Loft Finds 3: 1989 National Junior Championships

The National Junior Triathlon Championships were held at Holme Pierrepont in Nottingham on 20th August 1989. I spoke a bit about this in TSP2. It was my fourth triathlon of eight that season.

I don’t have any photos from the day. But this one must have been taken around that time. As the Dave Russell looks kinda new.

The distances were 500m/15km/5km. The water is always cold at Holme Pierrepont. And I didn’t have a wetsuit yet. Maybe half the kids did. Yet I don’t remember it being a problem. I was pretty tough!

The bike was three anti-clockwise loops of the famous rowing lake. It was quite a buzz passing the spectators in the grandstands after every lap. The run was one lap in the opposite direction.

Matthew Belfield probably won it more on experience than fitness. I think it was Spencer Smith’s first triathlon. Although he’d done a few Thames Turbo Aquathlons. And he cycled with his helmet on backwards.

A couple of weeks earlier I’d got 6th at East Grinstead. A decent result at probably the best junior event in the south-east. But this was my first real test against kids from the west and northern-scenes.

I got 27th. Which I think I was really pleased with. But knew that more was possible. Later in the season. Or the following year. That afternoon I also did the relays. In the old SBRSBRSBRSBR format.