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NOT FOR

HEARTED2XU Falls Creek Triathlon draws Australia’s best

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The Australian Long Course Triathlon Championships were held for the first time on an Alpine course at the 2XU Falls Creek Triathlon, adding a new dimension to a tough and unforgiving race. TMSM’s Bill Scanlan made the journey up the mountain for this year’s edition, and provides this comprehensive course review for those wanting to gun for the Aussie title in 2013.

Words: Bill scanlan | PhotograPhy: alistair Wilson | Karl hayes | suPersPrint

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The 2XU Falls Creek Triathlon is not a race for the faint hearted. The race, in its second year, has

already built up quite a following thanks to its unique location and challenging course. This year, the SuperSprint crew were rewarded for their efforts in staging such a magnificent race by being granted the right for the event to play host to the Australian Long Course Triathlon Championships. There would be few better courses in Australia to receive such a tag.

A championship course should have something about it that creates an air of mystique. It needs to have that something special that sets it apart and brings an extra dimension of difficulty for us as athletes. No doubt this is why Kona has well and truly stood the test of time as the course on which global Ironman success is measured. Kona is a hard beast to tame because the elements (predominantly heat and wind) add yet another dimension to the challenge that is long-course racing. But perhaps even more so, Kona has mystique and beauty.

Falls Creek also has mystique and beauty, but it does not have heat and winds. Instead, it has cool temperatures, altitude and hills. It might not sound like fun, but once you accept the fact that the

course is what it is then you’ll be guaranteed to have an enjoyable and challenging day.

The elementsFalls Creek is situated in the Victorian Alps, about five hours from Melbourne. But don’t let the drive put you off – the latter kilometres are very enjoyable and scenic as they take you through towns such as Bright and Mount Beauty. The town of Falls Creek itself is quaint and small. At 1600 metres above sea level, it is not surprising that Falls Creek is predominantly a ski town. However, what some may or may not know is, in recent years, it has become increasingly well known as a brilliant summertime, high-altitude training base for cyclists, triathletes and even football players. You don’t notice the altitude so much as you wander through the town, but the thin air quickly becomes apparent once you start swimming, biking or running!

Typical Falls Creek weather in February provides cool but sunny conditions, and during race week, maximum temperatures were around 10 degrees. Despite the constant risk of rapidly changing weather (as is usually the case at high altitude), there was plenty of sunshine to go around. And by good planning and skill, the race

was held in perfect conditions and all done and dusted by the time the afternoon rain showers arrived.

The swimThe two-kilometre swim was held over a simple one-lap rectangular course that was clearly marked out by buoys. Water temperatures in the fresh water lake (it’s really a dam but it feels like a lake) were a chilly 14 to 15 degrees – cold, yes, but not unbearably so. Some competitors opted for a neoprene swim cap in addition to the mandatory wetsuit, but for many it was just a case of wearing two swim caps and adapting to the little cold shock on first entering the water.

The bikeThe 80-kilometre bike course consisted of three out-and-back laps along the Bogong High Plains Road. The road winds itself along the edge of the lake and then proceeds into undulating territory as it skirts across the top of the mountain in the direction of Omeo. Always challenging, and at times quite technical, the course has a great mix of climbs, descents and fast, flat stretches. And the scenery is simply spectacular – you can easily forget you’re in a race if you get caught up staring at the beauty of the mountain. The road surface

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LeFT:Melissa Rollison

RighT:Tim Reed

Melissa Rollison

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Melissa Rollison

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The 20-kilometre run was made up of two laps on a well-surfaced trail. Of course, being Falls Creek there were hills.

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is very good and clean owing to the relatively little traffic that it must support. The other enduring feature of the course was that it was completely closed to traffic.

The runThe 20-kilometre run was made up of two laps on a well-surfaced trail. Of course, being Falls Creek, there were hills. One terribly steep but relatively short climb, in particular, proved to be a challenge to ascend the first time around with bike-tired legs, and even more of a challenge the second time around thanks to the general state of fatigue that had no doubt gripped all competitors during the latter stages of the race. If you managed to get enough fresh yet sparse high-mountain air into your lungs to admire the scenery, then you would be well rewarded, but for most the run was about just trying to get through and finishing off the day on a high note. Scenery could always be admired later. As tough as the run course was, it is always a pleasant change to run

on a more giving trail surface as opposed to a bone-jarring road surface that is a feature of most races.

Post raceThe great thing about Falls Creek is that it’s small and the race start/finish is so close to town. Once you get to Falls Creek, everything is dead easy. Post-race activities consisted of an easy roll on the bike back down the hill into town; presentations were held in a local pub right in the heart of town; and the general post-race chatter among competitors had that special small-town feel. Falls Creek is the kind of course where everyone has a story to tell and on the Saturday night after the race there certainly were many stories told, and many recovery ales consumed.

Congratulations must go to race winners Melissa Rollison and Tim Reed – each a very worthy winner. To triumph on a course such as Falls Creek is definitely something to savour. But equally

so, congratulations must also go to all the competitors simply for taking part in such a unique and challenging race. And by no means least, congratulations to the entire SuperSprint crew for contemplating and succeeding in holding such a logistically challenging event such as the 2XU Falls Creek Triathlon. I, for one, hope that the event continues to grow in size and stature such that it eventually becomes a marquee event on the Australian Long Course calendar.

RESULTS

MEN

1. TimReed 3:54:152. JoeGambles 3:55:173. MitchAnderson 4:00:29

WOMEN

1. MelissaRollison 4:14:392. MadeleineOldfield 4:24:403. WendyMcApline 4:47:48(30-34AG)

presented by

TRAIL RUN19km + 15km

ROAD RIDE 50km + 40km

PADDLE

15km + 16km

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