BURLEIGH Heads’ Paul Mackay blitzed the field to comfortably win the PCYC Port Macquarie 2000 Triathlon yesterday.
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Mackay, who finished in the top 10 last year, completed the 46.5km course in a sizzling time of one hour 38 minutes and 51 seconds.
Mackay’s road to victory was made even easier following the withdrawal of last year’s co-winners Blyth Hartnett and Chris McCormack.
Mackay finished the 1.5km swim in seventh place (16.42 minutes) but moved into second spot after completing the 35km cycle leg in 51.06 minutes.
He then overtook race leader David Clark in the 10km run and surged to victory with 1.3 minutes up his sleeve.
Clark, from Korora, managed to hold on to second spot - in a time of one hour 40 minutes and 21 seconds - with Sandringham’s Robert Harris third (1.41.16).
Former Kempsey athlete Ben Buchholz, who now resides at Lismore, led the event after the swim leg but dropped back to finish fourth overall - one place ahead of Port Macquarie’s Peter Murray.
Murray, who placed second in the recent Forster Half Marathon, turned in a consistent performance - he was in fourth place after the swim and cycle legs - to finish in a time of one hour 43 minutes and 20 seconds.
Crowd favourite Spot Anderson, competing in a “swaggie’s” hat, finished sixth - a further two minutes behind Murray.
Duncraig’s Elizabeth Blatchford claimed the $1000 winner’s prize in the open female division when she placed ninth overall in a time of one hour 50 minutes and 11 seconds.
Helena Edmondson, of Roselands, and Matraville’s Colleen McCarthy claimed the second and third places respectively.
The best placed local female competitor was 20-24 years age category winner Tracy Wood, who finished 46th overall.
Port Macquarie triathletes also fared extremely well in their individual age categories.
Tristan Gribble and Shane Young placed second and third respectively in the 15-19 years division while PJ Tolmie finished third in the 20-24 years category.
Port Macquarie’s Vanessa Clingeleffer won the 25-29 years division, with Dustie Cockayne placing third, while Dave McDonald claimed second spot in the men’s 30-34
category.
In the 35-39 years division, Debbie Hesse took out the women’s category and Brenton McGuire placed second in the men’s section.
Port Macquarie’s Stephen Quirk, who placed 30th overall, finished the men’s 40-44 division in second spot.
Port Macquarie also gained the honours in the men’s 50-54 and men’s 55-59 years divisions.
Kevin Alford, a 14-year veteran of the Port Macquarie Triathlon, took out the 50-54 section with Brian Wink placing third while Peter Hennessey proved too strong in the 55-59 division with Geoff Carpenter claiming the second position.
The Port Macquarie trio of James Turnham, Bill Beaumont and Alana Jenkins took out the mixed teams division crown while Jack Coleman, Simon Alford and Nick Zdrillic joined forces to win the schools title.
Lake Cathie competitors stole the honours in the open male and female teams events.
Father and son pairing Wayne and Roland Ellis combined with Dane McKay to win the men’s title while Nardee Brims, Jo Beaumont and Kristyn Jenkins overpowered their rivals in the female section.
More than 170 senior competitors took part in yesterday’s triathlon while approximately 100 junior athletes participated in Saturday’s Aquathon.