Hundreds of athletes turn out for Kielder Waterside 'Iron' triathlon

Triathletes head into Kielder Water to start their race at The Northumbrian

The second edition of The Northumbrian, an ‘Iron’ triathlon event at Kielder Waterside, has been hailed as a big success, with more than 300 athletes signed up as individuals or in teams.

Individuals and teams took part in races at both the full Iron triathlon distance of 140.6 miles, and the half distance of 70.3 miles.

Thanks to special permission given by Northumbrian Water, Kielder Water was the venue for the swim, while the roads of the Kielder Valley and the Borders hosted the bike section, and the run was along the trails of the iconic Kielder Marathon route in the forests around the reservoir.

Those taking part in the full Iron distance started with a 2.4-mile swim, followed by 112 miles in the saddle, and the classic 26.2-mile marathon to finish. The half Iron triathletes faced 1.2 miles, 56 miles and 13.1 miles respectively.

The full Iron distance triathlon was won by Alessandro Ventisei in 11 hours, 10 minutes and 29 seconds. Fraser Kelly was second in 12:22:36, with William Rogers third in 13:07:21.

The women’s race was won by Anu Watson in 14:22:29. Matthew Chipping successfully defended his title in the half Iron distance, improving his time from last year and finishing in 04:21:51. Andy Shaw was second in 4:45:37 and Sam Green was third in 4:50:11.

Elizabeth Richardson won the women’s race in 5:19:00, followed by Rosalind Davies-Jones (5:30:33) and Michelle Short (5:33:02).

Race founder Steve Cram commented: “The weather was great for us, making it possible to complete the full swimming distance in Kielder Water. That was a real and rare privilege, and we’re very grateful to Northumbrian Water for allowing it.

“Our amazing triathletes were able to swim, cycle and run in the glorious Northumberland setting and I hope that they were able to enjoy the landscape while they moved through it.

“Our thanks go to every individual and organisation who made The Northumbrian possible, including our brilliant volunteers.”

The event was organised by Events of the North, in partnership with Northumbrian Water.

Entries are now open for the 2024 edition of The Northumbrian, which will take place on June 30.

For more information, visit https://thenorthumbrian.com.