Lauren York ends a successful year in 2010

Sunday the 26^th September at the Brigg sprint triathlon saw Lauren complete a truly remarkable year competing in Triathlon. Placing 1^st in the overall Ladies category, and 22^nd in the main race, with a time of 1.03.37 that many an athlete would be proud of let alone one of such young age.

This year Lauren competed in the Yorkshire and Humberside race series as a Youth competitor, with such varying events, as aquathon, children’s triathlons on closed cycle circuits, sprint triathlons with the bike leg on the open roads and open water sprint triathlons, having to wear a wetsuit for the first time. Added to this was the duration of these events ever increasing in length, from pool based swimming of 400 mts to open water 750 mts, cycle distances, from 8K to 22k , and running from 3K to 5K.

Lauren has placed well in these events, resulting in her amassing enough points to qualify for the Inter Regional Championship team from Yorkshire and Humberside, with the team event being part of the British Youth race series and the British elite men’s and women’s championships, held at Bryn Bach Parc in Wales on the 19^th Sept. With the very best young talent from 11 regions taking part, this was going to be a tough race for Lauren. The swim would be 400 mt open water swim from a mass start, followed by a 3 lap 12k very hilly bike course and finally a 3K run. Laurens race started badly as other competitors from behind swam over her at the start pushing her under! Recovering well from the shock she posted a good swim time, and was now off on the start of the bike section in 12^th place. The one main hill coming at the start of each leg was very testing for all competitors, then high bike speeds downhill with wet corners on the roads, this was to be a real test on the legs like no other race this year. Lauren did herself proud on the 3 laps and pushed herself way beyond her previous limits. Next onto the run, 3k mostly flat apart from 400m section which was downhill to get in the required distance. Lauren ran extremely well after such a hard bike leg again racing into the unknown, feeling the pain at the end from such tough conditions and hard course. Placing in 18^th out of 43 youth women, Lauren collected valuable points for the team of 3, the others placing 2^nd and 9^th respectively. Making new friends from the Yorkshire team Lauren had a great experience in Wales, which was soon to be topped off by the team winning gold for the second year running, amassing more points than last year.

Lauren has competed in following events in 2010 

Leeds Bradford Aquatlon May 9^th…..2^nd Place Youth (Y&H Series)

Child line Children’s Triathlon June 13^th …..2^nd Place Youth(Y&H Series)

Lincoln Children’s Triathlon July 10^th …..1st Place Youth

Brigg Bomber (Team) 1500m Swim open water fastest swim split

Hatfield Sprint Triathlon July 25^th …..2^nd Place Youth (Y&H Series)

David Lloyd Triathlon August 1^st ….2^nd Youth, 3^rd Women’s (Y&H Series)

Beverley Triathlon August 15^th …. 1^st Youth

Nottingham Triathlon August 22^nd …. 1^st U20 Women’s

IRCs Bryn Bach Parc Wales September 19^th …. 18^th Youth

Brigg Sprint Triathlon 26^th September …. 1^st Open Women’s

Lauren has now set her sights on improving her running and cycling. She has become a member of an athletic club, where she is training for middle distances and doing speed work. The cycle training she manages to squeeze in at weekends with her friends and her dad, distances up to fourteen miles at present. Not forgetting the five swimming sessions per week at her swimming club Scunthorpe Anchor !

Laurens targets for next year are to again compete for a place in the Yorkshire and Humberside IRC team, and to enter events in the British Youth races series.