V/Line was proud to sponsor Ballarat’s first triathlon in more than a decade as the sport returned to Lake Wendouree on the weekend of 26 and 27 November 2011.
Known as the V/Line Ballarat Triathlon Multisport Festival, the event was managed by Triathlon Victoria and was made up of five separate races - two running events and three triathlons to cater for beginner athletes through to the elite.
Event reportBallarat – wet one day, beautiful the next. Such was the weekend of the inaugural V/Line Ballarat Triathlon on 26-27 November.
Competitors in the dash and sprint triathlons held on the Saturday afternoon could have been excused for thinking the races were one big swim leg with torrential rain blanketing the course all day.
Nevertheless, the Lake Wendouree precinct looked fantastic, with triathlon making its return after a decade of drought. The lake itself welcomed swimmers with excellent water quality, tested as better than Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay. While the rain made for muddy conditions on parts of the run, it did help to settle the lake, making it almost pool-like in its stillness.
With the dash (300/6.7/2) and sprint (750/20/5) races held early Saturday afternoon, the V/Line ‘Escape’ marquee proved to be just that with spectators cramming in for the trophy presentations to avoid the rain.
Saturday was capped off with a 6km and 12 km fun run around the lake’s foreshore on the famous Steve Moneghetti track. The run was organised by Ballarat Health Services as a fundraiser for the local cancer centre.
Sunday could not have been more opposite to Saturday’s conditions. Beautiful sunshine broke through the early morning clouds to give spectators and competitors perfect conditions for the staging of the Olympic (1.5/40/10) distance race which kicked off at 9am.
The course proved a winner for competitors with next to no wind, another day of still water on the lake, and a flat cycle and run. Likewise, spectators were treated to a rare course which provided numerous chances to see their friends or family member compete, with the crowd able to stand along three sides of the swim course, watch competitors complete six cycle laps of the lake past them, and two 5km run loops nearby.
The Olympic rings (from the 1956 rowing) provided the perfect backdrop to the finish arch and medal presentations at the end.
The City of Ballarat, Triathlon Victoria and Ballarat Regional Tourism have committed to making the event an annual fixture on the triathlon calendar. With one of just a few Olympic distance events in Victoria, and races for all abilities, the Ballarat triathlon is expected to grow rapidly over the next couple of years.
So, get training for the next V/Line Ballarat Triathlon Multisport Festival in November 2012.
2011 Event photosCheck out the photo library on V/Line's Facebook site.
Getting there in 2012
By train
V/Line now offers a frequent weekend train service direct to Wendouree Station on the Ballarat line (departing Southern Cross Station in Melbourne and picking up at Footscray and Sunshine stations). Wendouree is the stop after Ballarat Station and is about 400 metres from the Lake Wendouree foreshore and botanical gardens. The race village and transition area is located at the end of the rowing course (Olympic rings), about 1km anti-clockwise around the lake.
The train service is perfect for event spectators and runners, however please note that our modern VLocity trains have very limited bike space with room for only a few bikes per service (not recommended for competing triathletes sorry).
Ballarat / Wendouree train timetable (pdf, 345KB).
By car
If you’re driving to get your bike to the event, from Melbourne take the Western Highway toward Ballarat. When you get to the outskirts of the city, take the ring road bypass. Exit at the Wendouree off-ramp into Gillies Street / Road. Turn left and follow for several minutes, cross the railway line and turn left into Carlton Street. The race village and transition area is located 100 metres anti-clockwise around the lake from the end of Carlton Street.
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