Army Triathlon set for August

Triathlon has been a growing sport within the Defence Forces for many years with members participating in a wide variety of distances and standards throughout the country.Defence Forces races were run infrequently over the years but this interest was formalised with the establishment of the Defence Forces Triathlon Association (DFTA) and official recognition by Triathlon Ireland in 2009.The first race under the new association was held the same year in tandem with TriAthlone to great success with over fifty participants in a sprint distance event.However, with the hosting of the European Championships in Athlone this year the decision was taken to identify a smaller venue for the Defence Forces race which might encourage new members to partake and help the DFTA progress towards a stand-alone event. This step has been greatly enhanced with the enormous help of Midland Triathlon Club through the aegis of Secretary Brian Ivory who, in talks with Commandant Tom McGrath, Chairman of the DFTA, recognised that Midland could assist in supporting exactly what the Defence Forces were looking for.Hence, the DFTA race will take place the day before the annual Caroline Kearney Triathlon in Lilliput on August 13 using the same course and infrastructure. In lieu of this tremendous support and technical expertise, the Defence Forces are happy to provide additional manpower to assist in the establishment of the transition and administration areas.