On Sunday 26th July at the National Water Sports Centre Nottingham two intrepid ladies from Aycliffe Tri Club along with 1200 other competitors set out to beat the Sherriff of Nottingham and become legendary Outlaws.
Wendy Bake and Julie Hodds set out at 6am in the cold waters of Holme Pier Point to tackle the Outlaw Triathlon. An Iron Distance event made up of a 2.4 mile open water swim followed by a 112 mile bike with a 26.2 mile marathon run to finish. All three disciplines must be completed in a maximum of 17 hours before you can receive the title of being an “Outlaw”
This was the sixth year for the Outlaw Triathlon which had always seen fantastic weather conditions unfortunately this year heavy rain and winds ruled the day. This however did not dampen the spirits of the competitors or the hundreds of spectators that lined the route.
After a long day battling the weather conditions which made this already tough challenge even harder Wendy Bake crossed the finish line in 14hrs and 16mins followed shortly by Julie Hodds in 14hrs 32mins. Both ladies were met by huge cheers and high fives from the spectators lining the red finishers shoot and the statement that both had been waiting to hear all day – “You are an Outlaw”
Pic: Julie Hodds and Wendy Bake with their well-deserved finishers T-shirts and medals.
