Record entries at Yarrawonga Multisport Festival

By Triathlon Victoria. October 2017.

Record entries across two world qualifying events saw the Yarrawonga Mulwala Multisport Festival declared a massive success by the local organizing committee, officials and athletes. The festival attracted over 1000 competitors across the weekend with over 35% of triathletes from interstate and a sprinkle of overseas athletes. Athletes tackled the unique cross border triathlon course in the ‘age group draft legal’ sprint format for the first time and promised to be back again next year.

The swim was held in the protected waters outside the major sponsor Mulwala Water Ski Club’s holiday park, the bike leg headed out 10km alongside Lake Mulwala towards Corowa, whilst the run course crossed the border over the local bridge and meandered along the Yarrawonga foreshore, before returning to a waterfront finish line in front of the waterski club.

Triathlon Victoria Executive Director, Grant Cosgriff praised the local organising committee, Sacred Heart’s Splash n Dash. “The event would not be possible without the leadership of the Yarrawonga Mulwala Splash n Dash committee who again showed this year they can recruit and co-ordinate key personnel to deliver events of a high standard. My discussion with competitors were punctuated with positive comments on the course, ski club location for the event village and ever-friendly volunteers.”

One such competitor was Peter Smith from Adelaide who has competed in more than 700 triathlons all over the world. “I was unsure where Yarrawonga Mulwala was but when I arrived I was pleasantly surprised,” Peter said. “In my opinion this event is one of the best events I have competed in. I have been all over the world participating in events and this is up there with the best. “It takes three things to make a great event. Great organization, a great course and a great venue and this event has it all,” he said.

No-one was happier with the weekend than Japanese competitor Nuru Somi, who recorded the fastest time in the ITU Sprint Draft Legal World Qualifier, and first in the male 25-29 age group, with an impressive 56 minutes – a 9:29 minute swim (750m), a 29.28 minute bike (20km) and a 15.48 minute run (5km).

In other results, Melbournian Jo Ryn Tan won the women’s sprint in a sizzling 1 hour and 7 minutes. Mitch Kibby from Mentone won the standard distance in 1 hour and 51 minutes and Renee Kiley won the women’s event in 2 hours and 16 minutes.

Local committee member Jared Loughnan said, “The event encompasses a series of fun runs on the Sunday, on top of the triathlons on Saturday, and this attracts more than 2,000 athletes, support crews and volunteers from all over Australia injecting more than $2 million into the local economy. Our partnership with Triathlon Victoria has seen the event become more sustainable, attractive and rewarding for competitors, local businesses, residents and sponsors,” he said.

“To stage two world qualifying events in just our second year as event managers is simply remarkable and our main organising committee were incredible and all our volunteers were just amazing. Without this support we simply could not have run this important community event.”