Date: 9 May 2009

Location: Grendon Lakes, Northamptonshire, UK

Format: Sprint distance triathlon

Organiser: Just Racing UK Ltd.

Website: www.justracinguk.com

This year’s Grendon Sprint Triathlon was a qualifier event for both the 2010 and the 2011 European Championships and the 2010 World Championships. Consequently, competitors fought fiercely for the top slots and a number of athletes mentioning they finished a lot further down the field than they expected. Even so, compared with 2009, finishing times were slower across the board.

James Ratcliff (M 20-24, Ceepo TFN) picked up first place in a time of 1:04:28 compared to his 2009 time of 1:01:23, when he finished second. Nick Dunn (M 25-29, TFN Race Team) moved up from 5^th in 2009 to 3^rd this year, despite slowing by nearly three minutes.

Of the women, none of this year’s top three raced this year, but Jessica Parry-Williams finished 5^th in 1:17:10 against 4^th place and 1:16:30 last year.

Was the cold to blame? Fortunately the race escaped the driving rain that has plagued other events this year, but a week of cool and wet weather left the lake temperature hovering somewhere around 12 degrees, barely above the 11 degree minimum that would have had the race referee recommending cancelling the swim.

The guys in the kayaks look happiest

The water temperature certainly took your breath away, and even wearing two hats didn’t prevent ‘brain freeze’. However, swim times look comparable with last year.

Out on the bike a number of people elected to pull on an extra layer and even gloves (several were dropped on the road shortly after transition). With air temperatures around 6 degrees this was almost certainly a good move. Several competitors complained of difficulties with braking, gear changes and T2 because of numb fingers, and bike times look a little down on 2009 once transition is taken into account.

Frozen feet also left many people feeling as if they were running in cycling shoes and it was in the final discipline that times looked to have slowed the most. The course followed the same route as 2009 but possibly the second turn around point had been moved a few metres further out bringing the total closer to 5 km (it was definitely short in 2009).

As usual with Just Racing events, the organisation was smooth, the route well-marshalled and sign posted and everything went as it should. From a competitors’ point of view, it looked again as if a number of people got away with drafting because of a lack of draft busters, although one competitor did pick up a 2 minute penalty. For an event acting as a qualifier for so many other races, anti-drafting measures should perhaps be a little stronger.

Do this race next year if:

• You are a strong cyclist (the bike route is 23km, has one medium hill at the beginning and is otherwise flatish and fast)
• You want an early-season open water swim and don’t mind risking cold water

Don’t do this race if:

• You like running on smooth tarmac (the run is off-road on lumpy dirt tracks and grass and has two dead turns on each lap)
• You have got soft feet (you have to run over a patch of gravel before mounting your bike and after dismounting –painful if your feet are cold)

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