A VOLUNTEER at New Cumnock Open Air Pool hit the ground running to help mark the opening of the venue.

Andy Clapperton and a dozen other fellow members of the Ayrodynamic club joined another 50 athletes to take part in a triathlon in the latest of a series of celebratory events.

To kick off proceedings around 40 young enthusiasts aged between eight and 15 contested an aquathlon, with a swim followed by a running loop along the neighbouring river banks and paths.

Contestants came from as far away as Edinburgh and Stirling while there was a large number of local youngsters and their parents also taking part.

Many of the older competitors arrived early to cheer on the next generation, and the youngsters in turn remained to see the ‘experts’ in action.

The race for seniors began with a 400m swim in two heats, with six competitors per lane, and then it was out and onto the bikes for a challenging 15 km cycle into the hills around New Cumnock. Finally, there was a 3km run around the town centre and riverbank.

Overall winner was young Karl Owens from Ayrodynamics who got round in just over 52 minutes, while Lorna Todd used her experience to finish third overall and first female in 55 minutes.