As the rain eventually subsided, 14 teams prepared to take on the challenge of completing the inaugural Salt Ayre Sports Centre triathlon course.

In their teams of three, the juniors were the first teams to set off, with Ashley Wright from Team Victor Ludorum taking an early lead in the 200m swimming phase.

The trailing teams worked hard on the cycle phase to claw the gap back, however bad luck struck the Rebels team as Rebecca Benson's bike chain left the cogs and time was lost replacing it.

A bitter blow.

With another high-quality cycle phase by Malik Devlin around the 4500m course, the gap between first and second grew as Dan Colebourne commenced a strong 2k running phase.

Crossing the line in 20minutes and16 secs.

Victor Ludorum claimed their Junior team victory from The Blond Bombers in second (23.08), who took the top women's team prize, with Rabble third (24.02) and the unfortunate Rebels in fourth (26.05).

In the Senior section both male teams and mixed teams competed in what was a tight battle for honours.

Kieran Rowlands, Rob Talbot and Jo-Anne Stevenson from The Three Geezers, The Salt Ayre Sado's and Two's Company respectively, posted good 400m swimming times, with the battle continuing in the 7500m cycle phase and the 4k running phase.

As the times were calculated the 33minute and 21second time from the Three Geezers, Kieran Rowlands, Mannix Devlin and Ian Rawlinson was enough to lift the overall title as well as the Best Male Team title.

In a creditable time of 34.57, the home team of the Salt Ayre Sado's (Brad Rice, Russell Openshaw and Eli Dulwich) finished second overall, while the Mixed Senior title winners of Two's Company (Jo-Ann Stevenson, Paul Lewney and Paul Whitehouse) finished in third overall with a time of 36.15.

So as the first Lancaster City Council Team Triathlon event drew to a close and the rains returned, thoughts drifted towards next year's event and the challenges ahead for both the competitors and the organising team, to build on the successes of 2002, and to make sure that 2003 becomes something special.