On first impressions and via the television coverage, the Leeds ITU World Triathlon event appeared to be a great advert for British Triathlon and the city of Leeds. However countless athletes who competed in the age-group event before the elite races on Sunday have complained of poor organisation, with some forced to wait for hours before they could collect their bags containing warm clothes, mobile phones and cash, from transition.
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While it was a great day for British triathlon in the pro ranks, with a Brownlee 1-2 in the men’s race and a podium for Vicky Holland in the women’s, age-groupers were left to feel second best, as reports of the transition areas being unsafe were reported on social media the day before the event. Athletes spotted hazards underfoot such as glass and nails and no carpeting was in place to protect bare feet and bike tyres.
Numerous athletes also complained about the baggage collection system. The vans for transporting bags to and from the transition areas were reportedly not big enough to take all luggage to the city centre collection points, meaning later waves were sent back to the swim venue at Roundhay Park (a 30min shuttle bus journey) before having to wait even longer to collect belongings while missing the elite races. Many complained of being cold and frustrated after finishing.
Mike Higgins said: “I was annoyed and disappointed. I quickly realised I was going to miss most of the women’s (elite) race. My second race of the day was to get to Roundhay and back in the time Gwen, Non and Flora could do a 40km bike and a 10 km run if I was going to see the finish!
“If a van can take three boxes and a box can take sixty bags and you have 6,000 competitors with two bags, and a maximum of eight vans, and each journey takes about one hour return and needs some loading time, I worked out that would take 14 hours to transport everything – it’s no wonder we were waiting for hours!”
A photo of the transition area for age-groupers, which many participants have said was “unsafe underfoot”. Credit: Don Whiley
Age-grouper Claire Fineran also highlighted the health and safety implications of competitors being left without access to warm clothing, money or means of contacting friends and relatives: “Numerous cold, wet, tired, frustrated and angry competitors were told to navigate their way on their bikes back to the start to collect their things. This was meant to be world class event. Imagine being a visitor to the city and being told to fend for yourself in such a despicable and quite frankly dangerous manner.
“I for one finished my race at 11am and was finally reunited with warm clothing at 4.30pm following five and a half hours after standing around in wet, cold clothing. Had the weather not held, Leeds General Infirmary would have been inundated with hypothermic competitors. I do not say that lightly.”
British Triathlon released a statement from CEO Jack Buckner apologising for the issues with baggage collection; however many participants commenting on the BTF’s Facebook page were not impressed, with some saying the apology fell short of the mark. Below are some of the grievances aired on Facebook by age-groupers:
Launch Gallery
In association with British Triathlon, the event was organised by the Ironman Corporation, who after acquiring Lagardère Sports earlier in the year took over the running of five ITU events in 2016.
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Did you race at WTS Leeds, or were you a spectator? Did you have a positive experience of the event? Email us at [email protected]
Swimrun has definitely crossed the waters from Sweden to become the new multisport craze – and this weekend sees founding brand ÖtillÖ (Swedish for ‘island to island’) host its new UK qualifier in the Scilly Isles.
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In total 240 athletes will compete in teams of two for spots in the world championship race on 5th September, 2016. Competition is sure to be fierce, however to finish athletes must cross a total distance comprising 30km of running and 7.5km of swimming. The course starts in St. Mary’s and also visits Tresco, St. Martin’s and Bryher as competitors swim between islands then run across them, taking in beautiful and varied scenery along the way.
The race has attracted athletes from 15 countries including the current women’s ÖtillÖ Swimrun World Champion, Annika Ericsson from Sweden. Also competing (in seperate teams) is some serious UK swim talent – seven-time world champion triathlete Richard Stannard (aka ‘the Fish’) and Swim Smooth founder and head coach Paul Newsome.
Live tracking is available for the race on Saturday, follow the link here. Plus click here to find out more about other ÖtillÖ qualifying races.
Issue 327 of 220 Triathlon includes a complete guide to swimrun kit for would-be swimrunners. Click here to subscribe.
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See an image gallery from the 2015 world championship race here.
“It is a pleasure to announce that Lausanne, the “Olympic Capital”, has been awarded the World Championships in 2019,” said ITU President and IOC Member Marisol Casado. “The 2019 season will be a pre-Olympic year in which athletes are vying for Olympic spots. What better place for athletes to race for major Olympic qualifying points than in the Olympic Capital itself.
