Archive for the ‘Race reports’ Category

Date: 29 May 2010

Location: Belvoir Castle, Belvoir, Leicestershire, UK

Format: 1500m swim / 40km bike / 10km run

Organiser: Just Racing UK Ltd.

Website: www.justracinguk.com

This year saw changes to both the run and bike routes of the Little Beaver triathlon but the challenging thrice repeated climb to the Belvoir Castle remained, as did the 500m dash from the swim exit to T1. In our opinion, the switch to a two lap bike route – despite it being possibly longer than last year – was a big improvement. We also liked the new transition layout.

The long run to T1

However, having cyclists pass through the castle grounds meant a temporary – and very steep –bridge had to be installed for runners to cross the bike route. This was a bit of a shock to the system coming straight after T2 and then again shortly before the finish. Additionally, the run course was slightly re-routed to avoid runners and cyclists sharing a path.

Consequently, the run was even more challenging than last year and possibly a little long as only a handful of athletes broke 40 minutes for the 10 km.

Fiona Ford of Triathlon Europe took part in the inaugural TriGrandPrix UK half-Ironman distance triathlon at Leybourne Lakes in Kent on 30 May 2010. After finishing in 9^th against a strong professional field she sent in the following report.

With £40,000 of prize money up with grabs, last weekend’s TriGrandPrix attracted more professional athletes than Ironman UK 70.3. It also tempted a strong field of top age-group athletes also competing for prize money and the chance to race alongside many household names in long course triathlon racing including four-times Ironman France winner Marcel Zamora, multiple Ironman New Zealand winner Joanna Lawn and top UK athletes Fraser Cartmell, Stephen Bayliss, and Leanda Cave.

Jo Lawn and an £8,000 smile

The one-lap 1900m swim followed the perimeter of the lake, so competitors were never far from the bank. This made the course easy to navigate although I found certain sections of the swim course very shallow, particularly around the island. The few odd submerged branches and overhanging trees kept it interesting too! The swim exit was a set of steps onto a jetty, helpfully manned by volunteers to assist you on your way into the bag racks and transition tent.

Date: 16 May 2009

Location: Driffield Sports Centre, Yorkshire, UK

Format: 400m swim / 18km bike / 5km run

Organiser: Freebird Events

Sponsor: Udo’s Choice (www.udoschoice.co.uk)

Website: www.freebirdevents.co.uk

David Gunning from Udo’s Choice HQ attended the Driffield Triathlon and sent us the following report.

Driffield hosted the 2^nd of the Udo’s Choice Triathlon Race Series this year and proved to be very competitive with just 32 seconds separating the top three finishers.  The winner this year, Peter Lynas of TFN, finished in 53 mins 57 secs with last year’s winner Oliver Dixon of Ceepo TFN RT finishing 3^rd.  Separating the two was Andy Martin of the Army Triathlon Association just 11 seconds behind the winner.

Getting out of the pool in 9^th position Peter Lynas reeled in the competitors ahead of him in during the bike and run legs posting the 3^rd and 4^th fastest splits in each.  Andy Martin completed both bike and run legs in the fastest overall times but had just a little too much to make up after leaving the water 19^th position.

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.

With Ironman St George, the World Triathlon Corporation has added a tremendously challenging race to their series that has the potential to become a classic destination event for overseas competitors. Fiona Ford of Triathlon Europe reports on the inaugural event.

Ironman St George brings one of the most challenging bike and run courses to the 25 global Ironman events run by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC). While the race HQ is situated in the historic town centre of St George – which lends a leafy, colonial feel to the event – this is in sharp contrast to the tough swim, bike and run course routes in the red rock of Utah.

The 2.4 mile swim takes place 2750ft (838m) above sea level, in the chilly, clear water of the picturesque Sand Hollow Reservoir. The rugged surrounding landscape already hints at what will come next.

Pro athletes who had ridden the bike course in advance of the race described it as a “most challenging” two lap route, rising to 4700ft (1680m) as it climbs through the red sandstone and lava canyons of the Dixie National Forest. Kate Major nick-named one particularly gruelling sustained 10% climb as “the wall” following her course recon in late 2009.

According to race organiser Glen Walker the ice had only just melted but that didn’t deter 50 swimmers from attempting the 100m open water dash at the Princes Club on 27 Dec. In only its second year the event massively expanded on the 16 entrants from last year, despite traces of the previous week’s big freeze still visible and a water temperature of only 2.5 degrees.

