MALVERN Triathlon Club have proved so popular since forming two years ago that a junior section is planned.

To test the level of interest, a junior training course starts on Tuesday for four weeks after being designed for youngsters aged between nine and 14.

Malvern member Neill Williamson, who organised the scheme, has been racing triathlons for the last 30 years.

“The idea of the club is to introduce children to triathlons and it is based around skill learning rather than pure fitness,” he said.

“With the growth in triathlon, the course is designed to give children the confidence to enter their first race.

“This is the first junior training event the club have arranged and we hope it will lead to a junior section of the club.”

The course is being held at Malvern College at 6.30pm, starting on Tuesday, with the first session lasting an hour and consisting of run and bike training.

On Sunday, June 29, there will be swim training from 2pm until 3pm, while a practice race will be held at the pool at Malvern College on Sunday, July 6.

Malvern-based Henry Walker, a British Triathlon Federation level two coach who has raced several long-distance ironman races, will be coaching the youngsters.

For more details, e-mail Williamson at neillandjenwilliamson@hotmail.com.

Meanwhile, Malvern club members tackled the challenging Slateman Olympic Distance Triathlon in Llanberis, north Wales, at the foot of Snowdon.

A cold one-kilometre lake swim was followed by a 30-mile bike section, involving long, mountainous climbs and fast, winding descents, and a tough 6.5-mile run to the finish.

The run featured rugged, uphill bursts through a slate quarry followed by a steep, technical descent through woods.

The windy weather even blew one competitor off his bike in the cycling section.

Malvern Marvels’ relay team of Clare Kent, Rob Hurley and Nick Hitchings were the second mixed relay team to finish, clocking two hours 50 minutes.

They were followed 11 minutes later by an injury-free Leslie Dalley, Steve Keepax (3.15), Lisa Hurley and Katie Watkins (both 3.35), Amanda Dawson (3.46) and Dave Davies (3.50).

Tony Knight managed 3.51 despite nursing an ankle injury on the run and only signing up for the challenge three weeks earlier.

Jon Butterworth came in just the other side of the four-hour mark following only two hours of training in the last eight months since finishing Ironman Wales.

Anyone interested in joining the Malvern club is asked to visit their page on Facebook.