GUNNEDAH triathlete Peter Loveridge continued his build up for a state championship tilt winning the "triple treat" sixth round of the Tamworth Vision Centre Triathlon Series yesterday.

The race was run over nine legs with competitors completing a 300m swim/10km bike/2km run course three times. Loveridge clocked 90.56mins for the race, while Armidale's Kath Kelly took out the women's race with a time of 109.51mins.

Kelly enjoyed an early tussle with Mia Cottrell-Dormer but pulled away on her second time around the course.

"I found my rhythm by the second leg," Kelly said.

"It wasn't until the second bike leg that I got a bit of distance and held my lead."

"I've been doing a fair bit of cycling and that helped my race."

Fresh from a second placing in his age group at the annual Trial Bay triathlon last weekend, Loveridge finished the race over nine minutes clear of the field.

"I always look forward to this race, it's just fun doing it three times," he said.

"It's a good format and if anything as a side benefit it's a good training

session."

James Cleal and Loveridge had an early battle, but Loveridge outgunned his younger opponent.

"James and I got together on the first swim and bike," Loveridge said.

"I didn't expect to get away from him before the first run. He's been going really well on the bike and I was happy to be able to ride with him."

Cleal then fended off the challenge of Graham Gardner to finish in second in 99.55mins with Gardner third in 100.24mins. Cottrell-Dormer (112.40mins) finished almost three minutes behind Kelly in the women's with Jodi Heeney third (120.37mins).

In the short race Tim Nicholls crossed first in 30.25mins to take out the men's race from Mitch Draper (31.18mins) and Malcolm Ellicott (33.50mins), while Judith Greenland was successful in the women's with 34.17mins. Lizzie Nicholls (34.21mins) came home second with Tammy Sheridan (36.41mins) third.

Adrian Byrnes won the boys' junior race clocking 16.53mins, while Alex Nicholls (23.11mins) won the girls'. James Ford (17.08mins) was second in the boys and Michael McEvoy (17.17mins) third, with Rayne Choice (31.54mins) second in the girls.