Club History

The History of Cronulla Triathlon Club is extensive. We are continually updating this section with new information. Any correspondence related to history can be emailed to stan1@ozemail.com.au for upload after verification.

The following notes discuss the lead up to, formation of and the outstanding achievements the Cronulla Triathlon Club has reached during its three decade reign as the oldest and most successful triathlon club in Australia. The triathlon club is home to the four only Australians who have achieved the impossible, in winning the Hawaiian Ironman World Championship. They are Greg Welch OAM, Michelle Jones, Chris McCormack and Craig Alexander. The club also proudly owns the title of having the most number of Australian World, National and Local Elite and Age Group Champions as members and some of these people are located in the life member section of this website. These results are taken from historical information and media releases and encompass the results of members in Local, National and International multisport events. All persons named in this information were Cronulla Triathlon Club members at that time.

October 4, 1981 - Triathlon is born in Australia. A "tri-marathon" was staged at Wanda Beach to Waterfall with 64 competitors. Mark Pringle was 9th, Dick Quinn was 24th, Billy Stafford was 25th and Billy Collis was 29th. Mark and Dick are still competing and club members, the late Billy Stafford is a world age group champion and a life member, and Billy Collis is the founding member of 'Billy's Bushies' running club. Rick Pallister was leading the race and took out the prestigous award of being the first to lead a race and crash out. A future Olympic cyclist makes his mark at 16 years and finishes 2nd, his name is Clayton Stevenson. Rick Parkes wins the race. Greg WelchAOM is at this stage of his life far away from triathlon and is an Australian Champion Squash Player! Another point of interest is that Stuart Taylor is hit by a car at Miranda and is crowned the first triathlete to be hit by a car during a race in Australia.

1983 - The Royal National Park Triathlon organised by the Bushies commences. Michael Maroney won in 1987 and 1994, Michellie Jones won in 1990. The famous Southwell brothers, Paul, John, Tony, Chris and Steven all race starting the most famous triathlon family dynasty in world. Father Bob and Mother Eileen would also become triathlon legends. A point of interest in the history of this race was in 1989 when Michael Maroney rode the 42 klm course faster than a four man time trial team entered by the Australian Institute of Sport. Michael would go on to become by far, the most dominate cyclist in the sport of triathlon in Australia with a PB lap of the National Park course of 59 mins. He is one of Cronulla Triathlon clubs most outstanding, much loved and proudest members.

12 September 1984 - Tri NSW first AGM was held and Neil Robinson becomes the first committee member.

October 6th 1984 - Warren Buchan (former club and foundation member) and Chris Wooldridge (current club member) both compete in the Hawaiian Ironman and finish 26th and 42nd respectively. Also competing were Ross Pyett, John Wilken and Paul Bannister.

1985 - The name, Cronulla Triathlon Club was officially registered and John Holt, World Surf Ironman Champion, was the inaugural president. John Holt along with John Wilken, Tony and Chris Southwell, Ross Pyett, Stuart Taylor, Warren Buchan, Mark Pringle, Bob Freeland, Greg Miller, Trevor Matthews, Paul Bannister, Ritchie Walker, Dick Quinn, Clayton Stevenson and John and Jason Harper hold a meeting at the Polar Bears Room in Cronulla Surf Club and become the foundation members who vote in the clubs constitution. The club's Wednesday night social run begins and creates life long friendships which still exist today. Bob Freeland and Trevor Matthews are still active members of the club.

