Somerset RC Tri sent a 35 strong team to the South West Sprint Champs held in Minehead for the 2nd year running. With high hopes of top honours with all of the clubs leading athletes fit for the event.

The racing was staggered in time trial fashion, with each athlete competing against themselves and the clock. The men’s race was set to be a tight affair between Grant Butler and his long time rival and close friend, club mate Adam Wells. Wells being odds on favourite having never lost to his older rival.

Also in the mix would be Butler’s fellow vet (over 40) Duncan Richards, who always performs over his favoured sprint distance. With distances of 400m swim, 20km bike & 7km run (longer than normal) giving the stronger runners perhaps a better than normal chance of glory.

All 3 athletes exited the swim within 40 seconds of one another’s time, with Wells setting the early pace with a 5:53 clocking to Richards’ 6:22 and Butler’s 6:25, with Nick Mace close behind at 6:27. With the swim such a small part of the overall finishing time the race really got underway on the bike. Wells, despite an early season crash when knocked off his bike by a lorry pulling out into him - had already had success the weekend before at the Bath Olympic Triathlon when finishing 3rd – set off the quickest, in typical gusto fashion before coming back into transition with a 42:27 bike split which was only bettered by 2 athletes over the day. However with one of those faster athletes being Butler the writing was on the wall, with his very impressive 41:27 – the fastest of the day - seeing him take the initiative especially with his favoured run to come. Further back Richards and Mace both lost a minute to Wells and two to Butler so unless they could claw back time over the run they would be fighting it out for the minor places.

Butler effectively leading Wells by 32 secs as he ran out of transition, looked set to achieve his first, long awaited, victory over his club mate in their 7 year rivalry. Indeed he extended his lead to almost a minute by the finish to become the South West Sprint Champion of 2007 with the 2nd quickest run of 30:44, and overall time of 1:18:36. Wells also ran strongly for 31:13 to secure 2nd in 1:19:33. Richards finished in 1:21:52 with a 32:05 run to take 2nd in the over 40’s race. Adam Masters ran well to overall Mace by the finish with a 32 dead run and 1:23:30 finish time, with Mace a further 14 secs back in 1:23:44., coming 11th and 12th  respectively.

The women’s race was also expected to be a local triumph with Heidi Viles (recently joining the club) a clear favourite despite this being her first race for some time. She out swam all her rivals and most of her male club mates with an impressive 6:07. She Biked/Ran faster than all but one specialist athlete on each discipline, for a truly awesome 1:26:45 overall winning time – giving the club a clean sweep of both senior trophies and their 2nd South West Sprint Champion - and a sparkling 32:30 run split into the bargain.  Next from the club came Sian Clark with splits of 6:45 swim, 51:50 bike & 39:40 run to take 8th overall which put her 3rd place in the open category for the club’s 5th trophy of the day and a personal triumph for this very modest athlete – An amazing achievement by the club at a regional level.

Sue Fulford was 3rd home for the club with a 8:19 swim, 53:36 bike & 38:52 run to finish in 1:40:47, placing her 12th overall and 5th in the open race. Fulford still in her first serious year is gaining on her rivals every race and almost halved the 6 minute gap to the winner of her previous race. Penny Morgan was the club’s first vet home with 1:43:34 in 14th overall.