Tom Irvine’s Race Report

Congratulations to new Junior club member Tom Irvine.

Tom (17) contacted the Junior coaches as he had never done a triathlon before, had signed up to the Norwich Standard distance and he very sensibly wanted to get some practice in Open Water first.

We were immediately impressed with Tom’s determination and ability, he’s a very strong swimmer.

By chance, we bumped into his dad whilst watching the BUCS race, and his Dad told us he was also a keen hockey player, playing at quite a high National level and he was also doing the Triathlon to raise funds for Cancer Research.  We also saw him at the end of his triathlon in transition! He loved it and it sounds like he had a few experiences along the way.

We asked Tom to write us a race report to share with the club, he has also included some thanks to fellow triathletes he met on the day.

There is also a link to Tom’s Cancer Research fundraising page.

Well done Tom! We’re so impressed, we hope you keep enjoying triathlon and we have no doubt you will achieve that Ironman one day!

Tom’s Race Report:

I am a 17 year old currently studying at Norwich school and I competed in the Norwich Olympic distance Triathlon (1500m swim, 40km bike and a 10km run) starting in Whitlingham lake on the 22nd June 2025. I usually play hockey, and I have never taken part in a triathlon before so this was a first and I have been busy training for the last 3 months.

I really wanted to complete a triathlon as I loved the challenge and I have always wanted to complete an iron man at some point in my life. The biggest challenge for me has been the swimming training. Before entering the triathlon, I had never swum competitively before so getting my swimming to the required level has been by far the greatest challenge and I was delighted with my performance on the swim in the race. My training for the swim was very simple and I just practiced the distance in the pool twice a week and I think by remaining consistent I was able to really increase my confidence. Running has always been a strong point for me so I practiced over a variety of distances and it was satisfying to watch my times decrease over the last 3 months.

I am hoping to raise as much money as possible for Cancer Research UK as cancer is an important issue currently affecting my family. I had originally set a target of £250, but the generosity of those around me has amazed me as we have, at the time of writing, raised £1100. I am leaving the fundraising page open for another week as it would be great to be able to make the biggest contribution possible towards the invaluable research Cancer Research UK are doing. If there is any opportunity to contribute towards finding a cure for this disease, I am a firm believer we should take it. If you would like to donate, please do so using this link:https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/triathlon-for-cancer-research

I would quickly like to extend my thanks to the triathlon community for being so supportive on the day. Everyone I talked to was lovely and gave out many helpful tips. I fell off my bike on the dismount but was encouraged up by everyone which really gave my confidence a lift. I did not plan my fuelling well enough during the race so cramped up on the run very badly; a passing runner gave me their last gel and it was amazing to see such support in what is very much an individual sport.

Yours sincerely,

Tom Irvine