M3 - Monifieth Triathlon Club

Five M3 athletes competed at the Aberfeldy MultiSport Festival (including National Champs for Middle Distance Triathlon) last weekend (Sunday 16 August), with great success. Read on for a great race report from Niall Deuchar!

Middle Distance Aquabike
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🥇 - Filippo Binanti was first in Open Senior 2 and 10th overall.

Tri Scotland National Champs Middle Distance Triathlon
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🥉 - Juliette Simpson was 3rd in Female Senior 2
🥉 - Angus Millar was 3rd in Open Senior 3 and 10th overall
🥇 - Robert Harrison was 1st in Open Vet 3 and 6th overall

Niall Deuchar also competed in his first 70.3 and enjoyed this great event - see his report below!

Aberfeldy Middle Distance - Race Report - Niall Deuchar
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"I set myself a personal goal to do a half Ironman before I turned 40, a goal to be honest, I thought would never realistically happen.

However after the M3 festival (fantastic event) where I completed my first standard triathlon. I had such a buzz that I thought, it is now or never. So I signed up for the Aberfeldy Middle Distance a few days after.

I had banked a good amount of training preparing for the standard so thought a few extra weeks of intensive training should be fine.

The day before the race I had to pick up my race pack and set up T2. This was a strange concept and didn’t help with my pre race nerves. However a quick photo of the contents of my bag (Maggie’s idea), I was then able to reassure myself I had everything I needed.

I stayed the night before at my granny’s house in Pitlochry. The drive to the Kenmore on race day was very subdued, it was also very surreal driving in the pitch black during the summer. All I was thinking about was can I actually do this.

As I arrived, the rain started. So I just put my wetsuit on and walked to T1 to set up my bike stuff. Once this was done I did start to relax and remind myself that I am prepared and ready. I kept on repeating in my head I am prepared, I am relaxed, I am strong. This helped with the nerves.

However the sudden realisation of what I was about to do sunk in when I was standing on the shore of Loch Tay. The scenery was spectacular, the loch very still with the mist rolling down the hills. Stunning. It was a shame I couldn’t see a thing as soon as I took my glasses off…..

The swim, which I was dreading, went very well, I would even go to say I actually enjoyed it. The wind was calm and the water a warm 17 degrees. I completed the swim a lot faster than I expected and a PB.

T1 went well, and I was glad to be reunited with my glasses. I was then able to see that the mist had started to disappear and the hills become visible. I loaded up on some hydration precision chews and then set off on my bike.

The bike course was my favourite part (once I got over the first climb out of Kenmore, which went on for ages). Once at the top I was able to relax and pick up the pace. The scenery was exceptional, even though the weather was overcast but crucially, no wind. It felt humbling rolling into Kinloch Rannoch, a place I called home when I was younger. It brought back wonderful memories as child growing up there. These memories stayed with me as continued at a decent pace around the loch. Then came the Schiehallion climb from the other direction. To be honest I thought it was ok, I enjoyed and actually managed to pass people which felt great. Once over the hill, it was then a sprint to T2. It was a welcome surprise and relief to see my wonderful support crew (my family) cheer me on as I came into T2.

T2 went well, although I did need a pit stop. In my haste to leave T2, distracted by my Garmin and high fiving my kids I had a wee stumble, no harm done so off I went on the run.

A simple out and back. The course was spectacular and the weather perfect for running. By this point I was starting to feel tired. I had gone too fast on the bike and my legs were heavy. There were no water cups on the course and we were encouraged to take our own soft flasks. This slowed me down waiting to fill them up, this didn’t help my legs. However as I was on the return leg my nutrition on the bike started to kick in and I was able to pick up the pace and run faster towards the end. The course was also more undulating than I thought which also didn’t help. The finish line was near and I had an overwhelming feeling of excitement and sheer emotion. I am actually going to do this, and I did. I crossed the line in 6 hours and 10mins.

I loved every part of it, the event was well organised, the marshals very friendly and supportive and the course stunning, helped by perfect weather conditions. My only slight frustration was there was no medal, however I do have a t-shirt.

What next…. still have a couple of years to go before I turn 40….. maybe a??? 🤔 surely not…."

Robert Harrison wins his age category in the 2026 Scottish National Middle Distance Triathlon Championships. Yay 🎉🥇.

Here is a great race report from Iona MacDougall - looking back at the Celtic Cup 27 June 2026.

