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Wurf and Gossage win close Ironman

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AUSTRALIA’s Cameron Wurf and Great Britain’s Lucy Gossage were the Ironman Champions in Tenby yesterday (Sept 10).

The town welcomed over 10,000 visitors for the excitement and thrill of one of the world’s toughest races.

Athletes from 45 countries took part in what is one of Pembrokeshire’s biggest sporting events.

The 2017 instalment of this epic test of human edurance featured some of the world’s best professional Ironman athletes competing alongside close to 2200 age group athletes

Wurf, who finished in just over nine hours, was only eighth after the swim but an excellent bike race put him up to the top spot with a time of 5:53:22.

That put him nine minutes ahead of Britain’s Philip Graves, who eventually went on to finish second.

Wurf had a great run but was kept on his toes as Graves, and Germany’s Christian Kramer stuck by the Australian.

After 3.8km of the run, Wurf held a nine minute lead but Graves and Kramer brought that down to just under seven minutes after 18.6km.

Kramer continued to eat away at Wurf’s lead and brought it down to just under three minutes but he was unable to sustain his challenge.

Graves then re-took second place from Kramer but Wurf extended his lead to four minutes with seven kilometres still to go.

Wurf held on and won the event by two and a half minutes with Kramer eventually finishing seven minutes behind Wurf.

Croatia’s Andrej Vistica finished strongly to claim fourth place and GB athlete Matthew Leeman completed the top five.

In the Women’s event, Lucy Gossage, who won Ironman Wales in 2013, again crossed the line in first place with a time of 10:11:20.

She pulled out an excellent lead to finish nearly 24 minutes ahead of second placed Parys Edwards.

Third place went to GB’s Kate Comber who finished with a time of 10:44:02.

Gossage held a 16 minute lead at the start of the run after a great ride on the bike and she maintained her lead for a comfortable win.

Comber had finished the swim in first place while Gossage was down in tenth place but an excellent changeover put her third at the start of the bike ride.

Gossage then led the rest of the race for her third win of the year, having previously won the Ironman UK event in July and the Ironman 70.3 in Staffordshire in June.

Ahead of the event, it was announced that the Ironman event had been secured for another five years.

Tenby has been the starting and finishing point of phenomenally popular annual triathlon since 2011, with the current Race Director, Lisa Dent, calling the location one of ‘the most stunning courses I’ve ever seen’.

Community

Tractor run lights up Pembrokeshire and raises funds for charity

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THE PEMBROKESHIRE ILLUMINATED TRACTOR RUN took place today (Dec 21), raising funds for two vital charities: the Catrin Vaughan Foundation and Wales Air Ambulance.

Starting at Clarbeston Road AFC at 6:00pm, the brightly lit convoy of nearly 200 tractors made its way through Withybush Hospital and Haverfordwest High Street before finishing at the Pembrokeshire County Showground.

The annual event has become a highlight of the festive calendar, drawing large crowds to witness the spectacle of tractors adorned with colourful lights and decorations.

Funds raised from the event will support the Catrin Vaughan Foundation, which provides crucial assistance to families facing hardship, and the Wales Air Ambulance, delivering life-saving emergency medical care across the region.

Organisers praised the dedication of local farmers and volunteers, whose commitment ensures the event’s continued success year after year.

(Image: Nia Marshall/Facebook)

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Business

Ferry Terminal ‘extremely busy’ due to ongoing Holyhead closure

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PEMBROKE DOCK Ferry Terminal has been experiencing significant congestion today as ferry services remain under immense pressure following the closure of Holyhead Port earlier this month.

The disruption, caused by storm damage, has rerouted ferry traffic through Pembrokeshire, leading to long queues and crowded facilities at the terminal.

The Herald can confirm that it has been very busy today with cars, lorries, and foot passengers queuing in large numbers. Staff are working tirelessly to manage the influx, directing vehicles and assisting passengers as they prepare to board the heavily booked ferries.

A spokesperson for the Port of Milford Haven said: “We are working closely with ferry operators and local authorities to ensure traffic flows as smoothly as possible, but the sheer volume of vehicles is causing unavoidable delays.”

Travelers are being urged to arrive early for their sailings and to remain patient as the terminal operates at full capacity.

Both Stena Line and Irish Ferries have increased capacity on their Pembrokeshire routes, deploying larger vessels, including the Stena Adventurer and the MV James Joyce, to handle the surge in demand.

From our position at the terminal, our photographer has captured photos showing long lines of vehicles, groups of foot passengers carrying luggage, and port staff coordinating efforts to ease congestion.

Authorities are advising non-essential travelers to consider rescheduling their journeys where possible and to monitor updates from ferry operators closely.

(Photos: Martin Cavaney/Herald)

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Community

Festive celebrations at St Davids Cathedral this weekend

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ST DAVIDS Cathedral is set to host two special events on Sunday (Dec 22), offering a blend of joyful participation and traditional carol singing to mark the Christmas season.

In the morning, families are invited to the Scratch Nativity at 11:00am. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as wise men, angels, sheep, or shepherds and take part in an unrehearsed retelling of the Christmas story. Canon Leigh described the event as: “Complete, wonderful chaos for an hour… but with some poignant, thought-provoking moments to centre ourselves on the real meaning of Christmas.”

Later in the evening, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols by Candlelight will take place at 7:00pm, featuring the Cathedral Choir. The event, steeped in tradition, will see the cathedral bathed in candlelight as carols and scripture readings fill the historic space.

Doors will open at 5:45pm for those seeking unreserved seating, and a large turnout is expected for this beloved Christmas celebration.

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