Sandman Triathlon 2024: A Fierce Battle Against the Elements: Race Report.

Sandman Triathlon 2024: A Fierce Battle Against the Elements: Race Report.

Special report by Always Aim High Events.  

https://alwaysaimhighevents.com/

 

https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com

 

Last weekend marked the highly anticipated return of the Sandman Triathlon for its 14th year at the breathtaking Traeth Llanddwyn. This year’s event also played host to Stage 5 of the Welsh Triathlon Super Series, where fierce competition unfolded as athletes vied for the sprint title.

The weather didn’t cooperate this weekend, with strong gusts and heavy sea swells forcing us to cancel the swim leg on both days. Sunday then greeted us with torrential rain. However, the athletes remained in great spirits, and the challenging conditions made for a tough but fitting conclusion to the 2024 Adventure Series.

 

SATURDAY

The day began with dry weather, but strong gusts prompted an early decision to cancel the swim leg for the Sprint competitors. Instead, they tackled a 2.2k trail run through the scenic Newborough Forest. As the 5th stage of the Welsh Triathlon Super Series, excitement was high, with TV crews capturing all the pre-race action in transition.

At 8 a.m., three waves of athletes set off on the first run of the day, and it didn’t take long for some impressive times to emerge. Jason Hanson was the first to return to transition, closely followed by Jaden Morgan, both heading onto the bike leg.

As the race progressed, the gap between the leaders narrowed. 

Cai Llewelyn Williams and Huw Jack Brassington closed in on the front two, with Huw recording the fastest bike leg of the day. By the time they entered the second run, it was still anyone's race, but Jason held his lead to claim victory with a time of 1:14:08. Jaden finished just 17 seconds behind in second, while Cai secured the final podium spot in third.

In the women's race, Emily Hanlon was the first to return to transition after an impressive first run, clocking in at 09:28, 15 seconds ahead of second-place Lucy Morrison. Once on the bike, Catherine Marks delivered the fastest bike leg of the day, propelling herself and Emma Palfrey into leading positions as they headed into the final run. 

Despite strong performances on the run from Lucy Morrison and Emily Hanlon, it was Emma Palfrey who secured the victory with an impressive time of 1:21:06, followed by Catherine Marks in second and Emily Hanlon rounding out the podium in third.

Although the triathlon was turned into a duathlon due to the cancelled swim, several athletes had originally entered the duathlon race, which unfolded as follows: In the open men's race, David Barlow dominated the first run, posting an impressive time of 9:14, closely followed by Carwyn Dafydd into T1. 

However, it was Toby Williams of Velotik Racing Team who stole the show, completing the bike leg in a lightning-fast 37:38—the quickest time of the entire day! This gave Toby the lead he needed to take the win, with David Barlow finishing in second and Mark Jones claiming third.

In the women’s duathlon, it was a tightly contested race between Claire Donnelly, competing in her first-ever duathlon, and Sophie Hunt from Chester Triathlon Club. Ultimately, Claire took the win with a time of 1:27:58, while Sophie finished second, and Kerrie Harbidge came in third.

 

SUNDAY

On Sunday, it was time for the Standard and Legend athletes to take on the course. Once again, we were met with strong winds, now accompanied by rain, adding an extra challenge to the day.

For safety reasons, all triathlon races were converted into duathlons, with both the Legend and Standard athletes starting with a 5k trail run through the forest instead of the swim leg.

The Legends kicked off at 7:30 a.m., heading into the forest with smiles despite the tough conditions. In the open race, Drew Clark set a fast pace, battling through the windy beach run to return to T1 and head out on the 93km bike leg in first position. 

The bike section was grueling, with the relentless wind making it a true test of endurance. Stephen Derrett, who recorded the fastest bike split of the day, took the lead, followed closely by David Berry, Drew Clark, and Stuart Nash. 

Stephen maintained his advantage as he powered through the 10k lapped run, benefitting from the forest’s much-needed shelter, and crossed the finish line in 4:14:01 to claim victory. Drew Clark of RAF Triathlon finished strong in second, with David Berry of Wigan Wheelers rounding out the podium in third.

 

In the women's race, Sian Harries and Katie Beecher were neck and neck after the first run, arriving at transition together. Sian managed to hold her lead on the bike, with Jessica Harvey and Sallie Holy putting in impressive bike times behind her. 

As they came back into T2, Sian still held the lead and, despite the challenging conditions, maintained her strong pace on the final run to take the win in 5:38:03. Katie Beecher secured second place, with Jessica Harvey finishing in third.

The Standard distance athletes were next to take on the course, with two waves of competitors setting off from 8:30 a.m. Leading into T1 after the first 5k run was Daniel Grounds of Cambridge University Triathlon Club, closely followed by Chris Standidge. Chris went on to dominate the bike leg, posting the fastest split of the day with an impressive time of 1:06:54. 

This performance put him in the lead heading into the final run, where he maintained his position to take the win, finishing a remarkable six minutes ahead of second-place Seamus Sheard. David Farrington claimed the third spot on the podium.

