THE roasting summer weather hasn’t dulled the dedication of Monmouth Tri Club.

Luige Frigé and Steve Kilbourne headed over the border for the Berkeley Sprint Triathlon, with Luige taking the 400m swim, 22km bike and 5km run in one hour 25 minutes 28 seconds, and Steve following in 1.35.45.

Back in Wales, the club sent eight members to the GV70 Tri, a middle-distance triathlon on the Aberavon seafront.

Not for the faint-hearted, the event included a 1.2-mile sea swim in Aberavon Bay, followed by a 56-mile two-lap bike ride around Port Talbot and Porthcawl, and a 13-mile three-lap run of the town’s promenade.

Run by Port Talbot Harriers and hosted by Aberavon Green Stars RFC, the event has raised thousands of pounds for charity since its launch several years ago.

Andrew Washbrook was first home for the club in 5.33.42, with Martin Adams close behind at 5.39.45, while chairwoman Sharon Neville was leading lady in 5.58.55.

At 6.21.35, Renske Bouwens enjoyed first in the 50 to 54 age group, nipping past Kelly Major who crossed just 10 seconds back, with Rowena Christmas showing an incredible bike time of 3.14.10, and a final time of 6.43.35.

Suffering mechanical failure, James Peters was held up on the bike, but made up for it with a speedy run of 1.48.11, while Andy Hillis raced home third in his 60-64 age category.

Further north in Yorkshire the same day, Jak Smith stormed the Cleveland Steelman Middle Distance Triathlon, coming fourth in 4.26.09.

Monmouth Tri Club is a friendly, mixed ability club for fun, support and improvement. See www.monmouthtri.club for more information.

Running-wise, as well as Spirit of Monmouth member Bouwens in triathlon mode, club mate Nick Sloper headed for the Scenic 7 on Wednesday night – a breathtaking but challenging course run along Forest Drive in Cwmcarn, hosted by Islwyn Running Club.

Featuring a tough elevation gain and an exhilarating final three miles downhill to the finish, Nick came in 167th out of 327 runners in just four seconds over the hour to register a new course PB.

Saturday saw Liberty Barlow head for the She Strides Ultra 50k, a female-only West Yorkshire loop starting and finishing at Wadsworth Community Centre above Hebden Bridge.

Travelling over mixed terrain, it covered Hardcastle Crags, Heptonstall, and over the moors toward Haworth, featuring some 5,000 feet of elevation gain, and areas of outstanding beauty.

Liberty found the first 10 miles relatively easy, as she ran up and out of Old Town onto the moors, and was holding fourth.

Despite then slipping back to seventh, at around 16 miles she managed to catch up with two women she’d been alongside early on and they then ran the rest of the 14 miles together, with Liberty taking charge of the map reading.

The second half of the course had the biggest climb and some frustrating downhill narrow cobbled paths covered in bracken, making it tricky underfoot and making it hard to “send it”.

But with some lovely woods at the start and end, a big steep push in the last 3km, some fabulous marshals, and lots of cows and sheep to make friends with, she would definitely recommend this event.