While we are usually found training across Birmingham, this past Sunday a group of BRAT athletes headed over to the lanes of South Staffordshire for the Black Country Triathletes’ Wombourne Sprint Triathlon. 🔴⚫️
The event is a local favourite for its challenging “pool-to-trail” format: a 400m swim, a 20km undulating bike leg, and a 5km off-road run. 🌲
The Star Performance: Emily Jones 🥈🌟
The performance of the day came from Emily Jones, who has only recently taken up triathlon. Her massive improvements in the pool and on the bike were on full display as she stormed to a 2nd place overall finish in the Women’s race (20th overall in the entire field). Emily stopped the clock at 01:05:45, showing incredible composure for someone so new to the sport. We are sure there is plenty more to come! 🥈🚀
A Race Against the Clock ⏱️
Because of the staggered start times, none of us truly knew where we stood until the final results were published on Sunday evening. We were all racing our own private battles against the clock, which made the post-race debrief and results-checking all the more interesting! 📉
Age Group Victory for Colin 🥇🚲
Colin Bailey put together a very strong day to finish 4th overall and win the M40-49 age group by over two minutes. Colin was flying on two wheels, recording the 3rd fastest bike split of the entire day. 🚲💨 His run wasn’t without drama, however, as he had to quite literally hurdle a dog that had strayed onto the trail path! 🐕🦺🏃♂️
Colin was pushed all the way by Ben King, who produced an amazing 05:17 swim to lead the BRAT contingent out of the water. 🏊♂️ Ben’s 5th place overall finish, just 7 seconds behind Colin, rounded out a great show towards the top of the leaderboard. 🏅
Friendly Rivalries and High Fives 🤝☕️
Chris Grimley and Nathan Smith were locked in another classic club duel. Nathan took a “go hard or go home” approach to the swim, setting off at a blistering sub-6-minute pace. 🏊♂️🔥 While he paid for that effort later, he and Chris shared a great moment on the trail, exchanging a high five as they crossed paths on the run. ✋🏃♂️
Chris managed to edge out Nathan by just 14 seconds to take 12th place. Nathan’s effort on the run was impressive, but he couldn’t quite claw back the time lost during his “leisurely” transitions. The squad had a good laugh afterward, joking that Nathan must have stopped for a quick cup of tea and a biscuit in T2! ☕️🍪
BRAT Squad Roll of Honor 📜
| Athlete | Overall Position | Time |
| Emily Jones | 20th (2nd Female Overall) 🥈🌟 | 01:05:45 |
| Colin Bailey | 4th (1st M40-49) 🥇 | 00:59:12 |
| Ben King | 5th (Amazing Swim!) 🏊♂️ | 00:59:19 |
| Chris Grimley | 12th 🏃♂️ | 01:04:14 |
| Nathan Smith | 13th 🫖 | 01:04:28 |
It was a brilliant morning of racing and a great testament to the friendly, competitive spirit within the club. Whether it was Emily’s podium, Colin’s dog-hurdling, or Nathan’s transition “tea break,” it was a successful outing for everyone involved. 🌤️
See you all at training! 🔴⚫️
