Birkirkara SJ’s Keith Galea wins first 2024 Go&Fun Triathlon Series race

The inaugural race of the Birkirkara St Joseph Sports Club Go&Fun Triathlon Series kicked off on Sunday in Salina, welcoming a mix of seasoned veterans and first-time participants who raced in Sprint and Olympic Distances.

As the first chapter of the four-part series unfolded in Malta’s triathlon hub, the race provided some surprises as newcomers took their places on the coveted podiums.

In the Olympic Distance triathlon (1,500m swim, 40km bike, 10km run), BSJ’s Keith Galea took the lead in the 1500m swim to set the pace for the podium contenders.

Roberto Briffa’s appearance on the podium did not come as a total surprise, since in last year’s series he registered strong bike splits.

Nonetheless, his second place showed that he is a force to be reckoned with, having overtaken strong and more experienced triathletes such as Josef Bonavia, who finished in third place, Steve Ritchie and Josef Azzopardi who all have regularly featured on previous podiums.

The females’ race was won by Deborah Schembri who made her debut on the scene, whilst Justine Scicluna took second place.

Kai Azzopardi was the clear winner of the Sprint distance (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) finishing well ahead of second-placed Ryan Muscat, who nonetheless registered improved timings from last year. In third place was Ian Camilleri.

The females’ category saw Maya Schembri Rodgers exit the water first, with Danica Bonello Spiteri and Keira Attard exiting the 750m swim with a one-second gap between them.

While Bonello Spiteri registered the fastest bike split in this category, Schembri Rodgers’ performance saw her take the win.

Birkirkara St Joseph thanked Naxxar Local Council, Transport Malta, District Police and Go&Fun for the support and assistance in hosting the race.

The next race in the BSJ Go&Fun Triathlon Series will take place on Sunday, April 7 in Salina.

OLYMPIC DISTANCE
Male: 1. Keith Galea 2:06:39; 2. Roberto Briffa 2:09:39; 3. Josef Bonavia 2:11:02.
Female: 1. Deborah Schembri 2:37:46; 2. Justine Scicluna 3:05:31.

SPRINT DISTANCE
Male: 1. Kai Azzopardi 1:00:52; 2. Ryan Muscat 1:05:06; 3. Ian Camilleri 1:11:46.
Female: 1. Maya Schembri Rodgers 1:10:49; 2. Danica Bonello Spiteri 1:11:36; 3. Keira Attard 1:18:38.