In July this year, the Manx Tri Club hosted the first ever Super Sprint Triathlon Relay Event on the Isle of Man!
Isle of Man Sport was pleased to provide some financial support to the Manx Tri Club (MTC) via their Governing Body of Sport, the Isle of Man Triathlon Association, to help get this event started and provide a new entry route into the sport to increase participation.
We caught up with some of the Manx Tri Club and Isle of Man Triathlon Committee members to find out a bit more about the Super Sprint Relay and how people can get involved in Triathlon on the Island!
So, what is a Super Sprint Relay?
It’s a shorter format event comprising all the triathlon disciplines with teams of three completing a 400-metre swim, 6km bike route and 2.2km run each. Each team member completes their mini triathlon before tagging the next member of the team to start their leg of the relay!
This year, the event was held with a short swim in the Mooragh Lake, followed by a flat closed-roads circuit cycle route up and down the Mooragh Promenade and finished with a run around the Mooragh Park.
How did the inaugural event go?
Triathletes of all ages and abilities gathered at Mooragh Park to compete and the shortened format was a perfect introduction to triathlon, with a good number of individuals giving the sport a go for the first time! We had 69 individuals taking part in 23 teams with many invaluable marshals assisting around the course.
This event is not only about competition, it's about celebrating the spirit of athleticism, teamwork and having fun. We are so pleased this event was a success from a competitors and organisation point of view and are really looking forward to hosting this event again next year!
We would also like to extend our thanks to sponsor 1886, along with all the participants, volunteers and supporters who made this event possible. In addition, a special thank you to charity Heroes on The Water for their help with equipment for the event.
What did people say about it?
“The event was great! Really good distance for the two youngsters I had with me (one already saying that he is definitely doing that again!). Thanks to everyone for organising the event.”
“We had a group of us that entered three teams. All not taken part in any triathlon event beforehand and we were pretty unsure before starting. Everyone had a great time and thought the atmosphere, people and organisation were all fantastic and supportive. Already all looking at signing up for the next sprint tri in September. Massive thanks to everyone involved in organising the event and to everyone helping out and taking part on the day!”
“The event today was fantastic. Loads of fun and really well organised as usual. Great addition to the schedule and looking forward to it again next year!”
“The event was amazing, I’ve never done anything like that before and I really enjoyed it and everyone was super friendly!”
So, when’s the next Super Sprint Relay and how can I get involved more in Triathlon?
The date of the Super Sprint Relay for 2025 and all the other events has just been announced!! The event will take place on 27th July 2025 and details of all our events are published on our website and Facebook pages in the links below.
Do you run beginners sessions or regular training?
We have a variety of training sessions/blocks running at different times throughout the year for both beginners and for more experienced triathletes looking to improve certain aspects of their performance. Details of next courses are to be announced shortly.
There are always people heading out to train aspects of triathlon together in groups and the best way to connect with new people and find out what might be going on is via our Facebook Page and Community Group.
Where can I find out more information or get in touch with Manx Tri Club?
More information can be found on our website, Facebook or you can contact Rich George (Secretary) by phone or email:
Juan Kinley, Chair of the Isle of Man Triathlon Association said:
"We are really pleased not only by the success of the 1886 Super Sprint Relay but all the events in 2024. We are looking forward to another action-packed season in 2025 which will include Manx triathletes competing at the Island Games in Orkney in July. Thank you Support for Sport for your continued assistance."
Photo credit: DKPhotography