A triathlon like no other

The only event of its kind, Will of Iron challenges you to complete an Ironman distance triathlon in one week, on your own or as part of a team.

Join hundreds of people across the UK for Will of Iron week: 2nd – 8th May

Swim 2.4 miles, cycle 112 miles and run 26.2 miles. Take part at the gym or outdoors and complete the distance over seven consecutive days.

The choice is yours

You can do the full (or half) distance by yourself or as part of a team. Your teammates can divide the miles by discipline or by distance.

Will of Iron can form part of your training for something bigger or be a stepping stone to your first triathlon.It’s up to you.

Sign up today and prove your Will of Iron.

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No matter what you choose, you’ll be doing something amazing by raising funds to help Willow create Special Days for seriously ill young adults. There are over 100,000 people in the UK right now whose lives could be touched by a Special Day, creating lasting memories that will be treasured forever.

We can’t wait to have you on the team! 

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Sign up today or find out more.

Those competing in the novice category had to endure a 200m swim in the pool, a 11km cycle before running 2.5km to the finish line. The sprint course was exactly twice as long as the novice course.

>>> How to pace your first sprint distance triathlon

The event got underway at around 8 o’clock in the morning, with competitors setting off every five minutes in the pool.

The sprint event was won by 20-year-old Kieran Hill in a time of 1 hour 1 minute and 33 seconds. He said: “It was a good win, it was a bit chilly on the bike, I couldn’t feel my feet as I came off into transition. With the rain coming down the run to the finish was a bit slippy but it wasn’t too bad. “

Graham Steinsberg, 58, was competing in his first triathlon in aid of CLIC Sargent: “My daughter had cancer at the age of 12 and we have raised £11,000 just for this event in two months. Today was really good fun, would I do another triathlon though? You’d have to ask me tomorrow!” 

Jonathan Nortcott, 34, said: “It wasn’t so bad actually, I think I prepared for the worst because I was expecting torrential downpour. But to have it pretty dry on the course makes it much easier. So it’s nice to finish and enjoy an Easter egg!”

Full results of the Good Fri Tri.

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Were you racing at Radley last weekend? Let us know in the comments below!

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>>> 50 Women to Kona campaign steps up a gear

To someone who doesn’t know about the movement, why is it so important?

Triathlon leads the way in many respects when it comes to equality. Women race over the same distance for the same prize money as men. This is brilliant and way ahead of some sports.

However, at one of the pinnacle events of the sport, the Ironman World Championships, 50 men are given the opportunity to qualify and race, while only 35 women are given that same opportunity (the same is true of the Ironman 70.3 World Championships). 

That is not equal. To some it may seem small, and say: “So what? It only affects 15 women.” Well, it affects 15 women every year. It means 15 women do not have the opportunity to represent their sponsors at the most visible event in the triathlon calendar.

Dear @CEOIronman, I tried to explain #50womentokona to my sons. Couldn’t. And to my daughters. Same. Sincerely, #agegrouperforequality

— Kent Lassman (@klassman) March 8, 2015

At TriEqual though, we think that the impact of unequal numbers at the top of the sport goes beyond just the professionals directly affected. Our mission is to help make triathlon a more fair and equal sport. Increasing women’s participation in the sport at all levels is encompassed by this. We believe that leading by an example can contribute to this effort. 

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How successful was the #50WomentoKona campaign which took place over International Women’s Day?

It was successful in bringing this issue to the attention of many more people. Many age-groupers and fans of the sport were not aware of the unequal numbers in Kona. When they understood the situation, well, many got straight onto social media to voice their support.

@50WomenToKona She might not make it, she might not want it, but she should have the chance #50womantokona pic.twitter.com/ITGWFFtTfj

— Scott Gray (@scottjamesgray) March 9, 2015

From our point of view (TriEqual) that was huge. It raised awareness and by doing so showed us that this issue does matter to people. It highlighted to us, and perhaps some at the WTC, that this issue has the support of people outside the professional women’s field and this support can help us pursue our objectives.

Why is there a large focus on Kona?

TriEqual is focusing on gaining 50 starting spots for the professional women for a few reasons. For many people Kona is their first introduction to this thing called Ironman. It is an iconic race – the event that is on almost every triathlete’s bucket list. It is a very visible show of inequality.

I don’t know much but I do know pissing off a group of motivated intellegent women is a bad idea. #50womentokona #TWU

— Harold Wilson (@hwfitness) March 8, 2015

It is unfair to the women’s professional field. Symbolically it looks wrong. Having unequal numbers at the very top of the sport sends out a message that the sport is not for men and women equally. Ironman could use the professional fields to lead by example: make the statement that triathlon is a sport for men and women equally.  

What has been your personal involvement with the campaign?