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“The decision came down between two exceptional bids between Edmonton and Lausanne. It was a very difficult decision and we thank both cities for their desire to host the Grand Final. With the naming of the 2019 ITU Grand Final host, we now have the World Championship races confirmed for the next three years, which puts triathlon in a fantastic position.”
The stunning city of Lausanne, which is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman), has hosted triathlon races since 1998 when the Swiss city welcomed the ITU Triathlon World Championships for the first time. Lausanne then held ITU’s pinnacle triathlon event again in 2006, as well as the Sprint World Championships in 2011.
Lausanne is also a two-time host of the ITU Mixed Relay World Championships, and has also organised World Cups, European Cups, and European Championship races.
The event will also crown world champions in junior and U23 categories, as well as Paratriathlon. The city will also welcome thousands of age groupers who will compete to call themselves the fastest in the world.
Stuart Hayes finished the Olympic distance race in 1:54:28, less than a minute ahead of young Tom Davis with David Bartlett in third. World Duathlon Champion Emma Pallant’s winning time of 2:06:06 was too strong for the opposition. Sarah Lewis (Freespeed) and Emma Deary (Stortford Tri) also performed excellently and took second and third respectively.
Winner of the shorter Sprint distance was Mark Yeoman in 1:19:44 (Viceroys) in the male category, with Ben Ashwell and Duncan Allan completing the podium. The female winner was Carol Bridge (Rhondda Tri Club) in 1:26:59, closely followed by Bridget King and Karen Roake (B2P Tri Club).
Around 2,000 triathletes of all abilities took on the triathlon, which included a start in the River Thames and a final run in the shadow of the unmistakeable Windsor Castle. Many were racing to try and claim a much sought after place on the podium, whilst others were taking part with the sole ambition of finishing, with many choosing to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
The swim route (1,500 metres Olympic, 750m Sprint) is predominantly downstream arguably favouring the weaker swimmers, before a quick dog-leg and an exit next to Alexandra Park where transition is located. After transition the bike course (40km Olympic, 30km Sprint) was where many looked the most comfortable, followed by the run (10km Olympic, 5km Sprint.
New for 2016 was the Club Championship, allowing members of triathlon clubs to represent their team on race day. The female title went to Berkshire Tri Squad, with Team Dillon taking the male silverware.
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In the relays Team Beecroft picked up the sprint title, with Team Choppers claiming the Olympic. The oldest winners on the day were Tom Rylance (79) and Daphne Belt (76), with Tom completing the run section barefoot! Many other awards were handed out to each of the age group winners, with full results available from www.humanrace.co.uk/results
Thinking about competing next year? The Windsor Triathlon will return on Sunday 18th June 2017. Registration is already open for those who want to take up the challenge, with a £20 discount if you enter in the next few days
The beautiful Central American country of Costa Rica is to hold a Ironman 70.3 race in June 2017. The inaugural event will take place on Sunday, June 18, 2017, in Playa del Coco, Guanacaste, located on the Pacific Coast.
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“With its beautiful natural landscape and indigenous flora and fauna, Costa Rica is the ideal place to host an Ironman 70.3 race,” said Wilber Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of Miami Tri Events and Colombia Tri Events and licensee of this new race. “We are confident that this event will become a classic as participants cross the finish line in a stunning location that will let them know their effort was worthwhile.”
The triathlon begins with a 1.9km one-loop swim in the Gulf of Papagayo, while riding the 90 km two-loop bike course through the region’s lush vegetation, will give participants the chance to see monkeys and iguanas, if they take their eyes off the road.
The 21 km (13.1 mile) run course takes place between palm trees with an ocean view and brings athletes to the finish line in breathtaking Playa del Coco, Guanacaste.
“It is a great honour to welcome athletes and their families from around the world to our country,” said Mauricio Ventura, Minister of Tourism of Costa Rica. “This is an opportunity for everyone to come together and enjoy the race with thousands of supporting spectators.”
“Costa Rica’s lavish rainforests, beautiful beaches on the Pacific Ocean and endless biodiversity make it the perfect destination race,” expressed Edwin Vargas, Vice President of Colombia Tri Events. “Athletes will be greeted by a country that values ecotourism with such energy, they will feel the appreciation for nature, local society and culture immediately.”
