Sheep or triathletes?

James Gill, who finished 12^th in the sub 2hr30 wave, sent us this report on the London Triathlon.

Date: Sunday 8^th August 2010

Format: Olympic distance:1500m Swim / 40km Cycle / 10km Run

Organiser: Challenger World

Website: www.thelondontriathlon.co.uk

The spectacle of the London Triathlon never fails to excite. This was the 7^th time I have raced there, 5 times previously as an elite, last year as the swimmer for the Bangkok Lady Boys relay team and this year for the first time as an age grouper. Having been through medical school since last doing the Olympic course I was looking forward to returning to the London Triathlon with its revamped route. Would the run still be as “fast” as the old course?

I think the one thing that strikes me each year above anything else at the London Triathlon is the number of bikes in transition. Nowhere else in the world is there such a gathering of triathletes competing in one place. This attracts just about every major triathlon retailer to the expo. My friends at Total Fitness were there, as were Speedo who had brought and endless pool for so their new TriathELITE wetsuits could be tried on the spot. I enquired if the pool had a jacuzzi setting for after my race……. they agreed to look into it for next year!!

Image: Brett Hochfeld

Challenger World claim the London Triathlon to be the world’s largest and there’s no doubt it attracts thousands of competitors and spectators. This August the crowds seemed better managed than in previous years. Parking was available for all competitors at the venue compared to the gravel strewn wasteland a 20 minute walk away that was on offer last year, although still irritatingly expensive at £15. The tailbacks to approach the ExCel centre were also considerably shorter than usual. We don’t know however whether this was due to improved planning or simply luck.

The most notable change though was the reconfigured layout of the transition and expo areas and the new four-lap run route. The fresh combination seemed to work a lot better than the old setup, enabled faster transitions and reduced congestion approaching the swim start. The swim route was also reversed in direction making it easier for spectators to watch competitors battling out the mass start. We liked that the market buoys were bright yellow this year instead of dark blue as they have been on other occasions.

Date: 1^st and 2^nd August 2009

Location: ExCel Centre, London docklands

Format: team relays, super sprint, sprint and Olympic distance

Organiser: IMG

Website: www.thelondontriathlon.co.uk

To secure a place at the London Triathlon you need to apply shortly after Christmas. This year around 13,000 people took part in one (and sometimes more than one) of the various events over the weekend, despite the clash with Ironman UK. Competition ranges from complete beginners, through a fiercely contested sub 2 hours 30 minutes category to the frighteningly fast elites. London Triathlon is also well known for attracting a number of celebrity participants including this year Jenson Button, Rory Underwood and Alex Hyndman.

In some respects, the London Triathlon is a giant party, a festival of suffering followed by joyful celebration. For half the participants, London is their first and possibly only triathlon. The objective is simply to finish and to raise money for good causes.