WORCESTER Triathlon Club member Ruth Heatley scored an excellent victory in the ladies' section of the Moreton-in-Marsh Duathlon.

Heatley had a very solid race to win by over 15 minutes in a time of one hour 31 minutes 20 seconds to put her in the top 10 finishers.

The race, organised by the Fire Service Sports and Athletics Association, was also open to the public who were up against some of the country's fittest firefighters.

It started with a 5.2km run, followed by a 29km fast flat bike and a 4.8km run.

Les Bailey struck gold in the National Triathlon Sprint Championships, held at the Cotswold Water Park near Cirencester.

In a race consisting of a 750m open water swim, 20km fast flat bike course and 5km off-road run, Bailey won the 65-69 years category in 1.11.17, the first time he has competed in this race.

Bailey was also fastest in the over 60 category at the Milton Keynes Duathlon, clocking 1.52.52 in an event consisting of three 2.3-mile runs with two 10.3-mile bikes in between.

Bailey also travelled to North Yorkshire for the Stokesley Duathlon, featuring a six-mile run, 23-mile cycle and three-mile run.

He pulled a groin muscle midway through the first run but continued at a reduced pace, eventually finishing second in the over 60 years section in 2.11.7.

Bailey is off to Italy in the Great Britain age group team for the European Duathlon Championship on October 26.

Another club member to triumph was Karen Metcalfe in the Ludlow Triathlon.

She won the ladies' veteran prize for a second time in 1.31.01 despite a shoulder injury, the event consisting of a 400m pool swim, 17-mile bike and four-mile run.

Club members Helen Wootton and Kevin May plus two triathletes from Derby had a training weekend cycling from John O'Groats to Lands End.

They rode as a relay, completing the ride in just under 53 hours.

The pair are considering competing in the "Cross America" bike relay race next June and are looking for possible sponsors. Anyone interested should call Kevin on 07967-394111.

At the Race The Train Tywyn event in north Wales, racing the Tallylyn narrow gauge railway from Tywyn to Abergynowyn and back, May was 44th in 1.39.37, beating the train back by nine and a half minutes. Wootton was 23rd lady in 2.08.19.

The Wolverhampton Triathlon featured a 1500m open water swim, 40km cycle and 10km multi terrain run.

Gail Flanagan was fastest female veteran in 2.40.43, Maureen Burrows won the female Super Veteran in 2.41.59, Wootton was ninth in the open female category in 2.30.49, Stuart Powell was 26th overall in 2.10.15 while May shrugged off a puncture to finish 39th in 2.12.40.

The Vitruvian Rutland Triathlon, a 1.9km open water swim, 80km cycle and 21km run, saw May finish 11th in 4.21.42 while Wootton was ninth lady and 109th overall in 5.12.31.