Super Steels happy to get her own back on the Dambuster

Claire Steels was an age group winner at the World Duathlon Championships last year and could be on for a repeat performance.

Last month she started her season by storming home first in the Grafham Water Duathlon and on Sunday she was a winner again in the Dambuster Duathlon at Rutland Water.

The Bourne Town Harrier, who only took up the sport a couple of years ago, completed the course of a 6.25-mile run, 26-mile bike ride and then a another three-mile run in a time of 2:12:16.

She was fastest female, and obviously an age group winner as well, and 41st overall in a race that attracted nearly 400 entries.

It was also a qualifier for the 2016 World Duathlon Championships to be held in Aviles in Spain in early June.

With the first three in each age group qualifying, Steels comfortably made it on the plane to Spain.

And joining her will be three other locals from the Peterborough Triathlon Club who all won their age groups.

They were Paul Vernon, who was fourth overall, Jim Fell and George Prodrick.

Fell qualified to represent Great Britain at the World Championships for the third year in a row while Prodrick will be making his international debut.

Robin Brookes, also PACTRAC, finished third in his age group and also qualified, but has had to decline the invitation.

Steels went into the bike section with a slender lead, but was convinced there was another girl ahead of her. So she spent the whole of the 26-mile bike ride chasing a non-existent competitor.

She only realised that she was in first place at the second run turnaround, and came home to win by over three minutes.

She said: “I’m so happy with how today’s race went. Last year the Dambuster destroyed me - this year I got my own back and I even enjoyed the second run.

“I was very surprised but at the same time delighted with first female.”

LOCAL RESULTS

4 Paul Vernon 1:59:36 (age group - 1st)

41 Claire Steels 2:12:16 (1st female, age group 1st)

61 Adam Madge 2:14:53 (age group 9th)

109 Andy Gregg 2:21:20 (age group 20th)

147 Daniel Fitzjohn 2:26:38 (age group 25th)

149 Robin Brookes 2:26:48 (age group 3rd)

165 Richard Nixon 2:29:15 (age group 33rd)

248 Steve Hope 2:41:14 (age group 15th)

297 Jim Fell 2:49:25 (age group 1st)

332 Andrew Rawlins 2:59:58 (age group 65th)

352 John Morris 3:03:54 (age group 35th)

356 Sue Davys 3:06:03 (age group 6th)

381 George Prodrick 3:18:13 (age group 1st)