PORT Stephens played host to the last race of the racing calendar in the Elite Energy Triathlon Tri Series at One Mile Beach.

The Saturday event was well attended with in excess of 1100 people registering to race across four different distances.

Despite the widely-publicised threat of inclement weather, Port Stephens turned on a day of blue bird triathlon festivities for participants of all ages and abilities.

2017 was the sixth time Shoalhaven based Elite Energy (the organising company) had brought the event to Port Stephens and with the support of Port Stephens Council has seen participant numbers increase each year.

“The Tri Port Stephens leg of this 12 stop series has an atmosphere like no other, people come in big groups with family and friends for one last race before winter, it really has a party atmosphere,” said Sebastian Gallery of Elite Energy.

CEO of Elite Energy Mark Emerton said, “Being the third largest of all our events we get excited to see so many different walks of life, different abilities and different age groups getting behind the fantastic sport of triathlon in such big numbers.”

In the longest of the four contested distances was the standard distance (1.5km swim, 40km bike ride and 10km run). With near perfect racing conditions spectators were in for some very exciting racing.

In the Men’s Standard distance race Chris Huang took out the honours in a time of 2.05.54.

Huang of Wollongong, NSW held a strong two and a half minute lead out of the water and extended that lead on the bike by a further 23 seconds being chased by Matt Lewis of Huskisson, NSW who closed the gap on the run, but didn’t have enough to outclass a very strong performance by Huang.

Huang finished his season in style finishing minute and a half ahead of second place Lewis (2.07.03) with Nathan Miller a regular on the standard distance podium rounding out third place(2.07.43).

The Women’s Standard Distance was by far the most entertaining with a dead heat between Erin Doyle and Kate O’Conner. Doyle lead O’Connor out of the water with a 54 second lead, this lead was chased down by O’Conner on the bike who came into transition 2 one minute and twelves seconds ahead of Doyle.

With Doyle a known strong runner Doyle came back to run side by side with O’Connor all the way down the finish chute to finish a dead heat in a time of 2.25.51 with Rowan Sams finishing in third position (2.28.24).

Saturday’s event was also made possible by droves of volunteers who gave up their time to support a great community event and to raise funds for their local community groups and charities.

Elite Energy donates to these community groups in lieu of their time.

It is expected that in excess of $5000 will be donated to community groups and charities who supplied 50 volunteers who manned drink stations, athlete safety and other various roles across the event.

“The Port Stephens triathlon festival is only made possible by the hard work of our fantastic volunteers,” said Jody McClaren, the Volunteer manager at Elite Energy.