The Starman Night Triathlon took place for the second time at the weekend with double the amount of competitors than its 2017 debut.
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Set against the backdrop of the Cairngorms in the Scottish Highlands, the middle-distance Starman (sharing a name with one of Jeff Bridge’s greatest films/Bowie’s best songs) saw competitors kick off the unique 113km challenge (see also the iron-distance Midnight Man in Kent) by slipping into the black waters of Loch Morlich for a 1.9km swim in the dark of midnight. This was followed by a 90km cycle along the silent Speyside roads before taking on the summits of Cairn Gorm and Meall a Bhuachaille as the dawn rose.
People from as far afield as Caerphilly in Wales and Peterhead in Aberdeenshire took part, with the overall winner Chris Watson, 32, from Crieff, finishing in 6:20:55. The first female competitor to cross the line was Claire Campbell, 42 from Fife in 7:50:57. Relay team winners – Andrew Jones, Mark Madigan and Ryan McLennan from the Moray Firth Triathlon Club – crossed the line first in just 6:02:28.
The event is managed by True Grit Events, who set up the Starman Night Triathlon in 2017 to offer something different for triathletes and outdoor adventure addicts.
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