MANY of the Dursley Running Club Tri team have entered the DRC Handicap race series which started with race one on Tuesday June 12.

It was a very good evening for running with warm conditions but not hot and a bit of a breeze to cool the toiling runners. Some excellent performances from the team with several PBs. And a select group of the DRC Tri Team entered the DB Max Castle Combe 10 mile Time Trial at Castle Combe on Wednesday June 13.

This is an excellent chance to test the cycling legs on the smooth wide, traffic free tarmac of a dedicated racing circuit. Due to the imminent arrival of Storm Hector and the exposed location the wind was a significant factor.

Ten miles consisted of five and a half laps of the Castle Combe circuit but anti-clockwise.

The evening saw some particular close racing with less than one minute separating Richard, Damian, Andrew, Anthony and Chris.

Dursley Results: Tony Freer, 23:57, Mark Histead 25:22, Martin Bragg 26:21, Luke Russell 26:43, Tara Truman 27.08, Richard Lewis 27:47, Damian Lai 27:58; Andrew Oborne 27:53, Anthony Ball 27:54, Chris Young 28:19, Jennie Marshall 29:07, Fancesca Amigoni 30:28, Sandra Lewis 30:50, Tania Histed 31:09

Tony Freer and Martin Bragg took on the challenge that is the Titan Brecon race this year, Tony’s second and Martin’s first race at this distance.

This is a middle distance triathlon that has a reputation of being one of the toughest in the country and certainly harder than most half ironman races.

It includes a longer than normal lake swim, a hilly 60 mile bike ride and then a hilly half marathon.

The bike ride features over 5,500 feet of climbing, including the notorious Iron Mountain climb – 1,300 feet in 3.6 miles of unrelenting climbing at an average gradient of seven per cent, rising to 25 per cent over a few short steep sections.

There were brilliant results from the DRC Tri Team duo.

Martin Bragg was first in his age group in six hours 44 minutes, and Tony Freer was eighth in his age group in six hours 24 minutes.

Meanwhile, Paul Breen and Andrew Oborne travelled rather less distance to compete in the Forest of Dean Sprint triathlon last Saturday.

This was an open water sprint triathlon, with a 700m swim in Mallard Pike Lake, a 20km hilly bike ride around the Forest of Dean and then an uphill 5km out and back run on forest trails.

This was a well organised small local triathlon.

Conditions on the day were much better than expecting with the rain holding off to ensure that the hilly bike route was dry and fast. The swim was wetsuit recommended with poor visibility but a decent lake temperature.

The run is a 2.5km continuous climb on tired legs after the bike and then turn and roll back down to the finish for the second 2.5km.

Results: Paul Breen fourth Male Open: one hour 18 minutes

Andrew Oborne eighth Male Vet: one hour 26 minutes.