ROSS Collins was an outstanding winner of the inaugural Top of the Mourne Triathlon.
The 22-year-old blitzed the savage course that entailed a 1500 metre swim in Carlingford Lough, then a gruelling 40-kilometres bike ride that climbed relentlessly to the high mountain peak of Spelga Dam and finished with another mountainous 10-kilometre run though Kilbroney Forest.
And the speedy Collins, who clocked a sizzling 2.19.47, and who posted the fastest bike time of 1.15.10, becomes the first Newry triathlon member to win a triathlon event since the glory years of the club back in the late 80s and early 90s.
Furthermore the Newry club had the third placed finisher in Liam Hutchinson who did a fast 2.32.01. It was a great boost for the excellent Hutchinson, who clocked the third fastest bike split of 1.18.00, as he is participating the German half Ironman race in less than three weeks.
Pirana's Rory O'Sullivan was second in 2.24.25.
The top of the Mourne event was a huge success for the Newry Triathlon Club, especially race director Peter Quinn and his committee of Sean and Ann Marie Featherstone, Paul McCann, Ciaran Hughes and David O'Prey.
The group worked like Trojans over the past month to ensure a clockwork-like event. Most club members who weren't involved in the organising of the race, participated and, apart from Collins and Hutchinson, there were many other superb performances.
The German-bound trio of Paddy Duffy, Mark McGivern and Kenny Bagnall all were in the top dozen with respective times of 2.35.24, 2.41.20 and 2.41.32.
Although perhaps the best performance of all came from novice triathlete Luke McMullan who was a stunning ninth with a time of 2.38.26.
In the female sector Olympian's Trudy Brown was a convincing winner in 2.36.15 but Colleen Mallon, who had the fastest swim split of the day with a scorching 19.18, was the first local girl over the line, and that despite taking a tumble coming off Spelga.
Colleen clocked a nippy 2.54.08 with the impressive Donna Cooke close behind in 2.56.15. Red hot cyclist Sonya Rea was third in 56.51.
Other Newry Tri Club ladies who did well were: Ann Marie Featherstone (2.58.32), Deirdre Loughran (3.10.43), Olive McKeever (3.26.55) and Roisin McLoran (3.31.12).
Local results in the men's race, apart from the above mentioned, were: Adrian McGreevy (2.44.13), Stephen Morgan (2.44.28), Mick Dunford (2.46.15), Shane McKeown (2.49.11), Derek Mathers (2.52.57), Kevin Hughes (2.53.56), Gareth Murdock (2.54.34), Louis Murtagh (2.54.34), Shane King (2.55.29), Eddie O'Hagan (2.55.44), Kevin Fitzpatrick (2.56.44), Brendan O'Hagan (2.56.49), Damien Hillen (2.56.58), Paul McGivern (2.57.23), Ronan Kimbley (2.57.30), Paul O'Neill (2.58.10), Warren Cartmill (2.59.16), Sean Hughes (3.00.49), Anthony Treanor (3.03.31), Tony Bagnall (3.04.16), Gerry Patton (3.09.31), Myles McCourt (3.12.22), Mickey Mallon (3.12.33), Gerry Heaney (3.14.28), Paul Carragher (3.18.11) and Turlough Murphy (3.43.09).