Helen Scholes has successfully secured her place at the 2026 Age Group World Championships after taking on the challenging Woodhorn Museum Sprint Triathlon World Champs Qualifier.
After a blustery bike recce and a soggy night of rain, Helen woke to calmer skies last Sunday (7th July) and only mildly rebellious weather.
The 750m lake swim began with a deep water mass start and an unexpected bonus as the lake was teeming with weed. Helen held a solid line, dodged stray limbs, and emerged from the green water for a steep uphill dash to transition.
Transition one was smooth despite a sunglasses hiccup before she tackled the 24km scenic, non-drafting bike course. With speedy coastal sections and no traffic lights, Helen made the most of the route and nailed the dismount before heading into T2 over grass still soaked from the previous storm.
The final 6.4km run involved two rolling laps around the lake and museum with no water stations, but Helen kept her pace strong and crossed the line smiling – and parched.
Grouped in the 50-59 age category, she achieved 4th place, only 28 seconds behind 3rd, putting the podium within reach for next time.
That finish means automatic qualification for the 2026 Age Group World Championships in Pontevedra.