1985 - Greg WelchAOM competes in his 1st triathlon in Nowra and commences one of the most outstanding world class Triathlon Careers to date and the legend begins.
1985 - Tony Southwell wins the Gosford, Coffs Harbour and Grafton Quadrathons. These were a swim, ski paddle, cycle and run event.
1985 - Tony Southwell, Billy Stafford and Jeff Williams decide to hold Australias first Triathlon Ball to recognise the Australian Champions. This annual event grows to mamoth proportions with Australian Triathlete Magazine becoming the event organiser. The inagural event is held at the Taren Point Bowling Club. Later in years it is held at large sporting clubs and hosts 500 tickets which sell out.
1986 - Tony Southwell defends his title and wins the Gosford Quadrathon.
1986 - Tony Southwell places 7th overall in the Australia Olympic Distance Championships at Frankston Victoria. He becomes our first "top ten" Australian National Champion.
1986 - Ritchie Walker, a foundation club member, passes away during the swim leg of the Tamworth Triathlon. Plans are made for a memorial aquathon event in his memory.
1987 - The Ritchie Walker Memorial Aquathon was first held. The event was won by his close mate and "Biathlon King" Rick Pallister and had a field of 600 plus competitors. The perpetual trophy is annually presented by Ritchies parents Dave and Liz. Dave is a StGeorge Rugby League player and Liz an Olympian. The RW perpetual trophy contains names of the most famous in the sport who race each year to win this prestigous award, not because of the race, but because of who raced it. See the Ritchie Walker race results section of this website to see the list of elite athletes who have won this race.
1987 - Tony Southwell wins the Coffs Harbour Quadrathon.
1987 - Greg WelchAOM places third in the Great Lakes Triathlon (Australian Ironman Championship). Bob Telfor another Cronulla and Billies Bushies legend is 2nd.
1988 - Tony Unicomb wins the International Law Enforcement Olympics Triathlon as a serving Police Officer and becomes the clubs first Triathlon World Champion.
1988 - Greg Welch AOM, Rory McRea and John McKenzie Hicks combine to win the Luke Savage Three Person Relay. Welch runs from Bangor to Bundeena prior to the start of the race. Google the distance and see just how far that is!!! It was a sign of things to come from Mr Welch.
1988 - Mark Pringle beats a quality field to win the OOO Biathlon held at South Cronulla Beach. He is a Cronulla Lifeguard at the time.
1989 - Greg WelchAOM wins the Nepean Triathlon
1989 - Michael Maroney and Rick Pallister combine to win the Luke Savage Two Person Relay at Bundeena defeating numerous noteable runners
1989 - Michael Maroney beats a star studed international field and wins the Noosa Triathlon collecting the largest prize purse in Australia known as the "Emundi Pot of Gold $5000".
1989 - On the same day as Michael Maroney wins Noosa, Greg WelchAOM places third in the Hawaiian Ironman World Championship in a time of 8hrs 32 mins behind the great Mark Allen and Dave Scott.
1989 - Michael Maroney wins the Elouera 1/2 Marathon defeating a quality team of track and road running athletes.
1989 - Mark and Lisa Pringle, as race directors, create the worlds first criterium triathlon held at Sans Souci NSW. The two lap swim, four lap cycle and three lap run set a new benchmark for triathlon and Greg WelchAOM wins the race, Rick Pallister is 2nd, Mick Maroney 4th,Tony Unicomb 5th, Chris Southwell 6th, John Southwell 8th, John Wilken 9th, and Ian Ross on debut is 10th. In the womens, Michelle Jones wins, Melinda Mentha 2nd, and Leonie McKenzie-Hicks 3rd. John Holt races his last triathlon finishes in 18th and 3rd in his age group. Glenn Gorick in 9th place during the cycle leg is run over by a car and attacked by a local man for being in the way!
1989 - Michael Maroney, Rick Palliser and John Southwell place 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively, all defeating The Australian Duathlon Champion Adam Joyce at the Dapto Leagues Duathlon Championship
