Bronze for Bexson at Ironman 70.3 Staffordshire

STRATFORD AC’s Emma Bexson finished third in her age category, W40, at the Ironman 70.3 Staffordshire on Sunday.

As is the case with all 70.3 triathlons, the event comprises a 1.9km swim, a 90km bike ride and a 21.1km run, each segment being half that of the distances in a standard ironman triathlon.

Bexson got off to a solid start with a 35.05 clocking in the swim section, putting her 58th overall in the women’s race and ninth in her age category.

She made up significant ground on her bike and, thanks to a 2.42.18 effort, moved up to fifth in her age category and 27th overall.

She improved further on the running stage, covering the distance in 1.41.36 to bring her overall race time to 5.09.13, placing her 22nd in the women’s contest and third in her category. She finished within ten minutes of the W40 winner, Sally Waterworth (4.59.37).

Bexson wasn’t Stratford AC’s only triathlete in action last weekend.

Despite not having run for seven weeks due to injury, Sarah Odell didn’t want her place in the Blenheim Triathlon to go to waste, so she packed her kit and headed down to Oxfordshire.

“I felt as though I was melting as I got my wetsuit on,” she said. “I used my usual strategy of staying at the side, but everyone had the same idea.”

After weaving her way through the field, Odell completed the first stage in 14.17.

The three-lap bike segment was undulating, technical and busy, but she completed it in a solid 44.11. The run starts with a steep bridge, but Odell was relieved to find that she experienced no pain throughout the final stage, her 29.34 split giving her an overall finishing time of 1.35.24.

“I was so pleased when I came in to the final straight,” said Odell, who was the 174th woman finisher out of a field of 1,322, enough for 24th in the W45 age category.

“I cannot remember being quite so pleased or relieved to have finished.”