History
Bit by bit, we have been able to piece together a bit of a history of how triathlon started on the Central Coast, and what has happened over the last 25 years to get us to where we are today. As you can see, we've come a long way!
For info on the birth and development of triathlon in general, check out the triathlon listing on Wikipedia.
The Beginnings
Triathlon on the Central Coast started back in 1987 with Central Coast Triathlon Club being started by original club president Peter Maxwell-Coglin along with foundation members Jim McAtamney, Chris Lynch, Mick Lynch, Gai Heber, Steve Chapman, Graham Rigg, Sue & Lloyd Jordan, Graham Lynch, Saskia Idemea, Russell Durant and Brett Whyte
Back then, triathlons were easier to put on as restrictions on road use were a lot more relaxed, and even though there was no regular monthly triathlon races the Central Coast was host to two big annual races - the Central Coast Express Triathlon and the Woy Woy Apex Triathlon.
The Central Coast Express Triathlon was first held on Sunday 09 February 1986 at Gosford Sailing Club and consisted of a 2km swim in Brisbane Water, a 48km bike ride out to Terrigal and back, and then a 16km run around Point Frederick and East Gosford. The innaugural winner was Rob Barel, and this race continued until around 1991 (with the 1990 event being reworked as an aquathon due to poor weather) when the expansion of Erina Fair made it increasingly difficult to obtain traffic permissions. The race was then moved to Tacoma near Wyong in 1992, and in 1993 Triathlon NSW used this venue as a race in the State Championship Series.
The other annual race that was held on the Central Coast ws the Woy Woy Apex Triathlon - another big annual event organised by Woy Woy Apex with help from Central Coast Triathlon Club members such as Jim McAtamney and Trevor Roberts. This was another big race that featured a 1km swim at Ettalong, three laps of the Peninsula including a ride down the main street of Umina that covered 33km, and another 11km run lap. The innaugural winner was Mark Pringle, and this annual event was run over 5 years.
Away from, but still relevant to triathlons was the annual Saratoga Quadrathon which was run by Avoca Surf Club from 1982 until around 1989 and featured not only a swim, a cycle and a run but also incorporated a paddle leg on a surf ski or kayak.
In addition to these two annual events, the Central Coast also had a regular monthly duathlon race at Woy Woy that featured a 5km run, 30km cycle and 3km run.
Northlakes Triathlon Club
In the late 80's/early 90's, several local triathletes such as Stuart Lovell, Karen Law, Col Pepper and Central Coast Triathlon Club member Brett Whyte got together around a table in the train carriage at McDonalds West Gosford to discuss the possibility of starting another triathlon club on the Central Coast that was based more around the northern end of the coast. After a few of these meetings, Northlakes Triathlon Club was born.
This new club held many events and the membership received steady growth with a strong emphasis on the social and family aspect of being part of a club. Smaller, monthly triathlon and duathlon events were held at Koala Park near Munmorah Power Station.
One event that was a big part of club race days was the Chippy Race. This was a race around some trees on the grass for kids five and under, who were pushed on their bikes or carried if they ran out of energy. The focus was on encouraging these future triathletes to have fun, with all kids getting a packet of chips at the end.
Mingara Helps Out
The club then decided that they needed to move forward and look for some sort of sponsorship. Mingara Recreation Club was approached and were keen to hear more about Northlakes Triathlon Club. Stuart Lovell, Adrian Brown and his son Alec (who was only 14 at the time) went along and presented to John Millard and the Mingara board. They were impressed with the club and in particular the focus on family and fun and developing junior talent. After this meeting Mingara agreed to sponsor the triathlon club with the requirement that 'Mingara' was used in the club name, so for many years the club was known as Mingara Triathlon Club.
The Bad Times
In 2003, the club suffered a huge setback with the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the USA forcing all major Australian facilities to tighten up security in the years after, and as a result cycling through the power station was no longer an option. With no venue to run races, club numbers dwindled to a virtual handful. As club president at the time, Allen Pearson had a tough job holding the club together and keep things rolling whilst trying to get something up and running again.
Rebirth
In mid-noughties, Allen Pearson and Greg Glass got monthly triathlon events running at Summerland Point due to its open water proximity and roads with minimal traffic that could be blocked off. Council approval was sought and sanctioning was arranged with Tri NSW, and the club started clawing its way back from obscurity. Not long after, Wyong Council tightened up restrictions on running these races which caused them to stop temporarily, but with the input of new Central Coast resident and long-time triathlete Grant Rollo they were able to be restarted.
Starting in 2007, the club underwent a massive expansion, going from about 75 members to 300 members in just two years. Races which had normally seen 25 - 30 competitors started seeing over 100 racers registering. With such massive growth in members, it became increasingly obvious that the club needed to grow to continue running fun and safe racers for the increased membership.
New Name
With these increases came increased costs. The club needed the ability to approach businesses from all over the Central Coast for sponsorship dollars and promote new events without restrictions at other clubs and gyms. Therefore in 2009 - and with Mingara's blessing - the club became Central Coast Triathlon & Multisport Club. A new logo was designed by several professionals from within the club, and a new website was launched to showcase the new direction of the club.
New Events and Future Growth
In 2009, the club introduced the Gosford Twilight Aquathon to complement the traditional Summerland Point Triathlon race. This new event is held on Sunday afternoons at Gosford Sailing Club - right back where it all started back in the early 80's.
Another race series that is planned for inclusion in the 2010 Winter calendar is the XC Duathlon to be held at Warnervale at the old Country Music Park - featuring bush running and mountain biking. This is hoped to be run in conjunction with the club's regular Summerland Point Winter Duathlon series, but will be held on a Sunday afternoon.
Both of these events are designed to introduce new competitors to the multisport world that may otherwise not be interested in a 'traditional' triathlon - surf life savers, mountain bikers, and other athletes that are intrigued by the idea of a race with more than one discipline but don't like lycra.
What's next? Who knows. An annual Olympic Distance Race at The Entrance is a possibility. So is an annual quadrathon or adventure race at Glenworth Valley or Tuggerah Lake.
The only way to tell is to join Central Coast Triathlon & Multisport Club and be part of the fun!