1990 - Michael Maroney wins the Nowra, Bundeena and Port Macquarie Triathlons
1990 - The Cronulla Triathlon Club fill 5 positions in the Auckland Commonwealth Games Triathlon Team. Tony Unicomb, Greg WelshAOM, Michael Maroney, Melinda Mentha and Michelle Jones. This is the largest contribution from any club in Australia.
1990 - Greg WelchAOM wins the World Olympic Distance Championship in Orlando Florida USA. He defeats Brad Bevan and Stephen Foster who make it an all Australian podium.
1990 - Cronulla Triathlon Club female members filled 28% of the women's field at the Australian Ironman and dominate the race with Leonie Denny (3rd), Melinda Mentha (4th) and Belinda Soszyn (6th). The men were not to be out done, Chris Southwell (3rd), Tim Ahern 6th, Mark Pringle (9th) and John Southwell (10th).
1990 - Cronulla Triathlon club Professionals dominate the Botany Bay Invation only triathlon. Greg WelchAOM wins, Jason Harper was 4th, Glenn Gorick 5th, Clinton Barter 6th and Mark Pringle 7th. Michelle Jones wins the womens and commences an amazing career.
1990 - Chris Southwell wins the St George Criterium Triathlon. The club takes out all top five places with Mick Maroney 2nd, Mick Gilliam 3rd, Glenn Gorick and John Wilken in a tie for 4th with Tim Ahern bursting on to the triathlon scene in 8th on debut.
1990 - Greg Welch AOM wins the Lake Illawarra Triathlon.
1990 - Mark Pringle creates Australias first off road Duathlon called the "Bunny Hop" with a three race series at Wanda Beach. The race is a 5k sand and trail run, a 20klm mountain bike followed by a 5 k trail run. Glenn Gorick wins the first event with Rick Pallister 2nd and John Wilken 3rd. Wilken wins the overall series.
1990 - Michelle Jones Leonie McKenzie-Hicks and Shari Peters place 1, 2 and 3 in the National Park Triathlon. The men also do well with Andrew Douglas 2nd, Ian Ross 3rd, Mark Pringle 5th, Andrew Hunter 6th, Glenn Gorick 8th, David Brown 9th and Grant Webster 10th. Clinton Barter and up and coming junior places 16th.
1990 - Glenn Gorick and Warren Curtis combine to win the Luke Savage Two Person relay at Bundeena
1991 - Greg Welch AOM and Michelle Jones both win the Australian Sprint Championships held at Bundeena
1991 - Greg Welch AOM places 2nd in the Hawaiian Ironman behind Mark Allen in a time of 8hr 24mins.
1991 - John Holt creates the Kurnell Triathlon Series. For the first time in triathlon history, an enticer to full olympic distance series is run over four races. The series is the longest sprint series still running in Australia. Glenn Gorick wins the first series on pointscore. Michael Maroney holds the most overall and series wins with 13 outright wins and 7 series wins, his most recent as 2009 where he won the NSW Sprint Distance title again at the ripe age of 42. Michael is now crowned Mr Kurnell and has most likely completed all but a few races.
1991 - Tim Ahern wins the first of his two Australian Ironman titles at Forster NSW taking home the prestigous Jim Hazel Trophy in 8hr 43 mins and smashes the Australian record.
1991 - Belinda Sozen smashes the entire field including AIS accredited male runners to win the Thredbo bottom to top hill climb and starts an amazing career of running steep inclines.
1992 - Chris McCormack wins the Junior title at Lake Illawarra commencing his career as a professional.
1992 - Tim Ahern defends his Australian Ironman title and is the first Australian over the line at the Australian Ironman Championship winning the Jim Hazel Trophy in a time of 8hrs 33mins. He also sets a run record of 2.46.38 and this is never equalled when combining Tim's other splits.
1992 - Peter Brunker finishes 2nd in the Sutherland to Surf 11k fun run (Australias second largest fun run at that time) in a time of 32.10 defeating runners from the AIS.
1992 - Glenn Gorick and Peter Brunker combine to win the Luke Savage Two Person Relay at Bundeena
