Yarralumla Bay, Canberra:

Showers dampened the ground but not the enthusiasm in the air as contestants prepared for the first event of the 29th Sri Chinmoy Triathlon Festival...

the Sri Chinmoy Junior Joyathon for Under 13s.  Held over an 80 m swim, 3.5 km bike and 800 m run, the whole race takes just minutes, but condensed into that time is a tremendous force of focus, energy, determination, effort – and ultimately, joy!

Tom Iverach led home the field and his category (Boys 11-12) in 12:32; the other Boys categories being won by Spencer Burns (Boys 9-10) in 13:58 and Carlton Van Der Plaat (Boys Under 9) in 18:37.

Rebecca Morling came in just after the first boys to lead home the Girls 11-12 in 14:03; with Riley Lane 1st in the Girls 9-10 in 16:29 and Stephanie Brettargh winning the Girls Under 9 in 19:41.

On-again, off-again rain throughout the day seemed to dance in time with the races, showering down between events and then – fortuitously – clearing for the duration of the races themselves.

The Sri Chinmoy Joyathon (Open) is designed for novices to the sport, as well as those who just want to have a hit-out without too much exertion.  A feature of the Joyathon is the number of teams, groups of friends who band together to complete each of the 200 m swim, 7 km bike and 2 km run as a shared effort.  It was one of these teams of workmates – "Grape Expectations" (Pen, James and Phil) – who recorded the fastest time of 24:35.

First solo athlete, with a substantial lead over the field was long-time local triathlete Dwayne Currie in an excellent 25:19.  Next solos across the line, in a dramatic finish were Girls Under 17s Annika Morling (26:00) and Ashley Bleakley (26:03).  Duncan Miller took the Boys Under 17 in 26:05, while Joanne Currey led home the women 17-49 with her 27:44.  Gary Bowen was first home in the Men 50+ in 29:37; while Bronwyn Williams led home the Women 50+ in 49:10.

Brayden Clews-Proctor achieved the golden time of sub-1 hour in the Sri Chinmoy Sprint Triathlon (500 m swim, 21 km bike and 5 km run), winning the race outright in a clear 58:28 from the Male Under 20s.  Just missing the 1-hour barrier was the first team "In for the Win" of Sam and Alexander who recorded 1:00:05.  Georgia Hardy (also Under 20s) similarly had a clear win in the women's field with her excellent 1:11:06.

Other category winners included Kate Griffiths (Female 20-29 in 1:19:12); Celina Miller (Female 30-39 in 1:20:09); Tricia Bowman (Female 40-49 in 1:30:48); Krissa O'Neil (Female 50-59 in 1:32:34); Henry Stimson (Male 20-29 in 1:02:59); Heath Wade (Male 30-39 in 1:08:06); Ross Hamilton (Male 40-49 in 1:06:41); Peter MacArtney (Male 50-59 in 1:11:13); and Jim Williams (Male 60-69 in 1:12:06).

For some, Saturday evening was an occasion to celebrate achievements and reflect on the fulfilment of their goals – while for others, it was an early night to prepare for the serious task ahead, Sunday's longer races…

Gone were the clouds and showers as Sunday dawned pink, silent and still over a glistening Yarralumla Bay.  First to start were the intrepid adventurers of the Sri Chinmoy Peace Triathlon, plunging into the crisp, cool waters at 7 am for a 2.2 km swim behind the island, an 80 km bike around Canberra and its surrounds, and a 20 km run along the lakeshore and through Westbourne Woods.

Giving the Peace Triathletes a 90-minute headstart, at 8.30 am a larger field gathered on the beach for their own mission – the Sri Chinmoy 'Classic' Tri over the so-called "Olympic Distances" of a 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike and 10 km run.

Perfect conditions prevailed throughout the day, as athletes from both fields wound their way across Canberra, returning after each leg to where they started at Yarralumla Bay, ultimately reaching to that particular stretch of hallowed turf known as "the finish chute", only a hundred metres from where they began their journey.

Alexander Jackson (Male Under 20) showed what great talent he has, leading the Sri Chinmoy 'Classic' Tri from go to woe and racing solo the whole way to win by a comfortable margin in 2:05:43.  He was only led home by the fastest team of the day, "VO3Max" of Morgan, Brent and Gerard who recorded a tantalisingly-close-to-2-hours 2:00:19.  Micarla Sexton had a clear win in the women's field, also taking her category of Female 20-29 in 2:29:11.

Other category winners were Rowan Lewis (Male 20-29 in 2:09:40); Curtis Hancock (Male 30-39 in 2:08:05); Jeremy Gillman-Wells (Male 40-49 in 2:12:19); Hugh White (Male 50-59 and competing in his first ever triathlon, in 2:32:37); Geoff Llewellyn (Male 70+ in 3:46:47); Trinette Bagnall (Female 30-39 in 2:53:17); and Linda Meyer (Female 40-49 in 3:03:36).

First All-Male team was the team "Patrussjase" (of Russel, Pat and Jason) who finished in 2:11:46; while first All-Female Team was "Runnin' Like we Stole Somethin'" (Emma, Therese and Rebecca) in 2:33:13).

Behind all the exertion, the courage and the jubilation of the "Classic" Tri finish line, the athletes of the Sri Chinmoy Peace Triathlon had inexorably been drawing closer and closer to their goal, and finally it was Lucas Spargo in 4:06:30 – almost shadowed by Emir Mujcinovic – who burst into the finish chute to a chorus of admiring and grateful cheers.  Lucas had led Emir out of the water by over a minute, a lead he extended by a further 4 minutes on the bike – but an inspired 20 km run of 1:18:50 saw Emir to within 10 seconds at the tape.

Henry Stimson backed up his age category win in the Sri Chinmoy Sprint Triathlon the previous day to again take the Male 20-29s in 4:23:56; while Tim Burns took out the Male 40-49 in 5:21:48 and Paul McGlynn showed he's in great shape to win the Male 50-59s in 4:31:55.

Tamara Spargo proved that if you continue participating, you'll eventually come out on top as she collected her first career win in 5:11:35; while even the final finisher, Aditi Barthwal in 6:55:56, was a winner in her category (Female 20-29).  The only team (Greg, Ed and Dave of "Team Trilogy") put in a good showing to finish in 4:40:19.

Full results by age category and overall for each of the 5 races of the Festival are published, along with a photo album from Sunday's events.