Ben Allen (AUS) and Renata Bucher (SUI) highlight Australian TreX Nationals, with Allen and compatriot Penny Hosken (VIC) now set to wear Aussie ‘Green and Gold’ at the upcoming ITU Cross Triathlon World Championships in the Snowy Mountain.

With the highly sought after Australian ‘Green and Gold’ stripes on the line at the Australian TreX National Championships at Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa in the Snowy Mountains on Saturday, New South Wales native Ben Allen (AUS) did what he does best – win. The 17-time Xterra champion and 2015 TreX Victorian winner soundly defeated a solid elite men’s field while fellow international superstar Renata Bucher (SUI) edged Jacqui Slack (GBR) to claim line honours over a stellar elite women’s field. 

Renata Bucher 

The 30-year-old Allen took the win in convincing fashion, finishing the 1.5km swim, 30km mountain bike and 10km trail run in a time of 2 hours 28 minutes, more than 10 minutes over Victorian silver medalist Brodie Gardner (QLD) and Robert Skillman (NSW) in second (2:38:56) and third (2:41:10) respectively.

“Very proud and honoured to win the national cross triathlon championship today,” explained Allen. “The course is amazing and so many people were cheering me on today, it gave me goose bumps.

“A national title is no joke and I’ll be wearing the green and gold proudly racing around Europe, USA and especially in November at the world champs on home soil.”

Ben Allen showing his style

Bucher, who claimed second overall in the three-day, five-stage Snowies Mountain Bike Festival just two weeks prior, took the win in superior fashion (2:50:11) over Slack (2:52:27) and Victorian Catherine Sterling (2:53:51). Penny Hosken (VIC) finished fourth (2:54:09) and takes home the national title as the highest placed Australian female in the elite category.

“It was a great day, loved the bike course the most,” said Bucher. “The run was very hard, but it was perfect weather condition and theIn2adventure crew did an amazing job. 

“I can’t wait until the world championships here in November.”

Following the opening day victory, Allen backed up with a sprint course (400m swim / 15km mountain bike / 10km trail run) win on Sunday, with Janet Martin taking the win for the elite women.

Allen also claimed the NSW Dirt Master title, which combines times from the long course tri, sprint tri and 15km trail run, which was won by Chris Darlington (1:01:42) in the 18-to 39-year-old men’s division and Elizabeth Dornom (1:11:39) for the women.

Kim Beckinsale, from Tri Adventure in Queensland, who finished second in both the sprint (1:42:31) and the trail run (1:12:36), claimed the NSW Dirt Mistress title for 2016.

Aside from the elites and age groupers, the race also served as the only Australian qualification race for the 2016 ITU Cross Triathlon World Championships (18-20 November) for the under-23s, under-19s and paratriathletes, with Dean Cane and Laura May taking out the U19 titles.

The world championships will be held for the first time in the Southern Hemisphere and will utilise the same swim, bike and run course in and around Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa as the Australian championships.

Australian National Championship Titles (1500-30-10)

Elite Men:

1. Ben Allen, NSW, 02:28:05         

2. Brodie Gardner, QLD, 02:38:56         

3. Robert Skillman, NSW, 02:41:10

Elite Women:

1. Penny Hosken, VIC, 02:54:09         

2. Jessica Simpson NSW, 03:01:11         

3. Belinda Hadden, VIC, 03:09:45         

 Australian TreX National Championships results (Top 3)  (1500-30-10)     

Elite Men:

1. Ben Allen, NSW, 02:28:05         

2. Brodie Gardner, QLD, 02:38:56         

3. Robert Skillman, NSW, 02:41:10

Elite Women:

1. Renata Bucher, SUI, 02:50:11         

2. Jacqui Slack, GBR, 02:52:27         

3. Catherine Sterling, VIC, 02:53:51         

Sprint (400-15-5)

Men:

1. Ben Allen, 1:27:14 

2. Dean Cane, 1:28:07

3. Alec Davison, 1:30:40

Women:

1. Janet Martin, 1:41:16

2. Kim Beckinsale, 1:42:31

3. Elizabeth Dornom, 1:42:33

Junior Elite 15-19yrs - World Championship Qualifier (400-15-5)

Men:

1. Dean Cane, 1:28:07

2. Declan Jeffery, 1:30:47

3. Jayden Deane, 1:34:52 

Women:

1. Laura May, 1:45:47

2. Georgia Silvestri, 2:01:16

3. Olivia Nendick, 2:06:20

Full results here.