Pre-race briefing

“It’s cold, but I’m sure you’ll all enjoy yourselves!”

Pre-race nerves

 “We’re freezing, and we haven’t been in the water yet…”

Walking the plank

“Look at those wimps in wetsuits.”

Maybe I'll do butterfly

“It can’t be that cold… can it?”

And they're off

“3, 2, 1, Go!”

In deep

“It’s just to those bouys and back.”

It's all over

“Where’s my bike?”

Thank goodness for wetsuits

“The showers had better be hot.”

The smiles are frozen on

“On second thoughts, it was absolutely bleeping freezing.”

Runners starting the Cabbage Patch 10 miler

Not a triathlon, but a flat, fast and scenic 10 mile running race.

 

Date: 18 October 09

Location: Twickenham, Middlesex, UK

Format: 10 mile road run

Website: www.cabbagepatch10.com

Not a triathlon of course, but still worth a brief report as the route passes my front door. This made a DNF incredibly tempting, but I didn’t succumb. The race is billed as “one of the flattest and best 10 milers in the country”. Richard Nerurkar set an all time British record of 46.02 at the event in 1993.

The other selling point for the race is the HQ at the Cabbage Patch pub. In 2009,

The race starts and finishes in Twickenham, tracks the River Thames upstream to Kingston, crosses the river and returns via Richmond Bridge. However, the river is only in view for the latter part of the race, except for the crossing in Kingston and a fleeting glimpse in Teddington.

Fiona Ford at Ironman France

June 24, 2007. The morning of Ironman France. The months of training 20 hours per week, of counting down the days, of watching wattage, of counting calories and finally tapering had all led to this moment.

Over the preceding week, the atmosphere in Nice had gradually built to boiling point, matching my own excitement. However, I needed to relax and conserve energy, and to remain confident I had no need to do ‘one last session’. Not easy, but I managed, and as the sun rose I felt ready for a great race… 

The worst was waiting on the rocky beach for the inevitable start. The timing seemed pretty casual. But then all hell broke loose as hundreds of neoprened bodies hit the water. I found myself in a fair bit of trouble straight away, pinned underwater by a constant stream of bodies diving from the beach. The only solution was to push off the bottom with my feet, grab a panicky breath of air and get swimming – fast! It took until the far turn out at sea – nearly 1000m – before I could calm down and settle into a decent rhythm.

Stunning views on the Alpe d'Huez triathlon

In just five years the Alpe d’Huez triathlon has become a must-do for many serious and recreational triathletes. Taking in the famous Alpe d’Huez climb, it now exists in both short and long course formats and has a reputation for being fantastically well organised. It also boasts a family friendly kids’ race. Fiona Ford raced the first event there in 2006 and tells us why it has become such a popular event.

 Date: August 06

 Location: Lac du Verney / Alpe d’Huez, France

 Format: 1200m swim / 30km bike / 7.3km run

 Organiser: Cyrille Neveu and IMG

 Website: www.alpetriathlon.com

The race starts with a lake swim in EDF’s Lac du Verney, Vaujany, about 15km from Alpe D’Huez itself. This presents a unique warm up opportunity as T1 is located at the lake while T2 is at the top of Alpe D’Huez next to the race headquarters. So, once you’ve placed your run shoes in T2, you need to pack your wetsuit, swim kit and anything you’ll want on the bike (like nutrition) into a decent rucksack and descend the 21 hairpin turns on the Alpe, before coasting to the race start. Allow a good 45-60 minutes to get there and set up.

Richard finishing IMUK 2009

To avoid running related injuries, Richard McChesney decided he needed to do some cross training. He also felt he needed a motivating force to get him into the water or onto a bike, so he entered Ironman UK just 15 weeks before the event. He tells us what happened.

 

Other than swimming and cycling with my children I hadn’t actually done any training other than running between 1995 and March 2009, and I had only taken up running again a couple of years previously, but that didn’t stop me harbouring a little dream of possibly qualifying for Kona. I hoped my running endurance would have been enough to enable me to get cycle and swim fit quickly. I mean, how hard can it be to swim 3.8km, cycle 180km and run a marathon? I’d done it all before. But that was a long time ago.

Training didn’t go quite as well as planned (does it ever?) and I had to nurse a couple of niggling injuries over the 15 weeks, but I arrived in Bolton feeling pretty fit and strong.