I first wrote about the unequal starting slots back in 2013. Since then I have been vocal on the subject at various points. Through racing and social media a few of us started talking about this issue again last summer, and then again earlier this year.

Oh yes! I support fairness & equality at the World Ironman Champs. Let’s get @50womentokona @womensday pic.twitter.com/8juOLz13K8

— Chrissie Wellington (@chrissiesmiles) March 8, 2015

Sara Gross wrote an excellent series of pieces looking at the history of women in the sport and looking at the ‘Kona issue’. That really put the wind beneath our sails and was a catalyst to really get us acting on our talk. That is how TriEqual was formed. 

In terms of my involvement: we are a group and so work together to discuss ideas, campaign and next steps.  I am just one of the contributors and voices of TriEqual.

What other groups are TriEqual campaigning for?

TriEqual was founded to promote equality in triathlon and to increase participation and diversity. We want to do this by expanding accessibility to the sport for all athletes, from beginners to elites. It is early days for us and yes, we have set our goals high.  

We are starting by focusing on the #50WomentoKona issue.  Ultimately we want to see the numbers of women participating equal that of the men so the age group fields in Kona grow to be 50:50. 

We also want to help make this sport more diverse. Thinking about all of this can be overwhelming so we are focusing on one step at a time – so watch this space.

What will be the next stage if Kona agree to open entry up to an extra 15 women?

We will look to continue with the other aspects of our mission statement. I think that will include brain storming over initiatives to increase participation by women in the age group fields. We are already looking at race dynamics and start times. 

After launching TriEqual we were flooded with offers of help. Our list of volunteers is at almost 300 so we will be looking to harness those skills and all that manpower. Basically I think I am saying – watch this space!!

How can people get involved?

TriEqual aims to makes it easy for people to get involved in the cause. There are a number of simple things 220 readers can do: 

– Sharing and supporting the issue on social media channels 
– Sporting 5Q temporary tattoos when racing
– Sending letters to event organisers and sponsors 
– Purchasing and wearing 5Q T-shirts
– You can also go to TriEqual.com and volunteer 

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What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!

>>> 8 ways to beat open water nerves

With just 300 spots available, the race will start at Putsborough Sands, with marshals recruited from Croyde Surf Lifesaving Club to keep athletes safe in the water. Once out of the ocean, competitors will begin the gruelling bike route, designed by pro cyclist Chris Green, who marked out the London 2012 Olympic bike course and is heavily involved in the Tough Mudder events. 

The bike course will take athletes through the villages of Croyde and Braunton before they start a challenging climb towards the town of Ilfracombe, then send them down a fast downhill stretch into the town, before returning them back to Putsborough via the hamlets of Pickwell and Pickwell Manor. 

The trail run will require competitors to ‘dig deep’ as they embark on this hilly (and possibly muddy, sheep-filled) route. An inspiring run devised by local athletes the route is an additional 2km longer than the usual Olympic tri distance as it allows the competitors to take in the panoramic views of Putsborough, Saunton and Croyde bay.

Event organiser Mike Morris said: “The course makes for a tough triathlon but we want to encourage everyone to take part whether you are an experienced triathlete or this is your first one. We want people to see the event as a great way to get fit, set themselves a challenge, and raise money for charity.”

The event takes place on Saturday 11 July with online entry and registration now live at www.croydeocean.co.uk. Entry is £55 for individuals, £84 for a relay team, and £55 minimum entry cost for The Ventia Corporate Challenge Team.

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Will you be entering the Croyde Ocean Triathlon? Let us know in the comments below!

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Having retired from professional Ironman racing, Raynard now runs a successful coaching business with his wife in his home town of Port Elisabeth. Here’s his advice on making your M-dot debut…

What do most newcomers to Ironman battle with?

The biggest battle for most newcomers to Ironman is the swim leg. The prospect of a 3.8km ocean swim can be quite daunting for someone who isn’t from a swimming background.

If you don’t have much swimming experience it definitely helps to consult a professional swimming coach to help you with stroke correction and how to develop a proper technique.

>>> Perfect your Ironman swim pacing

What advice would you give to someone who has never done a triathlon who is thinking of taking up the sport?

I’d probably advise them to start with a shorter distance triathlon like a sprint or 5150. If those go well they can start looking at longer distances like 70.3 or full Ironman.

Would you advise against doing an Ironman as your first triathlon?

Not necessarily. It all depends on your athletic ability and whether or not you already have some endurance experience. If you’re fairly confident in your athletic ability and you have some endurance sport experience then it’s certainly possible to do an Ironman as your first triathlon. 

In fact, some people find their first Ironman to be the easiest because they are fairly oblivious to the pain that lies ahead. It can actually be harder the second time around so sometimes ignorance is bliss when it comes to Ironman.