In the women's race, Michelle Holmes was the first to return to T1, with Lucy Morrison hot on her heels. Both had quick transitions and were out onto the bike leg together. Close behind were Carys Jones and Laura Gray. Laura put in a stellar performance on the bike, allowing her to take the lead heading back into T2. 

She held on during the final run to secure the overall win. Michelle Holmes finished just over a minute behind in second place, with Elizabeth Buckley-Bye completing the podium in third.

As with the day before, we also held the original Duathlon race. Dylan Evans of Clwb Beicio Egni claimed victory in 2:22:28, with Mark Daly and Gerwyn Roberts rounding out the top three. Last year’s winner, Miriam Haf Parry, successfully defended her title in the women's Duathlon. Karen Walley secured second place, while Andria Grove of GOG Triathlon took third. 

This year, several athletes also completed our "Savage" event, which involved racing in both the Sprint on Saturday and the Standard on Sunday.

In the Open category, Kane Power claimed the Savage title after two strong performances across the weekend. Sebastian Swallow finished in second, with Ian Jones taking third. In the women's category, Lucy Morrison topped the podium, with Julie Luckman finishing in second place.

 

The Sandman was also the finale of the 2024 Adventure series, the combination of Slateman, Snowman & Sandman event results for those registered for the series. It has been a brilliant series with some impressive racing and there was a great crowd at prize giving celebrating the achievement of all those who had taken part and some amazing prizes awarded to our winners. 

Always Aim High Director Nigel Kendrick shared his thoughts on the Superfeet Sandman Triathlon, saying: “The Superfeet Sandman holds a special place in my heart, as Newborough is not only where my family and I live but also where we host this incredible event.

The race strikes the perfect balance between being both challenging and welcoming, attracting first-timers as well as seasoned athletes. Year after year, participants return, and it's easy to see why—Traeth Llanddwyn is truly one-of-a-kind, and the Superfeet Sandman is more than just a race; it’s an unforgettable experience.

We’re thrilled to have brought back the Adventure Series in 2024, and completing all three events is a remarkable accomplishment for any athlete.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to every athlete who participated, as well as their supportive families and friends. Despite facing challenging conditions on Sunday, the positive energy from everyone was truly inspiring. 

While we were disappointed to cancel the swim portion for the first time in 14 years, the safety of our athletes remained our top priority. We’re also incredibly grateful to our title partners, Superfeet, for sponsoring the event, as well as to our other race sponsors, the local Newborough community, and Natural Resources Wales for their ongoing support.

Lastly, a huge thank you to our dedicated team, marshals, and volunteers—your efforts make this event possible every year.”

 

See all the Race Photography

 

Selected 2024 Superfeet Sandman Triathlon & Duathlon results:

Sprint Triathlon Open 👏

🥇 Jason Hanson 1:14:08
🥈 Jaden Morgan 1:14:25
🥉 Cai Llewelyn Williams 1:14:52

Sprint Triathlon Female 👏
🥇 Emma Palfrey 01:21:06
🥈Catherine Marks 1:23:15
🥉 Emily Hanlon 1:24:19

Sprint Duathlon Open 👏
🥇 Toby Williams 1:15:30
🥈 David Barlow 1:16:53
🥉 Mark Jones 1:18:21

Sprint Duathlon Female 👏
🥇 Claire Donnelly 1:27:58
🥈 Sophie Hunt 1:28:11
🥉 Kerrie Harbidge 1:33:15

Standard Triathlon Open 👏
🥇 Chris Standidge 2:13:20
🥈 Seamus Sheard 2:19:18
🥉 David Farrington 2:26:41

Standard Triathlon Female 👏
🥇 Laura Gray 2:29:26
🥈 Michelle Holmes 2:30:51
🥉 Elizabeth Bulkeley - Bye 2:38:03

Standard Duathlon Open 👏
🥇 Dylan Evans 2:22:28
🥈 Mark Daly 2:25:16
🥉 Gerwyn Roberts 2:30:20

Standard Duathlon Female 👏
🥇 Miriam Haf Parry 2:55:06
🥈 Karen Walley 3:19:25
🥉 Andria Grove 3:46:37

Legend Triathlon Open 👏
🥇 Stephen Derrett 4:14:01
🥈 Drew Clark 4:33:49
🥉 David Berry 4:36:25

Legend Triathlon Female👏
🥇 Sian Harries 5:38:03
🥈 Katie Beecher 6:01:53
🥉Jessica Harvey 6:10:58

Savage Triathlon Female 👏
🥇 Lucy Morrison 4:09:30
🥈 Julie Luckman 6:22:34

Savage Triathlon Open 👏
🥇 Cane Power 4:08:31
🥈 Sebastian Swallow 4:30:24
🥉 Ian Jones 5:16:31

See The Sprint Triathlon & Duathlon Results

See The Standard Triathlon, Duathlon & Legend Triathlon Results

See the Adventure Series Results