In the 12th annual National Sprint Championships, a sprint distance triathlon, husband and wife team Russell and Kat Crumpler cleaned up in their respective mens and ladies divisions in their first BVI triathlon competition. Russell completed the 750-metre swim, 20-kilometre bike ride and a five-kilometre run in one hour and 19 minutes and 44 seconds and his wife the same distance in 1 hour, 23 minutes and 5 seconds.  This event, which was held on Saturday at Sandy Spit, Soper’s Hole, saw record attendance with 10 in the men’s division, 7 in the ladies division, and 10 teams.

Last year’s individuals winner defended their titles but both lost their crowns.  Richard Morgan, was second coming in 45 seconds after Crumpler and Adrian Dale was third, nipping at Morgan’s heels and only 24 seconds behind at the finish. 2012 ladies champ, Kay Reddy, was kept from the podium this year by a bevy of new triathletes and placed fourth.  Gillian Howe was second, a mere 18 seconds behind Crumpler, and Natasha Ruscheinski was third.

Team Pacific Dragon (Hayley Berry, Dan Mitchell, Mark Jones) cleaned up in their division, finishing just under three minutes ahead of Deloitte 2 who, in turn, were two minutes ahead of Deloitte 3.

Richard Morgan, off-form with injury, can seek solace in the fact that Crumpler was one minute and 35 seconds short of his 2012 winning time.  However, both are some way off Chris Ghiorse’s 2011 winning time of 1 hour, 13 minutes and 13 seconds.

The men’s times need to improve to match the record pace being set in the ladies division which are are getting faster each year. In 2012 Kay Reddy took the BVI Sprint Champs title by obliterating the 2011 winning time set by Carolina Pettigrew by 4 minutes and 46 seconds.  Kat Crumpler’s took the winning time forward again this year knocking another 2 minutes and 57 seconds off the previous course record.