BallBuster 2001
Duathlon
10
November 2001, Dorking
Report by Hywel Davies
On a very bright,
but also with the crispness of a Tough Guy Sunday, over 300 enthusiasts
scraped the ice off their cars to ascend to the top of Box Hill in Dorking
and the start of the 2001 Tri and Run Ballbuster Duathlon.
To say it was not
warm would have been slightly underestimating the temperature as the
main talk in the car park and registration queue was not who was there
or how hard it was but whether to wear tights or shorts, Helly or Vest,
Thermals or just wear your triathlon pants and hope that it will warm
up.
Any race in November
is destined for arctic conditions and the Ballbuster did not disappoint.
The Race
With virtually
no wind this was always going to be a fast day and the 1st run of 8
miles was led all the way by Gary Gerrard of Tri UK who stormed into
a minute advantage at 1st transition. Wayne Smith, a previous winner
followed alongside Glenn Cook's protégé, Tom Sergeant
of Bodyworks XTC. One Hywel Davies came in in 4th place.
It was at the end
of the 1st run that the rising star of fitness Mr. Lee Rankin realized
that he did not bring his cycling shoes and had to churn out the 24
miles of slippery, frosty leaf laden road with his trainers.
Despite his fantastic
organization, Lee managed to secure a top 30 place, just missing the
3 hour barrier by 1 minute. Phil McConnell showed his commitment to
endurance events by finishing the course under 3.30.
The race for the
top places was never close as Garry Gerrard had a solid bike ride and
another lightning quick run to take the title in 2 hours 34 mins. Wayne
Smith got back in contention with a course record for the bike ride
but could not match the winner on the final run. Jeremy Ponting of Phoenix
Tri came from behind to snatch 3rd place with another fast bike and
second run. Davies caught Sergeant to hold 4th and 5th respectively.
As the temperature
rose, so did the pain in the lower legs and lungs. Everyone managed
to get home with their Balls intact if a little sore from the cold.
See the full results
on: www.humanrace.co.uk
