MALVERN’S Jim Hancox completed his first competitive triathlon and open-water swim.

Hancox, contesting the men’s 35 to 39-year age group, tackled the Cotswold 113 Triathlon with Malvern club-mates Kenny Follina and Caroline Farris.

The middle-distance event consisted of a 1.9-kilometre swim in the Ashton Keynes lake at Cotswold Water Park, a 56-mile cycle section through picturesque villages and a half-marathon run.

The bike and run course were quite flat, making the race perfect for beginners at the distance, with all three taking it on for the first time.

They all did well in their age categories as Follina clocked five hours 46 seconds in the men’s 25 to 29 year section, Hancox five hours 43 minutes and Farris 5.52 in the women’s 25 to 29 group.

Malvern’s Bill and Janet Adsett and Matt Downes took on the challenging Olympic-distance triathlon in the Forest of Dean.

The race consisted of swim laps in Mallards Pike Lake, loops of a 22km hilly bike course and a sloping out-and-back run.

Jess Adsett and Simon Angwin were at the same venue and raced the shorter sprint distance over a similar course.

Downes clocked 2.48, Bill Adsett 2.50 and Janet Adsett 3.28, with Angwin managing 1.45 and Jess Adsett 1.58.

Malvern’s Maria Dineen participated in the Cotswolds ladies-only sprint training day and triathlon.

They learnt how to change an inner tube as well as receiving tips on open-water swimming, cycling, running and transitions.