It’s all about the bike in the second leg of #SBIronman #IMAfricanChamps pic.twitter.com/IboeQdz9dk

— Standard Bank Group (@SBGroup) March 29, 2015

How much training do you need to do to complete an Ironman?

>>> Ironman: how many hours of training a week do you need?

If your aim is simply to finish then you don’t really need to train quite as hard as most people think. If you cover the 3.8km swim, the 180km cycle and the 42.2km run in smaller segments each week, and you stick to that for six months, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t finish an Ironman barring injury or unforeseen events.

However, if you want to do well then you really have to put in the hard yards. A big part of Ironman racing is mental as well as physical toughness. You need to train regularly to get your body accustomed to long bouts of endurance racing but in the end it’s your head that gets you through it. 

What sort of recovery tips do you have for Ironman athletes?

>>> Chrissie Wellington on… Recovering from an iron-distance triathlon

This is where it gets tricky as a lot of the science can be quite contradictory. Personally I favour active recovery in the form of very light exercise very soon after your race. Ideally you want to do a light 30 minute ride or a slow run to flush out your muscles the day after your race. 

The body repairs muscle by increasing blood flow to the affected area and light exercise is a great way to get the blood flowing again. If you suddenly do nothing after months of training and a hard race it can send your body into shock, which is when you build up lactic acid and essentially seize up. 

Where do most people stumble when it comes to Ironman?

>>> Free Ironman training plans

Most people stumble during the bike leg, although sometimes they only realise this on the run. Strong cyclists often go too hard on the bike and then pay for it on the run while strong runners are often unable to utilise their running strength because they’ve exhausted themselves on the bike. 

From a training point of view, Ironman is really mostly about the bike. You should really be spending at least 50% of your training time on the bike with the remainder divided more or less equally between swimming and running. If you have a strong swimming background then you can tilt the rest of your training slightly towards running, and vice versa. 

What other Ironman training tips do you have?

Don’t think of Ironman as three different sports. Think of it as one sport made up of three different events. You need to prepare to cycle after a swim and to run off the bike and that can only happen when you’re combining swimming and running or cycling and running or even all three disciplines while you’re training.

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To read more on Raynard Tissink’s Standard Bank Ironman blogs, you can visit www.blog.standardbank.com

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>>> Jonny Brownlee takes outstanding win at WTS Auckland

Under partly cloudy skies on the east coast of Australia, Slovakia’s Richard Varga led out of the 1.5km swim, followed closely by Jonny. Out of T1 and a small lead pack of four athletes quickly formed: Brownlee, Varga and Russian brothers Igor and Dmitry Polyanskiy. 

There was no Alistair to help drive the pace, with the elder Brownlee still out due to injury and expected to return for WTS Cape Town in two weeks’ time, but Jonny still marshalled their efforts to ensure the pace was kept high throughout the eight-lap 40km bike.

They continued to extend their lead from the chase group that contained all the big names Javier Gomez, Mario Mola, Richard Murray but at the start of the six lap Igor Plyanskiy crashed going into a corner reducing the lead group to three. The second and third chase groups merged and set about reducing the one minute gap. 

Murray, Benjamin Shaw (IRL), Ben Kanute (USA), Gomez and Ryan Bailie (AUS) all contributed to the effort and at the final change the gap was down to a 21sec deficit and applying some pressure to the three up front.

And that’s two in a row for @jonny_brownlee. @mariomola second & @Jgomeznoya third. #WTSGoldCoast pic.twitter.com/hNJepLqzWF

— World Triathlon (@worldtriathlon) April 11, 2015

Brownlee was the first to clear out and the first kilometre saw a group of Spaniards including Mola, Gomez and Vincente Hernandez formed the group to set about chasing down Brownlee. Mola seized his opportunity and grabbed a small lead in the last lap to earn himself the silver medal and his second time on the podium this year after winning in Abu Dhabi. 

“That is racing, we were in the third pack in the beginning, we could not close that gap but Jonny was amazing today he did a lot of work on the bike and then ran like a maniac so congratulations to him,” said Mola. “I am very happy with my performance, I think it has been a great race for all of the Spanish athletes, we are doing well.” 

Gomez grabbed the bronze medal and the last spot on the podium when he also pushed in the last lap to break away from Hernandez. 

“It was very tough today. I felt better towards the end of the run but the first laps I struggled on the pace,” said Gomez. “It was kind of an average race out there for me, my swim was not great, it was not my best day but I secured a spot on the podium which is always good. Jonny was strong today and so was Mola.”

