By Casey OÇonnor
Family and the future was the focus of this year’s Stanthorpe Australia Day Triathlon.
Organisers of the 2023 Australia Day Triathlon had announced prior to the event that there would be no official timing this years event.
Event organising committee member Craig Magnussen said the Triathlon, first held in 2012 and now in its 10th year, was returning to its roots.
He said the event started with the aim of getting people interested and involved in Triathlon in a casual and relaxed atmosphere.
Magnussen said the decision was made not to have prize money in a bid to help to provide an environment where first time competitors could come and “have a go” in an environment where they did not feel threatened by seasoned competitors.
He said although in the past more seasoned competitors had used the annual Stanthorpe event to get some miles in their legs as they train for bigger events including the Hell of the West, the Stanthorpe Australia Day Triathlon remains focussed on providing a friendly and inclusive competition for the local community.
Glen Brunckhorst, a seasoned runner and one of the founding members of the Stanthorpe RAW said, as he waited in the transition area for the members of his relay team, that it had been a great morning.
“How good is it to see all these little kids doing the swim, bike and run,” he said.
“I’m part of a relay so I only have to do the run leg”
Scott Beesley who competed in the Open section, was excited to see his boys Miles (6) and Jasper (11) finish the Junior event.
“I am so very proud of them,” he said as he prepared to head off for the swim leg of the senior event.
“They did very well.”
Organisers set out 10 years ago to create an event which introduced people to the sport of Triathlon and which perhaps may encourage them to a springboard to bigger official events.
The field this year was very definitely local with only a couple of visitors and while there were no official time keepers many of the almost 100 competitors kept their own times or had family acting as their private time keeper.
What there was however, was a bunch of kids from as young as six shrugging off the insanely hot morning and having a go. It was simply brilliant, and organisers were clearly delighted.