"Three Monikie Triathlon Club (M3) members competed at the Llandudno Triathlon which hosted the inaugural Celtic Cup. The Celtic Cup consisted of age group members competing for their respective countries: Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

The qualifying race for the Scotland athletes was hosted by the M3 team at Monikie back in back in July 2025. The Celtic Cup was originally planned to take place last October 2025 but had to be moved due to a weather warning.

Now in sunny June 2026, the wind was still causing problems for the organisers and unfortunately (or fortunately if you’re like me and can’t swim), the swim was reduced from 1500m to 750m.

It did however make the cycle a little challenging with a four loop lap round a very steep hill into the wind !

The run was four laps of the promenade, which was mundane and did make it feel like the run was never going to end. However it did mean you got to run past the supporters four times which made it more bearable.

Mark and David did the M3 colours and Scotland kit proud both with fantastic performances, as shown below!

Mark McIntosh - 1st Open 50-54 in a time of 2:16:45
David Stewart - 2nd Open 60-64 in a time of 2:24:27
Iona MacDougall - 2nd Female 20-24 in a time of 2:30:19

Well done to both Mark and David and thanks again to all that helped the three of us qualify by helping and volunteering at the M3 triathlon event

On Saturday 25 July 2026, three M3 athletes competed at The Beastie Triathlon Festival in Loch Lomond and all got on the podium!
Here is Dave's report:
Saturday morning, 5am so it must be time to fall out of bed and drive to Balloch on Loch Lomond for The Beastie. This is in fact 3 events: - a sprint distance Cross Triathlon, and Novice Cross Tri, and an sprint distance Aquathlon. Ursula was keen to do the Aquathlon as it was the Scottish Championship this year, and I went along for the ride...quite literally, as I prefer the Tri for its greater mud and potential injury content. The Tri went off first so we had to be there in good time - only to discover at registration that as a lovely bonus Lucy Roberts was also in for the Aquathlon. Go M3!
The swim is on the south side of the loch and is a simple loop through shallow water, which was a toasty 18 degrees this year. There was a bit of chop which got worse as the morning progressed so Lucy and Ursula had a bit more of a bouncy swim than me, though we all enjoyed a bit of a washing machine in the 2 mass starts. Nothing too bad though.
The bike is 3 laps and just short of 20k. The total climb mounts up over the laps but the course itself is nothing too technical, all ridable for novices, but the fun factor can be increased if you're riding at speed for position in the race. Which I was! Not much mud this year sadly, but plenty nice wet slippy grass and gravel to make the multiple turns a bit more entertaining.
The run was the same for the three of us, and is definitely more trail than hill - (most is actually tarmac) over a scenic one and a half lap course, so nothing to worry about except your pacing and and the odd bemused civilian.
Race done it was great to catch up with a few Cross Tri chums from across the years, including a few fellow Celtic Cup Warriors.
Come podium time, good news all round for the three of us with very nice AG Silvers for Ursula and Lucy in the race and Championship and a wee 1st spot plaque for yours truly.
It's a well organised event and certainly one to consider if you fancy something a little different or a change of scene

A squad of about twelve M3 athletes competed in the Forfar Sprint Triathlon on Sunday 26 July 2026.
The weather was a little unkind to the Novice Race and some of the Sprint Race competitors got a bit wet too, but it looks like good fun was had, and congratulations to those doing it for the first time!
A few photos attached - awaiting the official ones.

Results here (filtered for Monifieth)
https://thistletiming.bbtiming.com/event/2693/results?round=8992&search=monifieth

Noted results:
- Cat Brown - 2nd Senior Female - 🥈
- Patricia Maxwell - 1st F Vintage - 🥇
- Audrey Warden - 2nd F Vintage - 🥈
- Moira Kennedy - 3rd F Vintage - 🥉

An M3 podium sweep for F Vintage!

Congratulations to M3 superstar Robert Harrison who is now European Champion in his Age Group - Open 50-54 - winning in his category in the 2026 Europe Triathlon Middle Distance Championships at Banyoles, Spain, on Sunday 19 July 2026.

🎉🤩🥇

https://events.triathlon.org/2026-europe-triathlon-middle-distance-championships-banyoles/results?program=678218

M3 athletes competed at the European Sprint Duathlon Championships in Banyoles, Spain on 11th July 2026.

Iona MacDougal put in a strong performance to take 6th in the 20-24 age group (and was the 3rd GBR athlete).

Dougal Adamson was 10th in the 60-64 category.

Dougal reports that it was great fun in a draft-legal event, and the weather was impressively hot.

Congratulations to both athletes on competing at European level, especially in the hot conditions! 😎

Scottish and British Triathlon Aquabike 2026 Champions!