Omagh duo perform well in world championships in New Zealand

OMAGH Triathlon Club duo Grainne O’Hagan and Seamus Arkinson were in New Zealand recently for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships.

This was the first time the World Championships has been hosted in the beautiful town of Taupo, and the Kiwi’s put on a great show to round out the year – with Grainne racing with the women on Saturday and Seamus on Sunday.

The swim began for the pair in the fresh waters of Great Lake Taupo, swimming 300m out before turning left and heading down the shoreline towards Kaimanawa Reserve, and turning to the shore to round out the 1.9km. Seamus completed the swim in 36mins 16secs, with Grainne exiting the water after 39mins 24secs.

The cycle was a round route taking the competitors first on a steady climb before turning to begin the single lap on a brand new course! Rolling hills and easy turns bring the athletes to the Aratiatia Rapids where they cross the mighty Waikato River.

The next 30km is along State Highway 5, bringing in scenic landscapes and some restful downhills. Crossing back over the Waikato River means the riders are roughly halfway and can start thinking about the return to town – but not before they tackle Heartbreak Hill! Seamus set the pace on the bike with a 02.54.52, with Grainne not far behind in 3hrs 31secs.

Lacing up the runners, Grainne and Seamus headed out for the final 13.1 miles of their New Zealand race. 2 laps along the coast brings the athletes around the run course, taking in the beautiful sights and breath-taking scenes!

It was Grainne who came out on the front foot on the run, running the half marathon in an incredible 01.40.43. Seamus wasn’t easing either with a great run time of 02.23.32.

Grainne finished the day in 05.32.58, with Seamus getting a total race time of 06.07.57.

Meanwhile, closer to home was the annual Rudolph Run in Eskra, where a number of OTC members were running in the 5K and 10K events. Luke Donnelly and Sean Gillespie were first and second in the 5K, with Darragh O’Neill, Maeve Holland, Una Corrigan, and Seamus Maguire also tackling the shorter course. Laura Fitzpatrick, Gemma Skeath, Lucy McDermott, and Cathy Cunningham put in great times in the 10K to secure the win in the ladies club category, with Vincent O’Neill winning his age group. Also running the 10K race was Stephen McKenna, Eddie Molloy, Sean McAleer, Mark Colhoun, Padraig McDermott, Dessie McAleer, and Cathal McEnhill.