Swimrun came to the UK in a big way this weekend, as the Swedish originators of the format, ÖtillÖ, hosted their first world series British race in the Isles of Scilly.
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Meaning ‘island to island’ the ÖtillÖ series began as the result of a drunken bet between two friends, who wondered how long it would take to race across the Stockholm archipelago of islands. That race now forms the world championship event each September, but as the format increases in popularity, more qualifying races are appearing across Europe.
ÖtillÖ Isles of Scilly in pictures
Across land and sea
The swimrun format comprises alternating sections of tough trail running and sea swimming and you race in teams of two, so each pairing can support each other through the often tricky race conditions. In the Scilly race, competitors took on a total distance of 37.5km, with 30km of trail running around the Scilly coastlines and 7.5km of swims between islands.
Those swims weren’t for the faint-hearted either. The first swim was 2,000m and the last – back to the starting island of St Mary’s – was 2,350m against a tricky current. Shorter swims made up the middle section as the race truly lived up to the ‘island to island’ concept.
Athletes from all over the world attended. Many Swedish swimrunners were in Scilly hoping to take the win at the first UK race, while it also attracted people from as far afield as Japan. Many British athletes were competing to try the format for the first time and they included former pro triathlete and swim coach Richard ‘the fish’ Stannard, who was competing with ultra-runner Andrew Fargus.
Winning strategy
It was Stannard and Fargus who led from the start and stuck to a clear race strategy to eventually take the win in the hotly-contested men’s category. “We set off hard to take the lead and pressed all the way, but we had to constantly look over our shoulders,” said Stannard. “Swimrun is not just a race, it’s a massive adventure and this course is beautiful!
“It is a stunning set of islands and such a great way to see them. Even if you are trying to win you get through some amazing scenery and there were lots of people cheering along the course, which was really welcoming. The race was tough, especially the last 2,350-metre-long swim when the body really starts to feel it.”
In the women’s and mixed races it was the Swedish teams that prevailed, with the current Women’s ÖtillÖ Swimrun World Champion Annika Ericsson taking the win in the women’s category with her partner Maria Edstedt.
Also racing was 220 Triathlon Editor Helen Webster (check back online later this week for her race blog) with Swedish partner Göran Wernqvist, and 220 writer and adventure racer Andy Blow, whose race report will appear in the next issue of 220.
Top 3 Race Results
Men 1. Richard Stannard and Andrew Fargus (GBR), Team Richard & Andrew, 5:02:44 2. Stefano Prestinoni and Fredrik Axegård (SWE), Team Swimshop.se, 5:04:22 3. Henrik Wahlberg and Claes Wiréhn (SWE), Team Löplabbet, 5:07:33
Mixed 1. Martina Ågren (USA) and Oskar Davidsson (SWE), Team Carbon 5:49:14 2. Anna Schlosser (SWE) and Johan Johansson (DEN), Team Crawlkurser.com 6:04:34 3. Ulrik Persson and Maggan Persson (SWE), Team Helikopter Wing 6:41:21
Women 1. Annika Ericsson and Maria Edstedt (SWE), Team Trispot, 5:56:40 2. Rosemary Byde and Isobel Joiner (GBR), Team sportextreme.com 6:21:39 3. Jenny Rice and Claire Wilson (GBR), Team Girls Wot Can, 6:41:47
For a complete result list click here. To find out more about ÖtillÖ visit the website here.
Tempted to try a race? See the current issue of 220 Triathlon for a 6-page feature on swimrun gear. Subscribe here.
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To discover more about the Isles of Scilly, go to visitislesofscilly.com. To book your journey, visit islesofscilly-travel.co.uk or phone 01736 334220. There are Skybus flights to St. Mary’s all year round from Land’s End and Newquay Airports, and between March and October from Exeter Airport. Prices start from £140 return from Land’s End. From spring to late-autumn, the Scillonian lll passenger ship sails up to seven days a week between Penzance and St. Mary’s. Prices start from £90 return. 220 Triathlon stayed at the fantastic Star Castle Hotel, St. Mary’s, star-castle.co.uk.
