BOLTON Metro triathletes faced the stern test of three races over a weekend for the Iron Tour at Boundary Water Park near Holmes Chapel.

While a few hardy souls completed the series, the majority opted for the sprint distance triathlon.

First off at 10am on Saturday was the triathlon, a 1500m swim/10k run in which Anne Powell set the standard as she recorded a fast swim and run to clinch victory.

The most popular event was the Saturday afternoon sprint triathlon, featuring a 750m swim, a 20k bike ride and a 5k run.

John Washington made a successful return from injury. Bolton's best performance again came from Anne as she secured an emphatic double.

Her performance can be put into context by considering the second placed lady, Sian Brace. She recently competed in the European Championships in Finland where she was 15th overall and first Briton.

The final race was the Sunday morning double triathlon in which Paul Frith was determined to beat club colleague Dave Clamp.

His plan was to establish a large enough lead on the swim to hold Dave off and he came within seconds of achieving it as Clamp edged past him within sight of the finish.

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