OVER the last 30 years, several local triathletes have come close, but on Sunday Lewis Stritch became the first Bude boy to win the Shoreline Triathlon in his hometown.

Despite the event having to adapt to meet all the COVID rules, competitors were treated to an amazing race based in the North Cornwall town.

A 500-metre sea swim around Summerleaze Bay is followed by a 15km cycle and a 5km run.

Classed as a sprint triathlon, this event has become one of the SW Classic triathlons, due in part to the fantastic scenery and locations and in part to the friendly and welcoming atmosphere created by the organisers Shoreline Extreme Sports, a small outdoor pursuits business run by Nicola and Simon Hammond.

Simon told the Post: “Obviously we had to cancel everything in 2020 but this year we are hoping to run all of our events with this Triathlon being our flagship.

“We’ve had to limit our numbers a little and also use an individual starting system plus a few other bits and bobs in order to comply to all the COVID regulations, but this year we are hoping to run the Triathlon, Quadrathlon in September and our Hill Climb cycle event in October.”

This year’s Shoreline Triathlon started with the competitors lined up in number order right across Summerleaze Beach.

They were then released one at a time, five seconds apart for the first leg — the swim around the bay.

This year’s conditions were near perfect, with the breakwater shielding the swimmers from the large ocean swell and with little wind the surface conditions were flat and calm.

Competitors ranged in age from 14 years old through to 72 and for the first year ever there was complete equality in numbers between male and female athletes.

Swimmers finished this leg with a gruelling run up the soft sandy beach and then into the transition area in Summerleaze Car Park to start their cycle ride. No time to rest as the first part of the ride takes the cyclists uphill out of the car park and around the Bude one-way system. Then off to Widemouth Bay along the coast road where most athletes encountered torrential rain before returning to Bude along the A39.

Back at Summerleaze they change again and run through the town, along the towpath and back via Lynstone Road before sprinting for the finish back at Summerleaze Beach.

All in all the top triathletes will finish this course in just over an hour, with most finishing within a two-hour period.

Stritch had an interesting race. A great swim but then knocked off his bike as he cycled through Bude.

Undeterred, he carried on with only half the gears working on his bike, with Alex Pillage hot on his tail.

At the start of the run Pillage seemed to have gained on Stritch, but Stritch held his form and came in to win in one hour, one minute and 59 seconds.

Simon and Nicola expressed their thanks to the many volunteers that helped during the day, adding: “We couldn’t run this event without so many people from Bude helping us out, from the scaffolding to the marshalling to the safety cover, we are so grateful, and it is certainly all these people that make this such a special and unique event.”

Next year’s race is already booked in for June 26.