In the Olympic distance triathlon at The Dambuster’s triathlon at Rutland Water William Cowen (Jackpot Racing), was the overall winner, just 16 seconds clear of David Bartlett (Cycleogic.co.uk). Separated by just two seconds in the swim, David gained around 30 seconds over the rolling bike course, before William managed to reverse the positions with a 34:41 run split, which was the fourth fastest of the day. Third overall was Ashley Hurdman (Huub TFN RT) who overcame a two-minute swim deficit with an exceptional bike performance and strong run, to finish just 15 seconds slower than David. All three won their respective categories.
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Claire Hann (Bikescience) was the overall winner in the women’s field. Starting with the fastest swim time of the day, she ended with the fastest run too – and came very close to making it a clean sweep on the bike. Only Emma Dreary, (Stortford Tri), who took second overall was able to go just a few seconds quicker on the bike than Claire.
Becky Schofield (Physio Resolutions) completed the podium with a strong performance across all three disciplines. As with the men, all three also won their respective age-group races in the process.
On Sunday the Ffit Conway Triathlon hosted the final, draft-legal sprint distance Cozumel qualifier in North Wales, courtesy of Xtra Mile Events.
In the women’s Jacqui Phillips (TRIKS) was able to show the youngsters a thing or two by taking the win and first place in the 45-49 category. A long-time member of the Great Britain team, Jacqui will be hoping to add Gold in Cozumel to a CV., which already counts European and World Championship medals into double figures over Triathlon, Duathlon and Aquathlon events.
For the men, it was a youngster, Benjamin Baugh (Linc Squad) who won the 15-19 category and overall hounours by almost one minute from Grant Bateman (Hillingdon Triathletes). James Hodgson completed the podium, with all three athletes taking first place in their respective age-groups.
Dambuster Triathlon
ITU Qualifier 2016 (Standard Distance) 1.5km / 42km / 10km
The British female athlete’s consistent run of medals continued at the ETU Triathlon European Under-23 Championships in Burgas, Bulgaria with Sophie Coldwell winning a silver medal in the individual race over the sprint distance
Originally meant to be held over the Olympic distance,Coldwell, as a strong swimmer, would have hoped the swim would have provided more opportunity of a breakaway in perhaps her strongest discipline. Despite leading out of the revised 750m non-wetsuit swim, however the flat nature of the course saw athletes regroup and a large pack all descend upon T2 in close proximity with the medals to be decided on the 5km run course. Zoe Thomaswas also in that lead group at the start of the run. A very close finish saw the first four athlete cross the line within six seconds, Coldwell surprising herself on the run to take the silver medal just one second in arrears to Italy’s Angelica Olmo.
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“Can’t believe little old me got my first championship medal from a run race!” she said after the event.
Coldwell also helped the mixed British team, of Zoe Thomas, Christopher Perham and Morgan Davies to a silver. In a close battle throughout, Italy took top spot on the podium in the final stages with the British team having to serve a 10 second penalty, Davies bringing the team home for the Silver with Spain completing the podium for the Bronze medals.
Spain’sDavid Castro Fajardo took the Gold in the Men’s race, with Grant Sheldon(fifth), the leading British athlete. As with the Women’s event, despite various attacks and breaks on the bike it was all down to the final 5km run as a huge group reached the second transition separated by very few seconds.
Burgas ETU Triathlon U23 European Championships – 750m / 20km / 5km (race amended to Sprint distance)
New research shows a lack of sleep can cause an athlete performance to fall significantly. The research, carried out by scientists at the University of California, showed energy expenditure during submaximal exercise decreased 3.9 percent; maximal aerobic power decreased 2.9 percent and time to exhaustion decreased by 10.7 percent (37 seconds). Submaximal heart rate decreased after sleep restriction, as well as peak heart rate and Psychomotor Vigilance Test response speed.
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“Our study is unique since we examined the relationship between sleep, physical performance, cognitive functioning, and physiology simultaneously,” said lead investigator, Cheri Mah, MS. “Future studies are needed to better understand the physiologic responses to sleep restriction, and conversely sleep extension, to understand the dose response of sleep interventions on performance and health.”
The study involved 12 healthy elite male cyclists who either had restricted sleep to 4 hours for three days or extended sleep to 10 hours for two weeks. Cyclists completed a baseline week of habitual sleep and a 2-week washout period in between interventions. Outcome measures pre and post intervention included: a 20-minute submaximal test, a 1-minute incremental maximal exercise test, and a maximal time to exhaustion test on a bicycle ergometer and metabolic collection system as well as the Psychomotor Vigilance Test.