The Nations Capital Crowns First Round of The Billigence Pathway Championship Series.

The Billigence Pathway Championship Series (BPCS) kicked off in Canberra on the weekend, on the foreshore of Lake Burley Griffin in a picturesque setting backed by Parliament House. Torrential rains leading into the event closed the lake for swimming, however the event went ahead in the duathlon format with 72 Pathway athletes attending - the race appropriately named “The Increaser” by race provider Corey Bacon of Canberra Multi Sport Events.

The objectives of the BPCS are to provide draft legal racing that can often only be found at National and International levels, to NSW / ACT development pathway athletes and allow them to develop skills that will enhance their performances at the higher levels. The series features various format races with multiple heats, finals, and mixed gender. There are six races in the series for 2022/23, with points on offer each round leading to Overall Series winners and  Category Champions.

“The Increaser” started with a blistering 400m run to the bike, where athletes then completed a 1.5km fast and furious lap of The Parkes Way which was closed to traffic and included a hotdog turn at each end of the course, before completing the first race with an 800m sprint to the finish arches. The second race increased distance to 600m / 3km / 1.2km. The accumulated times of races one and two placed athletes into a final, with the 18 fastest athletes of the day in the “A Final”.  The final distance was 800m / 4.5km / 2km.

Understanding the demands of this type of racing, the effect that it has on the body and the need to back up multiple times in a day, TNSW/ACT organised Sports Care Canberra with a fleet of massage therapists to provide sport specific massage for all the pathway athletes. Recovery is an important factor in particular for this type of racing and an area that the development programs are focussing on through the education components of the programs.  

Rory Thornhill, the overall male winner said “The BPCS race on the weekend was the perfect way to kick off racing for the season. Although the swim was cancelled, the condensed duathlon format provided a pressure cooker environment that blew out any cobwebs and put skills and early season form to the test. I’m looking forward to going toe to toe in the other races in the series, furthering race awareness to gear up for a busy domestic season”.

The next race in the BPCS will be hosted by the Tomaree Triathlon club on the Nelson Bay Foreshore in another stunning setting. The event has never taken place at this location and will be an outstanding event for competitors and spectators alike.

A huge thank you to Jana and Michael Kapr from Billigence who provide the ongoing support for the TNSW/ACT Pathway athletes and support these outstanding race opportunities that would otherwise not exist.  A huge thank you also to race provider Corey Bacon and his crew Dave, Belinda, Taylah and Courtney from Canberra Multisport event for putting the event on, a tireless effort with hours of preparation putting the race together.

The prize winners for this round are:

Overall Male
1 Rory Thornhill
2 Mitchell Blackbourn
3 Joel Offord

Overall Female
1 Alexis Bell
2 Lucie Francis
3 Jacqueline Burnand

Youth Male
1 Kyle Mason
2 Ethan Mackie
3 Will Mason

Youth Female
1 Madeline Platt
2 Skye Bell
3 Petra Fransen

Junior B Male
1 Sean Williams
2 Wade Barr
3 Grady Platt

Junior B Female
1 Alexis Bell
2 Lucie Francis
3 Montana Doubell

Junior Male
1 Mitchell Blackbourn
2 Joel Offord
3 Rohan Barnes

Junior Female
1 Alexis Bell
2 Lucie Francis
3 Grace Kells

U23 Male
1 Rory Thornhill
2 Angus Waddell

U23 Female
1 Jackie Burnand
2 Mackenzie Penn