On Sunday around 150 competitors took part in the annual Coral Coast Triathlon this year held on the shores of Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas.

The Olympic distance race is Australia's oldest triathlon event and continues to attract more and more athletes both locally and from across Australia each year. Conditions were close to perfect for the 1.5km swim, 40km cycle and 10km run, as low winds and calm waters ensured a fast course.

Port Douglas local Chelsea Walk was the only local competitor to take on the olympic distance race, finishing second in her age group.

"Triathlon as a sport has really taken off in recent years in Australia and it's fantastic to see so many competitors lining up to race here in Port Douglas," she said.

While the prospect of taking on a triathlon of this size is daunting for most, a smaller sprint distance race was also held in which several Port Douglas locals took part with great results.

Cameron McKay took line honours in the race, edging out Nick Carling who achieved third overall and second in his age group. Lucy Forbes won her age group and was third female overall, while James Long took second place in his age group. Triathlon veteran Guy Besley took out second in his age group.

Triathlon has also taken off in Port Douglas, with Tri-Port's established training sessions and mini-race schedule. Chelsea together with local trainer Nick Carling and Guy Besley volunteer their time to encourage newcomers to take on the sport through training sessions and monthly races.

Chelsea added, "I've been racing triathlons for about three years now and Guy has been racing for more years than I've been alive, so having his veteran knowledge is really helpful for the dozen or so new triathletes in Port Douglas. It's easy to get into the sport and you can always race as a team to get a taste - you'll want to take it on yourself the next time around."

In spite of an overall successful event, this year's triathlon has been marred by illegal drafting with formal protests raised following the event. Cairns Crocs committee member Guy Besley said, "Drafting is blatant cheating and must not be tolerated. We are really going to clamp down on it in future events to ensure fair racing conditions for all competitors."

Port Douglas will be the setting for another major triathlon later this year, with the Port Douglas Long Course held in September. This gruelling event is comprised of a 2km swim, 80km cycle and a 20km run (including four sets of the lookout stairs). Starting in the middle of the day, the event is proudly promoted as one of Australia's toughest events and attracts the world's top triathletes.