Southend based Team Viper Club produced some outstanding performances when the annual national relays festival took place at its spiritual home at the national rowing centre, Holme Pierrpont, near Nottingham.

With the mild waters of the rowing lake to swim in and a traffic free five kilometre circuit to bike and run on, the venue forms an ideal setting for what has become the premier triathlon team event of the year.

The race format is four members to a team, each swimming 500m, cycling 15 kms and running five kms. There are various categories.

From Team Viper's inception in February 2000 they have never failed to win a medal at the nationals. But this year several challenges lay in their path.

No less than three team members ended up running with foot injuries, two suffered bike punctures and one more had a torn swimsuit just before the start.

But the saying that champions perform when things are going badly proved true with team managers and support crew working feverishly to locate spare bike wheels and swim costumes and attend to painful injuries.

The athletes performed like champs and triumphantly secured two national titles - in junior male and mixed categories.

The junior male team won by over six minutes in a race lasting little over three-and-a-half hours.

Led off by Basildon's Billy Hockley, the Shoebury duo of David Crichton and Chris Lee carried on the good work with Chris Spashett (Ipswich) for victory.

In the mixed event. Hadleigh's Craig Wheeler, taking weekend leave from his new army career, was first off followed by Shoebury's Kristina Marshall.

Upminster's Charlotte Watkins carried on the good work despite a painful toe injury and Ben Spashett (Ipswich) confirmed the win.

Published Thursday August 12, 2004

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