By George! It's a gold medal for Prodrick in Ibiza

Two old-timers from the Peterborough Triathlon Club (PACTRAC) won European Championship medals at the weekend.
European Championship medallists George Prodrick and Jim Fell.European Championship medallists George Prodrick and Jim Fell.
European Championship medallists George Prodrick and Jim Fell.

George Prodrick (77) and Jim Fell (72) were competing for Great Britain in the European Duathlon Championships in Ibiza and both made the podium with Prodrick winning the 75-79 age group and Fell claiming third place in the 70-74 category.

The race involved a 6.25-mile run, a 24-mile bike ride and then another three-mile run and Prodrick finished in 3:02:02 to win the title by a massive nine-minute margin. Fell finished in 2:32:59.

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Over the first run, Prodrick opened up an early lead of two minutes and pulled further away from the rest of the field on the two remaining stages.

Eric Winstone.Eric Winstone.
Eric Winstone.

It was his second appearnce in a GB vest and his first podium finish.

Training partner Fell was in a very close race and had the fastest first run.

He was overtaken on the bike section and set off on the final run in third place, just behind and chasing.

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However, Fell had given it his best shot from the outset and wasn’t able to keep the high intensity going on the final run, finishing over two minutes behind the silver medallist.

He still had the fourth fastest final run though and held onto third place.

It was the sixth time Fell had represented Great Britain and his previous best placing was eighth place in his age group at the World Duathlon Championships in Denmark in July.

He was also eighth in the World Duathlon Sprint Championships in Canada in 2017.

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Eric Winstone of Bushfield Joggers was also competing for GB at the event and he was 18th in the 65-69 age group sprint race.

It was the retired headmaster’s best performance in a GB vest and came just a week after a tough third place in the Great Eastern Run.

EUROPEAN AQUATHLON

Later this week PACTRAC pair Nathan Tweedie and Paul Jephcott will be competing in the European Aquathlon and European Middle-Distance Triathlon respectively.

PAGUERA HALF-IRONMAN

PACTRAC’s Steve Hope competed in the Challenge Paguera Half-Ironman distance triathlon on the neighbouring island of Majorca.

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The distances were swim 1900 metres in the warm Mediterranean Sea, bike 56 miles and run 13.1 miles and Hope completed the gruelling course in 5:51:38 for 14th place in his age group.

Chris Shaw (Fenland Clarion CC) clocked 6:08:50 for 18th place in his age group.

IRONMAN BARCELONA

Dan Wilson of PACTRAC competed in Ironman Barcelona finishing in a great time of 9:38:59. He was 161st and 30th in his age group.

After a 2.4-mile sea swim, Wilson averaged 23mph for the 112-mile bike section before consolidating his position with a fast marathon time of just over three and a half hours.

CHELMSFORD MARATHON

On the running front PACTRACer Nicholas Partridge competed in the Chelmsford Marathon and was 532nd in 5:27:17.