Gill’s achievement was especially noteworthy, coming against many much younger athletes, but perhaps it was not such a surprise from a multiple duathlon and triathlon age-group world champion who was named the 2013 BTF Age Group Triathlete of the Year. The only disappointment was that there is no official award for the overall age-group race winners.

Gill Fullen commented: “It was great to come in as the first lady but it was a bit disappointing not to get official recognition for it. But it was good to be out there with the team and lots of people from my club.”

British success came across the age groups and included notable performances from athletes defending titles they won in 2013. In the sprint race Alan Murchison (40-44) and Jacqui Phillips (45-49) repeated their 2013 gold medals, while in the long-distance race Wendy Gooding (50-54) and Elspeth Knott (60-64) both defended their titles. Fran Bungay (40-44) was impressed with silver in the longer event having won sprint gold last year.

Wendy Gooding said: “It’s a great town and there was the usual fantastic support for the Brits. I was delighted to finish about four and a half minutes faster than last year and to win my age group again.”

Alan Murchison commented: “It was a good race and I was very happy with it. It was good to see so many British athletes out there. It made for a really good atmosphere with it all centred around the town centre in Horst.”

Joan Lennon, Great Britain Age-Group Team Manager for the event, said: “Phil Holland and Gill Fullen in particular were phenomenal, they both deserve almost to race at an elite level. For Gill, racing in the 50-54 age group, to post the fastest time of all the age group women in the sprint race was just extraordinary. It’s a pity they don’t do an overall 1-2-3 across the age groups as she wasn’t lauded as the overall winner, which would have been nice.

“In the sprint race the Great Britain Age-Group Team was enormous compared to the others but the long-distance race was much more balanced in terms of nationalities but we still did exceptionally well.

“It was a fantastic weekend and so many of the team are overjoyed with how they performed. They fell in love with Horst as it’s a lovely venue. The whole town embraces the race, the kids go out on their bikes and people watch from the cafes. it’s a great place for new age groupers to cut their teeth on international racing and the support for GB was phenomenal.”

The Great Britain Elite Team took a small squad to Horst of which Gillian Palmer was the most successful, coming sixth in the women’s sprint. In the elite men’s long-distance race two Elite Multisport Squad athletes competed, Matt Moorehouse finished ninth and Joe Skipper 14th, while Vicky Gill was 11th in the women’s race.

Joe Skipper said: “The first leg of the run went really well but I found the bike leg hard after such a tough run leg but the second run went well. It was great seeing everyone race and being with such a big group of people in the Great Britain Elite and Age-Group Teams.”

Great Britain Age-Group Team Medalists

ETU POWERMAN EUROPEAN LONG DISTANCE DUATHLON CHAMPIONSHIPS

Gold (4)

F25-29 Samme Brough

M35-39 Phil Holland

F50-54 Wendy Gooding

F60-64Elspeth Knott

Silver (6)

F25-29Charlotte Jenkinson

F30-34Natalie Shaw

F35-39 Lucie Custance

M25-29 Laurence Plant

M45-49 Carl Ferri

F40-44Fran Bungay

Bronze (1)

F35-39Nicki Aitken

ETU POWERMAN EUROPEAN SPRINT DUATHLON CHAMPIONSHIP

Gold (13)

FU20 Diana Chalmers

MU20 Finn Barnes

F20-24Jenifer Douglas

M25-29 Matt Hallan

M30-34 Peter Ellis

F40-44 Beth Scholes

M40-44 Alan Murchison

F45-49 Jacqui Phillips

F50-54 Gill Fullen

F60-64 Sharon Bardsley

F70-74 Christine Ravetz

F65-59 Helen Hayes

M60-64 Nigel Gates

Silver (16)

FU20 Tasmin Boam

MU20 Tom Stead

F20-24 Catriona Buchanan

M20-24 Anthony Meager

F25-29 Sam Anderson

F30-34 Mathilde Pauls

F35-39 Donna McHigh

M35-39 Scott O’Neill-Gwilliams

F40-44 Ruth Marsden

M40-44 Mark Flannery

F45-49 Kate Morris

M45-49 Craig Dyce

F55-59 Shelley Parkinson

M55-59 Peter Hollins

F60-64 Margaret Jagan

M70-74 Vernon Thomas

Bronze (13)

F20-24 Mary Bird

M20-24 Lewis Ecclestone

F25-29 Suzy Robinson

M25-29 Lee Cook

M30-34 James Stewart

F35-39 Bridget King

M35-39 Paul Hart

F40-44 Steph Scott

M40-44 David Mole

F50-54 Caroline Parkins

M50-54 Robert Elstone

F55-59 Rosemary Todhunter

M65-69 Raymond O’Grady