1992 - Warren Curtis and Lena Edmonson win the Bankstown Typhoon Triathlon defeating a quality field of professionals. Mark Pringle was the Race Director using his criterium style of race to advance triathlon into the modern era.
1993 - Cronulla won the inaugural Tri NSW Club Championship award.
1993 - Chris Southwell wins the Australian Ironman swim leg and sets a new swim record of 45 mins 32 secs. This record stands for a decade. Glenn Gorick, Tony Southwell and Michael Maroney also swam a 45 min time and all were in a sprint finish for the line, but Chris takes the crown and goes onto to also finish in the 11th place overall in 8hrs 49mins.
1994 - Greg WelchAOM wins the Hawaiian Ironman World Championship in 8hr 20mins and is the first non American to do. It is on his six attempt. He dedicates the win to Ritchie Walker. It is the fourth fastest time in the race history and still the 6th fastest ever to date.
1994 - Michelle Jones wins the World Olympic Distance title.
1994 - Michael Maroney and Michelle Jones win the National Park Triathlon with Ian Ross 2nd, Chris McCormack 3rd and Paul Obrien 5th.
1994 - Glenn Gorick and Andrew Lloyd (1990 Commonwealth Games 5000M Gold Medalist) combine to win the Luke Savage Two Person Relay at Bundeena
1994 - Bob Southwell wins his age group in the Hawaiian Ironman Championship. As well as setting a new world record at the age of 65, he also defeats 1/3 of the field and many are a 1/3 of his age.
1994 - Michael Maroney is run over by a car at Kurnell during a training ride. He sustaines serious neck injuries and he is placed in a critical condition at hospital. The driver is arrested and admits to being part of a group of people who were throwing eggs at Michael and lost control of the car. Michael misses out on selection to the Tooheys Blue Professional Triathlon Series and it takes many years for him to recover. His Ironman asperations are destroyed, but he recovers and battles on to return to the Professional ranks of triathlon a few years later.
1995 - Michelle Jones succesfully defends her status as World Champion and wins her second World Olympic Distance Title
1996 - Bob, Paul, John, Tony, Chris and Steven Southwell race the Australian Ironman at Forster.
1996 - Rick Palliser (swim), Michael Maroney (cycle) and Glenn Gorick (run) combine in an elite team to defeat an Australian Institute of Sport Team at the Nowra NSW Olympic Distance championships. Pallister swims 1.5k in just over 16 mins, Maroneys outstanding cycle leg averaging over 50kph for 40k gives an unbeatable lead of two minutes at the end of the cycle leg and Glenn Gorick runs 33 mins for the ten k to take home the trophy in an outstanding time of 1hr 41 mins.
1997 - Chris McCormack wins the World Olympic Distance Title.
March 25, 1998 - The man who helped shape the Club and admired by all, John Baker, collapses and passes away at the Wednesday night club run . A minute silence is held on the last Wednesday night club run every year at the clubhouse followed by a BBQ to remember John.
1998 - Sean and Michael Maroney make it an all brother affair with Sean winning and Michael placing second in the Callala Beach Half Ironman. It's the first brother one two in Australia.
1998 - Sean Maroney wins the Sunrice St George Triterium. The club fills six of the top ten places with Glenn Gorick 2nd, Tony Unicomb 4th, Paul Obrien 7th and Bob Telfor 8th
1998 - Chris McCormack wins the Australia Day Triathlon at Wanda Beach with Sean Maroney 4th, Alex Reithmeier 5th, Chris Southwell 7th, Glenn Gorick 9th. In the womens Lena Edmonson wins with Jennie Erskine 5th and Dayna Pollard 9th.
