“If you can do all three on their own, then you can do the whole lot on the day”

The Lough Ramor Triathlon returns to Virginia on August 2, with organisers promising “there’s nearly something for everybody” as the event celebrates its 11th edition.

Hosted by Virginia Triathlon Club and sanctioned by Triathlon Ireland, the event has grown into a popular endurance race since becoming an official triathlon in 2014. This year’s action gets underway at 9.30am sharp and includes a Sprint Triathlon, a Super Sprint (400m swim, 20km cycle and 5km run), a Duathlon (3km run, 20km cycle and 5km run), along with relay options for those who want to compete as part of a team.

Race coordinator Paraig Smith says the variety of races is designed to welcome competitors of all abilities: “There’s something for everybody.” Noting it caters for everyone from first-timers to experienced athletes.

Entries must be made through Triathlon Ireland. Typically, around 150 competitors take part - creating a nice athmosphere in scenic setting. Paraig believes, this is one biggest attractions: “You have the lake here, which is gorgeous, a beautiful transition area, then you cycle around the whole lake before coming back to do a lovely trail run through the forest,” Paraig says. “It’s different to most triathlons because it’s a loop around the lake and a loop through the forest.”

The forest section also provides welcome shelter regardless of the weather: “If it’s a wet day, you have the shelter of the forest and if it’s really hot, it’s nice and cool to run in,” he adds.

In his eyes, triathlon has become increasingly popular as people look for new sporting challenges: “A lot of people, when they give up football, start off doing a bit of biking, doing a bit of running and then in the winter do a bit of swimming. It’s a good event because you’re not competing against anybody a lot of the time. You’re just going for a PB – a personal best. Of course it’s a race, but you only want to beat your last time out.”

Behind the scenes, staging the race requires up to 40 volunteers, with marshals positioned throughout the course alongside Civil Defence, Water Safety personnel and first aid teams. The club are grateful for the local sponsors that help cover the costs of running the event. Rather than issuing new swim hats, they have decided to be more environmentally friendly and ask competitors to bring their own brightly coloured swim hats. Of course, spares will be available on the day.

Club chairperson and experienced triathlete Matt Malloy hopes the event will encourage more newcomers to give the sport a try. Having progressed from local races to competing at Ironman level and qualifying for the World Championships in New Zealand, Matt says triathlon offers a unique personal challenge: “I was always in sport and always competitive,” he says. “I entered the local charity race here in Virginia and just got hooked.”

Matt believes much of the appeal comes from testing yourself: “There’s a certain amount of self-satisfaction in the training and the competing. You do the sprint, then you want to do the Olympic, then Half Ironman, and then the Ironman starts calling.” Progressing to racing a total of 226km of swimming, cycling and running, the other Virginia triathlete members agree requires to be “a different kind of beast”. But everyone started with the first step – or stroke.

For anyone considering entering for the first time, Matt insists the sport is far more accessible than many people imagine: “Literally everyone can run or walk and can cycle a bike,” he said. “If you can’t swim it’s a little bit more difficult, but I wouldn’t let that stop you. You don’t need to be a Michael Phelps to take part in triathlon. Our event particularly caters for beginners. We have shortened swim events and people are well looked after in the water. These events are great for people to get into the sport.”

His advice is simple: “If you can do all three on their own, then you can do the whole lot on the day.”