Tim Don made it back-to-back victories in the 2011 GE Blenheim Triathlon with a superb success yesterday.

The British athlete, who broke the course record on his way to victory in the Woodstock event last year, proved too strong for his rivals to post a convincing victory.

Don exited the water in fifth position at the end of the 750m swim, but quickly moved through the field to lead through the majority of the 20km bike.

From that point, Don never looked back, completing the 5.4km run to finish in 59mins 30secs.

Fellow Brits Tom Bishop and Todd Leckie finished second and third in times of 1.00.04 and 1.00.10 respectively.

More than 5,500 amateur competitors took part over the weekend, with around 15,000 spectators cheering them on.

In the women’s elite race, young British junior Lucy Hall looked on course to upset her seniors, coming out of the water first with a phenomenal time of 9.23.

However, she was gradually pegged back and overtaken by South African Olympic hopeful Gillian Sanders and fellow Brit Jacqueline Slack, who went on to fill the first two positions.

Hall managed to hold off the chasing competition to finish in third overall and first junior in a time of 1.09.41 – taking home two medals from the day (bronze in the elite, and gold in the junior class).

Gordon Benson took the junior elite title in the men’s race in a time of 1.01.49.

Formula 1 driver Jenson Button came home in 1.09.50, Iwan Thomas clocked 1.30.00, with Button’s girlfriend, Jessica Michibata, coming home in 1.47.01.

Elite Race Results Male elite: 1 T Don 59.30, 2 T Bishop 1.00.04, 3 T Leckie 1.00.10.

Female elite: 1 G Sanders 1.08.12, 2 J Slack 1.09.20, 3 L Hall 1.09.28.

Male junior elite: 1 G Benson 1.01.49, 2 C Milne 1.01.55, 3 G Sheldon 1.02.20.

Female junior elite: 1 L Hall 1.09.28, 2 M Winzer 1.09.41, 3 G Taylor-Brown 1.12.17.