Get into it!

The 2011 Straddie Salute Multisport Festival

By Ellie O'Gorman

On Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 October 2011, Weekend Warrior Events did what they do best: the perfect execution of the location race. Or, in this case, three races.

This year, The Straddie Salute Multisport Festival (presented by Stradbroke Ferries) was in its fourth year and has expanded since the inaugural off-road triathlon in 2008 to a weekend festival with three events, over two days, in one great location - North Stradbroke Island.

North Stradbroke Island is accessible from Cleveland, 30 minutes south-east of Brisbane City CBD. Ferries run regularly and there is the option of a water taxi or a vehicular ferry. It's just far away enough from the office to feel that sense of relief and escape. When the ferries land at Dunwich on North Stradbroke, Point Lookout is only 15 minutes by car.

It's the perfect weekend away with some of the best surfing, whalewatching, snorkelling, diving and 4WDing in Queensland, as well as boasting one of the most iconic spots for a post-race beer: the Straddie Beach Hotel! I wish I was there right now...

On the morning of Saturday 8 October, the weather was looking a bit average: strong winds, heavy rain, thunder. Luckily, by 3pm that afternoon the weather had eased for the Sibelco Straddie 1000 Ocean Swim. Whether it was a pair of boardies, a bikini, Speedos or a wetsuit, the 100+ competitors threw themselves into the water at Cylinder Beach, under cloudy skies, for the 1000m ocean swim. Trent Grimsey (7:54) was the first male out of the water, followed by Josh Richardson (8:02) and Brendan Capell (8:19). Danielle DeFrancesco was the first female out of the water (9:06), followed by Caitlin Schluter (9:46) and Jaclyn Friend (11:07).

Sunday 9 October was the Columbia Adventure Run/Walk and the Straddie Salute Offroad Triathlon. And boy, did Straddie turn on the weather: clear skies, hardly a breath of wind, still water...not a trace of the wild storm the day before. These two events have to be two of the most beautiful courses going round, with the course mapping its way to showcase the best of North Stradbroke Island.

The Columbia Adventure Run/Walk was a slightly different course to previous years, due to council work being done on the pathways in the Gorge, but was still as stunning as ever. Competitors started on George Nothling Drive, making their way along some sealed bitumen roads before hitting the sand on Main Beach. From there, the course made its way up stairs, along beach trails and tracks, wound along the tops of cliffs, before finishing up at the event base at the Point Lookout Domain. It's a course unlike any other. And the best part? It's relaxed and it's real: no elbowing to get ahead, no attitude from fellow runners, no monotonous courses that simply follow a white line along an anonymous road. I'm not surprised that Columbia have jumped on board to sponsor this event - it's about getting out there, getting dirty (well, your shoes at least!) and getting into it!  Local Straddie boy Patrick Hagan streaked ahead to finish first in a blistering time of 26:54, following by Artem Golev (28:43) and Cameron Boyd in third (30:03). Annette O'Shea lead the women's race in a time of 32:46, following by Kirsti Creed (35:56) and Olwen McClintock in third (36:01).

The Straddie Salute Offroad Triathlon: I've said it before, I'll say it again - this triathlon has to be one of the best that is on offer and is one of my favourite races. It's been designed by John Guise and his team at Weekend Warrior Events with the social competitor in mind. Love it! Standing there listening to Triathlon Queensland give the race briefing was just fabulous: a very warm and relaxed welcome, followed by a show of hands of those competitors doing their first triathlon (a lot!), then some very reassuring comments about staying calm, taking your time, using the IRB (Inflatable Rescue Boat...I didn't know what that meant either, shows how much time I've spent ocean swimming!) to take a breath and adjust your goggles - brilliant! It's this kind of atmosphere that makes sport possible, sustainable, and open to athletes of every ability, size, age, and fitness level. And it's this kind of atmosphere that will foster a community willingness and acceptance that sport needs to become a part of life if our society is ever going to become a healthier, happier one.

Right, off my soapbox and back to the race!

You can enter the tri as an individual or as a team and the field is strictly limited to 500 entrants. I think that field limitation is so important, and hope that the popularity of the event doesn't force the race organiser's hand to extend the field - keeping it (relatively) small not only makes you feel exclusive but guarantees that the event maintains its original intention: to provide an offroad triathlon for weekend warriors and finely-tuned athletes in one of Queensland's prime locations.

The swim is a 600m ocean swim, with a mass start at the eastern end of Home Beach. The course heads west before turning into the shore opposite the Point Lookout Domain, with a short beach and grass run into transition.

The cycle consists of both sealed road (60%) and 4WD trail (40%) and starts and finishes at the event base. It's not an overly technical course, but a mountain bike is essential.

The run follows some of the Columbia Adventure Run/Walk course and is a mixture of coastal trails, 4WD roads and beaches. After a short road section from transition, runners reached Main Beach where the course links with Point Lookout's scenic tracks and trails.

Rob Symmons took out the men's race (again!) in a time of 1:15:46 (splits: 9:32, 35:25, 30:49), followed by George Tamblyn in 1:18:16 (splits: 10:09, 38:17, 29:50), with Dave Brown in third place at 1:20:47 (splits: 12:29, 34:11, 34:07).

Gold Coast resident Yoko Okuda-Thomsen won the women's race in a time of 1:27:22 (splits: 12:11, 39:34, 35:37), followed by Renee White at 1:31:49 (splits: 11:22, 42:48, 37:39), with Lyndia Bellew in third place at 1:39:12 (splits: 14:01, 45:02, 40:09).

I decided to lend my extensive athletic ability, rigorous training, self-discipline and talent to a team entry with my (cyclist) husband as the swimmer, his best mate (also a cyclist) on the bike leg, and yours truly (not a cyclist!) on the run leg. My best mate and training partner ran the Columbia Adventure Run/Walk. Next year, we just need a competitor in the Sibelco Straddie 100 Swim and all bases will be covered! That afternoon, sitting at the Stradbroke Island Hotel after watching the prize giving and presentations (that does have, can I add, fantastic spot-prizes from the event sponsors!) over a beer, seeing whales breaching in the afternoon sun, and comparing race thoughts, the reviews couldn't have been more favourable. The sea was crystal clear, meaning that from the very start you could see the dappled sunlight on the sand at the seabed; the cycle leg was an enjoyable challenge and refreshing change from road racing and criterions; and the run, well, you know my thoughts on that one. It's a beauty.

We'll be back, same time next year. So there are only 496 spots left....