Elite Men

1. Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) – 01:46:53
2. Mario Mola (ESP) – 01:47:11
3. Javier Gomez Noya (ESP) – 01:47:21
4. Vicente Hernandez (ESP)– 01:47:26
5. Richard Murray (RSA) – 01:47:45
6. Pierre Le Corre (FRA) – 01:47:55
7. Fernando Alarza(ESP) – ES01:48:18
8. Joao Pereira(POR) – 01:48:19
9. Ryan Bailie (AUS) – 01:48:23
10. Courtney Atkinson (AUS) – 01:48:30

View full results.

Rankings Men

1. Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) – 2186 pts
2. Javier Gomez Noya (ESP) – 1967 pts
3. Mario Mola (ESP) – 1809 pts
4. Fernando Alarza(ESP) – 1635 pts
5. Ryan Bailie (AUS) – 1305 pts

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What did you think of the race? Let us know in the comments below!

>>> Gwen Jorgensen bags her first WTS Auckland win

Jorgensen wore the number two today after the number one spot was left unoccupied in a fitting tribute to the late Aussie triathlete and coach Jackie Fairweather, who passed away in 2014. The golden bike rack was also left open to remember Fairweather..

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Ideal conditions did little to break up the women on the two lap swim but a quick transition saw a tight-knit lead group of eight form at the front of the flat and very technical 40-kilometre bike course.

The tough course caused some early casualty’s including Australian Natalie van Coevorden forced to withdraw. The front group included Lucy Hall (GBR), Flora Duffy (BER), Jorgensen, Zaferes, True, Rebecca Clarke (NZL), Pamella Oliveira (BRA) and Jessica Learmonth (GBR).

A large chase group, led interchangeably by Andrea Hewitt (NZL) and Australia’s Ashleigh Gentle and Emma Moffatt remained at a distance of about a one-minute deficit from the leaders entering into the second transition.

Jorgensen held her own in the swim remaining in touch and with the lead group heading back into into transition right behind Jessica Learmonth (GRB) who led out. Her swim and bike skills continue to improve which is not good news for her competitors.

Jorgensen played an active part in the front group with Duffy and True also driving the bunch that worked effectively together to ensure they stayed away throughout the entirety of the eight-lap technical course.

Her remarkable effort the first two disciplines set her up perfectly to then unleash her weapon on the run. She cruised across the finish line to earn the gold medal at 1:57:00. Despite having to serve a 15-second penalty for a transition infringement, Jorgensen still executed a standout run to keep her perfect 2015 season intact and win her third WTS race of the year.

I am so happy with my win at #WTSColdCoast today. What an amazing day for Team USA going 1-2-3 @sgroffy @KZaferes6 pic.twitter.com/ofSXeAJeTy

— gwen jorgensen (@gwenjorgensen) April 11, 2015

True took home the silver medal with a time of 1:58:18, giving her the first podium finish of the season after she placed ninth in Abu Dhabi and eighth in Auckland. The USA sweep was complete when Zaferes was able to grab third in a time of 1:58:36. The bronze medallist now has earned three for three on podium finishes in the WTS circuit for the year and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

“I don’t think you ever have a perfect race but I was certainly thrilled to come out of the water and be in the front pack right away,” said Jorgensen afterwards. “I mean one, two, three for Team USA, I don’t think you can get any better standing on the podium and looking over and seeing the other two girls and hearing the national anthem, we could not ask for anything more,” said Jorgensen.

Full women’s results.

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Jonny put in one of his very best performances to date, narrowly missing a crash on the latter stages of the bike, while Gwen led a clean sweep in the women’s race for Team USA.

Elite men

>>> Jonny Brownlee runs ‘like a maniac’ for gold

Elite women

>>> Gwen Jorgenesen wins eighth consecutive WTS title 

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What did you think of the races? Let us know in the comments below!

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Up to 10,000 youngsters aged 8 to 13 are expected to take part in the series, organised by British Triathlon and sponsors Tata Steel:

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May 19: The Pods leisure centre, Scunthorpe
May 20: International Swimming Pool, Corby
June 3: Workington Leisure Centre
June 4: Eston Leisure Centre, Teesside
June 9: Wishaw Sports Centre
June 26: Alun Leisure Centre, Mold
June 29: Westfield Sports Centre, Sheffield
July 7: National Pool, Swansea
July 9: International Sports Village, Newport
July 14: London Aquatics Centre and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Josh Jones, 18, took part in a Kids of Steel triathlon event at the age of 12. A dedicated swimmer and runner from an early age, he jumped at the chance to give triathlon a go at a Kids of Steel event in Scunthorpe with his school – and last year became British Age-Group Triathlon Champion.

“Kids of Steel reinforced my love of sport and encouraged me to continue training hard”, said Josh. “Now I’m representing Great Britain at age-group level in the sport I love and I hope to become an even stronger athlete in the future.”

For more info head here.

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Has your child taken part in a Kids of Steel event? Let us know in the comments!