19th July 2025

Cleveland Steelman Race Report

About the event

The race is a middle distance or half iron triathlon – it can’t strictly be called ‘Half Ironman’ due to copyright issues (those who know about it, will get it). It is put on by Cleveland Triathlon Club and was the 20th running of the event,

The event is based in Ellerton Water Park, near the village of Scorton in North Yorkshire. The swim is 1.2 miles in length in the lake, the bike is or should be 58 miles and the run is 13.1 miles.

Training

It was my first ‘big’ event of any discipline since I did a Day in the Lakes back in June 2021. My training I felt went well, I had done the race distance in the pool and running (RSR and Monsal Trail Half) but only got upto about 40ish miles on the bike – albeit a lot hillier than the actual race route – could I have done more? Yes, I am happy with the amount I did? Probably yes.

The swim

The swim was 2 laps of a triangular course and you had to keep the big orange buoys on your right hand side to do the route.

Wetsuit on, swim cap on, goggles on and into the water. I have to be honest, swimming is my weakest discipline out of the three and I do know it shows when I am training. I am not a natural swimmer and fairly average.

I started near the back of the field in the swim to avoid all of the collisions and the ‘washing machine effect’. For those of you who read my report for the Rother Valley Triathlon, thank you and you will have noticed I struggled to get my head under at first and took time to settle into the swim. This time, it was easier and I got into my rhythm quicker and managed to grind out the swim. I did the swim in about 54 minutes, which was a bit slower than I wanted but it is always a case of grinding it out rather than enjoying it but I did it!

The bike

First thing to note with the bike, we were warned that the Ferryhill Wheeler cycle club had chosen the exact same day to do a TT using a similar route and were warned about the signs in Scorton village at briefing and told to follow the triathlon sign – which they specifically put up for that part – this becomes important!

The bike was a 2 lapper, I love cycling, I love cycling more than I love running and it is my favourite discipline in triathlon – it’s also the reason why I haven’t been run racing as often over the last few years. I have dipped my toes into cycle sportives both on road and gravel and I have done a few time trials and joined ‘Myhill Cycling’ club with the aim to do some hill climbs as well.

The bike was wet, very wet in parts but very rideable, the route uses well maintained roads, well sign posted and a bit undulating but nothing steep or anything like we have in the Peaks. After the first lap, I was on for my target time of 3 hours and 20 minutes, if not quicker. However, by the time I was on the second lap, Ferryhill Wheelers had fully set up their event, including some extra road signs which were the same generic bright yellow as the ones used to mark out the triathlon course. This is where it went wrong! I accidentally followed the wrong marker off the main route, by the time I realised, it was too late – I was back on the main route and I had cut 14 miles off of the bike course but I wasn’t the only one. It took me

Better people than me chose to make up the 14 miles, by the time I was back to HQ the heavens opened once more and became torrential – back into transition I went! I spoke to the event organiser who told me I could go onto the run still and so I did.

It took me 2 hours and 20 minutes to get to the distance I did – I reckon I would have got my target time!

The run

The run was flat and a mix of footpaths – tarmac, hardcore and dirt paths and runnable but with some massive puddles. Conditions – think about Clowne Half last year or the time it chucked it down during Worksop Half and we had to swim through some puddles.

The pressure was off on the run as I knew I wouldn’t get an overall time, so I just set off to complete it and enjoy it (as much as I could). I also hadn’t tried my new watch out swimming before doing the event and it was still stuck in swim mode and I had no idea what pace, time or distance I had done apart from the water stations etc.

The run went well, I managed to run most of the time, whilst stopping to walk through the feed stations on the first lap and about 5 times on the second lap including the feed stations.

The result

I finished the event in 5 hours and 50 minutes(ish), that was my completed time on the results but I didn’t get any splits for the ride or run or transitions as I have been put down as a DNF. Although working the times out, I reckon I did the run in about 2 hours and 20 minutes – I probably could have done it faster but the pressure was off and I wanted to enjoy it and finished smiling.

If the bike had gone to plan, I might have got my target time of 6 hours and 30 minutes but then again I might have pushed it a bit too much on the bike and blown up on the run.

One thing is for sure though – I am doing it again next year and will make sure I do the correct distance this time.

Next up though is another triathlon in August – Big Lime in Hartlepool – flat, 1 mile swim, 40k bike and 10k run, then a shorter one in Matlock August Bank Holiday Monday just for fun.

I love triathlons!

Strider results

No official time, see report for why

Full results

https://www.britishtriathlon.org/events/results/cleveland-steelman-middle-distance-triathlon_16054