A fearsome frost did not deter a small, valiant field assembling for the second and final race in the Canberra Sri Chinmoy Off-Road Duathlon season at Black Mountain Reserve...

Clear skies temptingly offered warmer, brighter conditions as racing got under way, though recurring clouds ensured any rise in temeratures would derive from the athletes' own exertions.

The first run for both Long and Short Course races is a delightful foray through the Australian National Botanic Gardens. The testing hills and eager pace of this leg certainly had the most desired effect as many athletes were seen discarding gloves, jackets and binis at the first transition.

Mountain bike times had been generally sluggish in the first race of the series, when a previous-day deluge had sloshified sections of the course. This time athletes revelled on a firm though sometimes rocky surface, ensuring brisker times throughout the field.

Hard on the heels of a testing mountain bike ride, the final run posed the sternest challenge of the race, especially the Long-Course with the 680-metre ascent of Breakfast Hill, almost to the summit of Black Mountain.

Peter Young (pictured, left) and Bianca Mauch dominated the open men's and women's Long-Course races respectively, with each leading from the gun and posting the fastest split times for each of the 3 legs. Both finished full of running with a spring in their stride despite the trials of the course.

In the Short-Course race, Geoff Ives came in with the lead pack after the first run, then pulled away over the remaining ride and run to win comfortably amongst the solo men, while Laura Garvican enjoyed her first race to take out the solo women's division.

A stand-out performance in the Short-Course came from team runner Kym Chisholm (pictured, right) who outran all the male competitors to clock the outright fastest time for the final run leg.

Full results by category, including split times>>
Photo gallery from the transition area>>

The Sri Chinmoy Marathon's Team's next Canberra race is the annual Half-Marathon at Telopea Park on Sunday 6 August, this year accompanied for the first time by a 5-Mile and a 2-Mile race (enter online here).

Don't miss the next Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Series event, the delightful Googong Challenge on Sunday 29 October (enter online here), to be followed by Canberra's off-road classic, the Sri Chinmoy Triple-Triathlon on Sunday 26 November (enter online here).

We look forward to your company for these races...

The opening race of the Sri Chinmoy Off-Road Duathlon season started under cloudy skies...

The traditional June Long Weekend exodus from Canberra saw athletes competing in races elsewhere, or enjoying the significant snowfalls marking the official opening of the ski season in the nearby Snowy Mountains.

Constant rain falling well into Saturday night further dampened the prospects   of a large turn-out.   Nevertheless, the clouds had poured themselves out by race morning, and a small but eager throng gathered at the edge of Black Mountain Reserve, an island of natural bushland in the urban sea.

The morning's program included Long and Short-Course racing, with the Long-Course offering not only a much longer, but also considerably more demanding option.

Both races started with a run on traffic-free roads through the enchanting Australian National Botanic Gardens.   The short course cut through the centre of the Gardens while the long course circumnavigated the entire grounds.   Despite cool ambient temperature, athletes were well and truly warmed up before returning to the bike compound to transition to the peddling leg.

The Long-Course explored most of Black Mountain Reserve and the adjoining Aranda Bushland, while the short option followed a smaller loop around Little Black Mountain.   The rain had left the surface soft and in places quite squelchy - perfect for enjoyable mountain biking!

The final run saw Long-Course athletes slugging up the 680-metre "Breakfast Hill," almost summiting Black Mountain, while Short-Course runners enjoyed a shorter, flatter route to the finish.   The short race was won convincingly by Simon Krantzcke (pictured at right) and Anne Napier respectively, with Anne placing second overall.   The longer race was very close until the final run when Simon Geach drew away from his challengers, while Leanne Wilkinson was in a class of her own in the women's field.

Ron Brent (pictured at left) won the men's over 50 division, and surprised many younger riders by clocking the fastest time for the mountain bike leg in the Long-Course race!

The race finished under blue skies.   Nearly half the field collected trophies while athletes enjoyed a luncheon of pesto pasta amidst yarns of mud and the mountain, most vowing to return next month for the series' conclusion.

We look forward to the next Off-Road Duathlon to be held over the same course on Sunday July 9.   Online entries are now open.

Full results by category>>
View the race photo gallery>>