Top-ten finish for Llyr at Newcastle Duathlon.

Report by Don Hale.

North Wales Road Runner, and top rugby referee Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts, continued his love of duathlons last weekend and finished 10th overall in the “Try on the Tyne” sprint race in Newcastle.

For Llyr, he admitted that it’s still a learning process for him, by combining two road races, interspersed with a four lap, 5k cycle circuit on closed roads.

He also had to negotiate challenging transitions and a slippery cycle dash on wet road surfaces but said he was pleased to clinch a top-ten finish. The three events covered a distance of about 25k and Llyr improved his running PB, and finished 10th overall in a time of 1 hour 7 minutes and 51 seconds.

*Llyr had to deal with slippery roads due to the wet weather last weekend.

Llyr later explained: ‘It was something different for me today. It was a brilliantly organised event, apart from constant rain from start to finish!

‘I wanted to have a go at this duathlon, as in my last event I was too reserved in the runs, so this time I was pleased with my first run, which was much quicker than any previous attempts, and chuffed with the bike, and particularly on the ice rink of a 4 x 5k lap circuit with 4 x 180’ turns, which was compounded by so many competitors.

‘I was super pleased though with my final run, as I ran as quick in that as I did in my first run, and was able to overtake, and to increase my final position! Overall, a tidy day!’

*The overall race winner of the Sprint Duathlon was Dan Tate in a time of 1.01.31, with John Lowe (Durham Tri) 2nd in 1.02.54, and 3rd Michael Salisbury 1.03.17.