh Triathletes) – 36:27
25-29 Male
1st Marc Auchie (Ayrodynamic Triathlon Club) – 30:55
2nd Craig Mabon (FTK PCS) – 32:29
3rd Ross McNaught (Team Huub) – 34:28
30-34 Female
1st Kara McKenzie-Tait (Edinburgh Triathletes) – 29:47
2nd Mari Lawson (Fleet Feet Triathletes) – 40:17
30-34 Male
1st Craig Dale (Edinburgh Triathletes) – 28:48
2nd Craig Armour (Glasgow Triathlon Club) – 34:53
3rd Andrew Kindness (Unattached) – 35:27
35-39 Female
1st Kirsty O’Brien (Lanark Triathlon Club) – 34:24
35-39 Male
1st Adam Lee (Fusion Triathlon Club) – 30:42
2nd Keith Paterson (TrYthan) – 45:34
40-44 Female
1st Kate Pearson (Glasgow Triathlon Club) – 36:37
2nd Lyndsey Blair (Ayrodynamic Triathlon Club) – 38:17
3rd Mary Donaldson (Glasgow Triathlon Club) – 42:17
40-44 Male
1st Joel Enoch (Edinburgh Triathletes) – 27:19
2nd Alasdair McLeod (Glasgow Triathlon Club) – 31:38
3rd Alistair Rowlands (Lomond Swimming and Triathlon Club) – 31:56
45-49 Female
1st Marian Monk (Unattached) – 34:49
2nd Lisa McShea (Fleet Feet Triathletes) – 37:11
3rd Kirstie Dawson (Stirling Triathlon Club) – 41:15
45-49 Male
1st Alan Keachie (Glasgow Triathlon Club) – 33:07
2nd Dennis Chalmers (TrYthan) – 34:09
3rd Kevin Morice (Three Peaks Triathletes) – 34:16
50-54 Female
1st Gillian Sangster (Monifieth Triathlon Club) – 36:46
2nd Jill Campbell (TrYthan) – 39:53
3rd Lell Higgins (West Lothian Triathlon) – 41:58
50-54 Male
1st Jim Panton (Pentland Triathletes) – 31:53
2nd David Horne (TrYthan) – 31:59
3rd Fergus McDowall (Scottish Fire and Rescue) – 32:11
55-59 Female
1st Elspeth Burton (Stirling Triathlon Club) – 42:05
55-59 Male
1st Campbell Cromar (Unattached) – 32:50
2nd Martin Duthie (G72 Tri) – 33:11
3rd Frank Boyne (West Lothian Triathlon) – 33:30
60-64 Female
1st Miriam Rennet (East Fife Triathlon Club) – 44:07
60-64 Male
1st Danny McLaughlin (Greenock Glenpark Harriers) – 37:33
2nd Ken Mortimer (Unattached) – 40:33
3rd Andrew Kirkhope (Unattached) – 42:28
65-69 Male
1st Lindsay Young (Fleet Feet Triathletes) – 38:12
75-79 Male
1st Douglas Wood (Stirling Triathlon Club) – 44:41