Copeland Conquers Elite as Corbett Claims U23 Crown at 2025 Oceania in Devonport
Gold Coast's Brandon Copeland mastered the notorious North Street Hill to win the 40th Devonport Triathlon, while Kiwi James Corbett secured both elite silver and U23 gold.
Brandon Copeland stormed to victory at the 40th anniversary Devonport Triathlon on Saturday, mastering the punishing North Street Hill eight times to claim the 2025 Oceania Elite Men's Championship in decisive fashion.
The 28-year-old Gold Coast athlete crossed the line in 1:48:39, capitalising on a well-timed move in the second half of the run to secure the win. The victory marks perfect preparation for Copeland, who will back up at Geelong 70.3 next weekend in a busy early-season schedule.
New Zealand's James Corbett took silver in the elite category and gold in the Under-23 division, finishing 28 seconds behind Copeland. The result marks another step forward for Corbett, who has been steadily building his international reputation since claiming his first major victory at the Asia Triathlon Cup in Tokyo last year.
Australia's Lachlan Jones displayed remarkable grit to round out the elite podium, while Brayden Mercer—who burst onto the scene with a breakthrough win at Noosa Triathlon last October—secured silver in the U23 category.
Perfect racing conditions greeted athletes on Tasmania's northwest coast, with 19.2°C air temperature and 20.8°C water temperature making for ideal non-wetsuit swimming conditions at the Mersey Bluff.
Strategic Swim Sets the Stage
The two-lap, 1.5km swim quickly established the pattern for the day as six athletes broke clear of the field. Mercer, Copeland, Jones, Corbett, Crome and Saxon Morgan emerged from the water within seconds of each other, forming what would become the decisive break of the day.
Morgan's presence in the lead group proved particularly impressive given his pre-race setback. The New Zealander competed on a borrowed bike after snapping his frame during a training ride earlier in the week—an obstacle that didn't prevent him from posting competitive splits throughout the race.
Swim times among the leaders ranged from Mercer's 16:37 to Jones' 16:43, creating a tightly-packed front group heading onto the bike course. The chase pack, containing pre-race favorite Callum McClusky, exited the water nearly 30 seconds behind.
North Street Hill Separates Contenders
The challenging bike course featured eight laps with the notorious North Street Hill climb on each circuit. The six leaders worked together efficiently, increasing their advantage over the chase group with each ascent of the climb.
Throughout the 40km bike segment, Corbett and Jones took several turns driving the pace, particularly on the climbs. The cooperation among the leaders became evident when they began sharing water bottles in a display of practical sportsmanship that highlighted the camaraderie even in fierce competition.
Their collaborative effort yielded results. The timing data reveals their advantage grew from 35 seconds after the first lap to 1:07 by the final lap, with their bike splits remarkably consistent—Copeland, Corbett, and Jones all registered 59:40 or less for the segment.
Mercer, who trains under coach Dan Atkins on the Gold Coast, remained firmly embedded in this front group despite a pre-race incident.
He unfortunately had a bike crash on the Monday before this race and got hit by a kangaroo of all things.
Transitions Prove Decisive
While mere seconds separated the leaders throughout, the second transition accentuated the importance of practiced efficiency. Copeland demonstrated exceptional skill, recording a T2 time of just 41 seconds compared to Corbett's 48 and Mercer's 46.
These margins, seemingly insignificant, established the early run order that would ultimately shape the final outcome of the race.
Run Battle Determines Champions
The four-lap, 10km run course along Victoria Parade initially saw Copeland and Jones establish a small gap, with Corbett trailing slightly behind. However, the Kiwi mounted an impressive comeback, catching and briefly passing the Australian duo in a surge that energized the spectators lining the course.
The three leaders ran together for nearly a full lap before Copeland made his decisive move around the 6km mark. His superior run conditioning—resulting in a race-best 31:08 split—allowed him to gradually distance himself from Corbett, while Jones began to fade slightly. Copeland's strong run performance bodes well for his upcoming challenge at Geelong 70.3 next weekend, where he'll test his endurance over the longer distance.
The final lap saw Copeland extend his advantage to secure the victory, while the battle for the remaining podium positions intensified. Corbett held firm for second, while Jones summoned remarkable determination to maintain third despite Mercer closing to within 12 seconds by the finish.
"Braden's training for 70.3 Geelong next weekend too," Atkins noted of his other athlete in the race, Brandon Copeland. "Whilst trying to amass some really good points here this weekend, he's also looking towards that as well. The two of them training together, hopefully, they're speaking to each other and feeding off each other's energy."
Under-23s Showcase Rising Talent
The integrated U23 competition delivered its own compelling narrative within the main race. Corbett's outstanding performance earned him both elite silver and U23 gold, with the 22-year-old New Zealander finishing 37 seconds ahead of Australia's Mercer.
Corbett showed remarkable tactical awareness throughout the race. The Wellington-based athlete has been methodically working his way up the rankings resulting in consistent improvement. His ability to recover from falling off the pace mid-run and fight back to secure second place demonstrates the mental strength that this coach has long recognised in the young Kiwi.
Shawn Smith
Mercer, who followed his breakthrough Noosa victory with a podium finish at the Napier World Cup just weeks ago, confirmed his status as one of Australia's brightest prospects despite finishing fourth overall.
The bronze in the U23 category went to Henry McMecking, another New Zealander, who finished seventh overall with a consistent performance across all three disciplines.
Four Decades of Triathlon Excellence
The 40th anniversary edition of the Devonport Triathlon lived up to its reputation as one of Australia's most prestigious events. The challenging course, particularly those eight climbs up North Street Hill, once again provided the definitive test of all-around triathlon ability.
Complete results saw 30 finishers in the elite men's field with times ranging from Copeland's winning 1:48:39 to Jett Curteis' 2:04:22. The race also recorded ten athletes unable to finish—five DNFs, three LAPs, one DNS—highlighting the demanding nature of a course that has become synonymous with triathlon's toughest challenges in Australia.
Race Results - Elite Men
- Brandon Copeland (AUS) - 1:48:39
- James Corbett (NZL) - 1:49:07
- Lachlan Jones (AUS) - 1:49:38
- Brayden Mercer (AUS) - 1:49:44
- Saxon Morgan (NZL) - 1:50:33
Race Results - U23 Men
- James Corbett (NZL) - 1:49:07
- Brayden Mercer (AUS) - 1:49:44
- Henry McMecking (NZL) - 1:51:30
- Grayson Westgate (NZL) - 1:52:04
- Rory Thornhill (AUS) - 1:52:23
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