Wight Tri member Steve Dines took on his first triathlon since 2019, when he competed in the Swanage Sprint Triathlon. Starting with a 750m sea swim in Swanage Bay, followed by a very challenging and undulating 23km cycle up Langton Matravers towards the turnaround at Corfe Castle, continuing with several hairpin bends on the descent on Kingston Hill, this event was not for the faint hearted!!

The 5km run was just as tough and although starting on the flat, it continued up onto Ballard Down Ridge above Stutland, before descending down a slippery track back to the finish.

The low cloud and mist, evident during both the bike and run, made it more difficult for the competitors. However, Steve was grateful for the lack of sunshine especially during the run section!

Competing in the 65-69 age group category for the first time, Steve had a good swim, exiting the sea in 18:11, followed by a solid bike split of 55:17 for this hilly bike route. Completing the run in 46:22, saw Steve crossing the finish line in 2:04:57 and 25th out of 31 male competitors, and 30th out of 60 overall.