Gallery & Race Report: Pulse Port Beach Triathlon
The Pulse Port Beach Triathlon brought the triathlon season to an exciting conclusion, hosting the final round of the Triathlon National Series to give athletes one last chance to earn points. In addition to the series finale, the event also featured the Draft Legal Elite National Championships and the Para National Championships. The event was hosted by Pulse Triathlon Club, and photographed by Damien Jackson.
Draft Legal Elite National Championships
Twenty-four athletes lined up at Port Beach to compete for the Elite National Championship title, tackling the sprint distance triathlon. The course included a 750-metre single-lap swim in the cold waters, followed by a 20 km bike ride along a coastal route, and a 5 km run to the finish.
Jonathan Oakey emerged as the Elite National Champion, crossing the line in 00:58:50. He was closely followed by Ollie Turner, who finished in 2nd place with a time of 00:58:57, and Matt Shipley, who took 3rd to complete the podium. The trio established their lead during the swim, maintained their position in a tight pack on the bike, and it was in the final 500 metres of the run where Oakey made his decisive move, securing the win with a run split of 00:15:56.
Reflecting on his win, Oakey said, “I had a good little battle with Ollie up until about 500 or 400 metres, managed to get a gap on him, and then pushed through for the win!”
In the women’s race, Saoirse O’Brien claimed the Elite National Champion title with a strong finish time of 01:08:22, 52 seconds ahead of Maisie Aubrey, who took 2nd place. Emma O’Brien rounded out the women’s podium with a time of 01:10:31.
Aubrey was first out of the water, completing the swim in 00:12:43, with Saoirse O’Brien trailing by 19 seconds. However, O’Brien took control on the bike, posting the fastest split of 00:34:30, and sealed her win with a 5 km run time of 00:19:16.
After the race, O’Brien shared her thoughts: “It was a really good race—cold in the sea, but a nice swim, not too choppy. The bike had some nice rolling hills, and a couple on the run too, but it was all good!”
Irish National Championship Podium
Male:
- Jonathan Oakey | 00:58:50
Galway Triathlon Club - Mathys Bocquet | 01:02:27
Predator Triathlon Club - Pearse Gallagher | 01:02:50
Predator Triathlon Club
Female:
- Saoirse O’Brien | 01:08:22
Piranha Triathlon Club - Emma O’Brien | 01:10:31
Wicklow Triathlon Club - Nessa Mangan | 01:17:34
Predator Triathlon Club
Triathlon National Series
In the men’s race, Mark McGinley from 247 Triathlon claimed 1st place with a winning time of 01:06:51. McGinley executed a well-rounded race, emerging from the swim in 00:14:46 and maintaining strong splits on both the bike (00:32:08) and run (00:17:28), which ultimately secured his win.
Sean McCullagh of Island TC finished in second place with a time of 01:08:15, trailing by 1:24. McCullagh’s fast swim split of 00:13:31 helped him take an early lead, but he couldn’t hold off McGinley on the bike and run. Rounding out the podium was Michael Monahan from Naas TC, who finished third in 01:08:56. Monahan put in a solid performance across all three disciplines, including a 00:14:24 swim and a 00:32:46 bike split.
Áine Kinsella of Waterford dominated the women’s race, finishing first with a time of 01:14:16. Kinsella put in a solid swim, completing the 750-metre lap in 00:15:53, and continued her strong performance on the bike, clocking 00:35:59. Her consistent pace across all three legs, coupled with a 00:19:36 run split, secured her the victory.
Close behind in second place was Kathryn Fahy from Limerick Triathlon Club, who crossed the line in 01:14:55, just 39 seconds behind Kinsella. Fahy’s strong swim of 00:15:37 and quick transitions kept her in contention, but she was unable to close the gap on the run, finishing with a 00:20:34 split.
Helen Perry of Lisburn Triathlon rounded out the podium, finishing third with a time of 01:16:12. Despite a slower start in the swim (00:16:24), Perry’s solid bike leg of 00:38:07 and strong 00:19:30 run split helped her secure the final podium position.
Age Group
Para Triathlon National Championships
- Aron O’Dowd & guide Richard Chapman
Gallery 1: Draft Legal Championships
Gallery 2: Triathlon National Series