1999 - Greg Welch AOM competes in the Hawaiian Ironman unknowingly with a blood virus. He is leading the swim when he thinks he has an asthma attack and stops to rest on a board as all but the majority of the field swim by. He then continues on, not knowing he is actually having a heart attack. Working his way through the field during the cycle, he starts the run leg midfield and runs himself into the top ten. He stops on several occasions, again thinking it is asthma, but is unknowingly having a number of heart attacks. He continues on and finishes 11th with the amazing splits of 54mins swim, 4hr 53 cycle, and a 2hr 46 run in a total time of 8hr 40mins. His run time is the third fastest in the field and he finishes 11th. Greg was in the fitest form of his life as he prepared for the Olympics, but had contracted a virus which made its way into his heart and caused it to beat at up to 300 BPM. This was the end of his career as a Triathlete, but he had nothing left to prove and had already set a bench mark still unequalled in the world to date.
2000 - Grant Webster wins the Jim Hazel Trophy at the Australian Ironman coming 2nd behind Norman Stadler of Germany in a time of 8hr 37.
2000 - Cronulla wins the inaugural Triathlon Australia award as the Australian Triathlon Club of the Year.
2000 - Michelle Jones and Peter Roberston win the Sydney based ITU Olympic Distance Traithlon on the planned Olympic course. They then become the first two triathletes to win selection for the Sydney Olympics.
2000 - Michelle Jones wins Silver in the Sydney Olympics Triathlon in a sprint finish only to learn in later years that the Gold Medalist has allegedly admitted to the use of performance enhancing drugs.
2001 - Cronulla has 5 out of the 11 members in the Australian Elite team at the World Triathlon Championships
2002 - Chris McCormack win's the Australian Ironman
2002 - Glenn Gorick wins the Cronulla Ocean Festival Triathlon an Ocean swim, Mountain bike and beach run event around the Cronulla and Wanda parklands.
2002 - Sean Maroney passes away tragically in Hawaii.
2003 - Melissa Ashton wins the Nepean Triathlon
2003 - Peter Robertson makes it title 2 ITU world Championship Queenstown NZ- Chris McCormack win's his 2nd Australian Ironman
2004 - Jason Scott Aitken, a proud club member and father of two is tragically killed by a drunk driver while training at Helensburgh. He was a much loved and generous man who helped counteless Tri Club members and volunteered as a helper for numerous triathlons. Thousands attend his funeral at Engadine and a campain called "Watch for Cyclists" commences to highten the awareness of the dangers of cycling in New South Wales. A fund raiser night and auction is organised by the Cronulla Triathlon Club to secure a financial benefit for his children. Ironman Australia Donate an IMA spot for the 2005 race and Glenn Gorick and (NRL Ref) Bill Harrigan host the night. Blair Williams wins the IMA spot and makes a long awaited return to triathlon. Ironically Blair was Jasons best mate.
2004 - Greg WelchAOM is awarded the Order of Australia Medal for services to Triathlon, Coaching and Commentating. This is the only AOM awarded to a Professional Triathlete in Australia.
2004 - We add to the list of Olympians that have represented the club - Chris McCormack win's his 3rd Australian Ironman
2005 - Cronulla juniors win State junior club of the year. Cronulla Members break 90 entrant's at the Australian Ironman. Chris McCormack win's his 4th Australian Ironman
2006 - Cronulla life member Michellie Jones win's Hawaiian Ironman - First Australian woman to win Hawaii.- Chris McCormack win's his 5th Australian Ironman
2006 - 70.3 world Ironman championships won by Craig Alexander
2007 - List of all Cronulla Legend's at Australian Ironman
2007 - Hawaiian Ironman 1st Chris McCormack, 2nd Craig Alexander, 3rd the rest of the world
2008 - Hawaiian Ironman 1st Craig Alexander 2nd the rest of the world.
2009 - Michael Maroney wins the NSW Sprint Championship at the final race at Kurnell. He is 42, has five children and works full time. He has to start in the last wave, almost an hour after the first wave. He has to complete the race out at the front on his own and defeats many "full time" athletes half his age and once again displays how talented he is as one of the most credentialed and decorated triathletes in Australia.
2009 - Hawaiian Ironman 1st Craig Alexander - two in a row

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