Bournemouth Aquabike ITU Qualifier

12 September 2022 - By Anita Grainger

Anita headed south to take part in the Bournemouth Standard Distance Aquabike (swim/Bike) a qualifier race for the 2023 ITU World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain.

The swim was in the sea started by a run down the beach into the water which was great fun. Anita had a decent swim staying on course and swimming over something just before the last buoy. It may have been a jellyfish … Anita didn’t stop to look! The swim finished with running onto the beach then up the infamous Bournemouth zig zags… 7 of them in total and not very forgiving on bare feet.

Nicely warmed up Anita then headed off out on the bike on the main roads (A338 and A31) to Ringwood and back with the final few sections in Bournemouth town and a short sharp stinger hill right at the end. Anita is getting more used to the TT bike and knocked another minute off her bike split, finishing 5th in her age group with times below

Swim 1500+ zig zags! 33.33
T1 2.25
Bike (40km) 1.18.07
Total 1.54.06

A nicely organised event which also held sprint and standard distance triathlons an aquathon (swim/run) and a long swims.