17 April 2019
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
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The Brosnan’s Centra Fastnet Triathlon is a firmly established annual event in Schull in beautiful West Cork that attracts a lot of visitors to the area, making for a fun and lively atmosphere around the village. This year as well as having the Sprint distance race there will be a Try-A-Tri wave for people who would like to try out a triathlon and see what it’s like. So whichever camp you fall into the race is ideal for you as there is enough of a challenge to make it interesting and it’s a relaxed enough atmosphere to make it enjoyable. The race takes place on 8th June so there’s plenty of time to get in peak shape no matter what level you are at.
The Sprint Triathlon begins with a 750 metre swim within the sheltered confines of Schull Harbour. The undulating 20 km cycle takes in some terrific West Cork coastal scenery. The 5 km run off the bike is fairly flat and has magnificent views out over the harbour to several of the islands. The cost for individuals is €42.50 You can choose to do the whole sprint distance yourself or it can be done in teams of two or three which costs €85. The Brosnan’s Centra Fastnet Triathlon is also part of the new Tri Munster League where a number of triathlons across Munster qualify for points in a separate competition. Take a look through the Schull Tri Club Facebook page for more details.
For people having a go at the Try-A-Tri there will be a separate start to the 200m swim making it easier on any first-timers. Then there will be a 9km cycle with a mix of hills and flat and a flat 3km run to finish with. There is no relay option for the Try-A-Tri, cost is €30 per person. Wetsuits are compulsory but any sort of bike will do as long as it is roadworthy.
For spectators, the Transition area is all contained in the grounds of Schull Community College, making it ideal and safe for families and children to see the action. Search for Schull Triathlon Club on Facebook and sign up online on www.triathlonireland.com There is a great team of organisers and local volunteers making it one of the best run events on the triathlon calendar. As a previous winner once said “Come for the triathlon and stay for the craic!”
