MONMOUTH Tri Club’s Jak Smith is celebrating smashing the Epic Lakes Coniston swim in the Lake District last weekend, winning first place in the 3km swim in an impressive 39 minutes and 45 seconds, reports KELLY SALTER.

Taking place at Monk Coniston, to the north of the lake, the swim offers distances of 750m, 1500m, 3k or 5k distances, depending on age and ability.

Luckily Jak had swum in the lake a few times previously, so he was prepared for a chilly swim

“It was cold but refreshing,” he said, “And it sets me up nicely for next weekend’s British Middle Distance Championships at Lakesman in Derwentwater.”

This event will see Jak take on a 1.9km swim in the Cumbria lake, a 90km ride and a 31km run.

Meanwhile, fellow club membe Paul Turner enjoyed a double decker of two triathlons in a fortnight, taking on the sprint distance at the Herefordshire multi-sport festival on Sunday in Leominster, having raced the Westonbirt House Sprint Triathlon in Tetbury over the late May Bank Holiday.

Paul tackled a 400m pool swim, 22km bike and 5km run in both events, finishing in 1 hour 36 minutes and 22 seconds in Leominster and 1.51.39 at Westonbirt.

Racing in the supervet 60 category in Westonbirt, Paul said the pool swim quickly got jammed with queuing competitors, although the flat bike route offered a chance to make up time, as it whizzed through quiet Cotswold villages and past the Highgrove royal residence.

The traffic-free 5km run was routed through the estate’s 210 acre grounds, finishing in front of the stunning Westonbirt House.

Monmouth Tri Club offers weekly swim sessions, regular social rides and a running group for anyone interested in getting involved.

Check out your friendly local club at www.monmouthtri.club