The women’s pro race was also won by a debutante – Australia’s Ashleigh Gentle, more often seen racing the ITU World Triathlon Series, who won silver at WTS Yokohama last month behind Gwen Jorgensen (USA) in one of her career-best performances.

More than 2,000 athletes took part in this year’s race, starting with a 2.4km open-water swim from the infamous penitentiary of Alcatraz Island to the shoreline of Marina Green, followed by a 29km hilly bike ride through the Presidio, and finishing with a 12.8km trail run out to Baker Beach and up the infamous Sand Ladder.

It’s getting real on the Hornblower! 25 min until everyone abandons ship! @EscapeAlcatraz pic.twitter.com/iW1UeRoqYA

— Timothy O’Donnell (@TOinTRI) June 7, 2015

Both winners were pushed hard right to the end though: Lagerstrom managed to pull ahead of 2013 winner Andy Potts (USA) just before the finish line and winning by just two seconds, while Gentle crossed the line just 15secs ahead of second-placed Lauren Goss (USA). 

“I have been racing since I was 12 years old and this race has always been a bucket list race for me,” said Lagerstrom, 25. “This is a dream come true to win the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon my first time competing. 

“This course with the swim from Alcatraz Island and the deep sand run with sand steps was like nothing I have ever experienced before. Running down the finish line neck and neck with six-time champion Andy Potts and the thousands of spectators cheering was so cool.”

.@EscapeAlcatraz …certainly a race like no other!! Honoured to take the win at the 35th Anniversary event 🙂 pic.twitter.com/Jp3iT7ySfh

— Ashleigh Gentle (@AshleighGentle) June 8, 2015

Men’s race

1. Eric Lagerstrom (USA) 2:02:06
2. Andy Potts (USA) 2:02:08
3. Kevin Collington (USA) 2:02:40

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Women’s race

1. Ashleigh Gentle (AUS) 2:13:43
2. Lauren Goss (USA) 2:13:58
3. Mirinda Carfrae (AUS) 2:15:32

For the full results head here.

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German Jens Roth exited the water at the Lake Hardtsee in 24:05mins, nine seconds ahead of the strong swimmer Andreas Boecherer. Kienle was in 10th place and left the water in 24:27mins, lost some time in transition, but then hammered his way back to the front on the hilly bike course.

Boecherer made an early and decisive move but struggled a bit on the run, while Kienle managed to ignore the high temperatures and hard bike ride. After an impressive bike split of 2:08:45 he ran a 1:15:26 half marathon to take a superb win ahead of Boecherer and strong runner McNamee.

Men’s podium (left to right): Andy Boecherer, Sebastian Kienle, David McNamee

Women

The women’s race was also decided on the bike: Camilla Pedersen (DEN) and Anja Beranek (GER) escaped from a group of four leaders after the swim to nail down a gap for the run, knowing that Germany’s Julia Gajer is always a superb runner.

Beranek had the best bike split in 2:30:07 and reached T2 together with Pedersen, but the race was still very close when it came down to run. Gajer was only 2:06mins behind starting into the run, but she could already feel the heat.

She was able to pass Beranek for second place, but Pedersen had a steady run pace and kept the advantage on her side to take a great win. Through 18km, Beranek got passed by her fellow countrywoman Svenja Bazlen.

Julia Gajer on the bike at Ironman 70.3 Kraichgau

Top 5 men

1. Kienle, Sebastian (GER): 3:51:56
2. Boecherer, Andy (GER): 3:58:06
3. McNamee, David (GBR): 4:00:25
4. Costes, Antony (FRA): 4:01:18
5. Lange, Patrick (GER): 4:02:42

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Top 5 women

1. Pedersen, Camilla (DEN): 4:24:56
2. Gajer, Julia (GER): 4:27:16
3. Bazlen, Svenja (GER): 4:29:14
4. Beranek, Anja (GER): 4:30:40
5. Philipp, Laura (GER): 4:32:40 

For full results head here.

(Images: Ironman Europe)

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>>> Six questions to ask yourself before going ultra-long

Gerundini, 46, has won some famously tough races in the past few years including the Double Brutal in north Wales last year and the Deca-Enduroman back in 2012. He managed sixth at The Bastion last year, crossing the line in 11:44:09.

“If all goes to plan, I hope to get to 100 at The Bastion triathlon,” he says. “I have currently done 91 so have eight to do between now and the 12th July but will be competing in an event where I will do five in five days, plus three others, so I should get there.

“I loved The Bastion, it is just ace and would recommend it to anyone. I did it in 2014 and loved the course, the atmosphere and the personal attention that everyone receives.”

The Bastion starts with a 3.8km swim from the Italianate loggia down the length of the main lake before passing the Japanese tea house and heading into the scenic river section.

Athletes then tackle a 180km three-loop bike course with around 2,000 metres of ascent, finishing with a four-lap run route which is mainly off-road and finishes in front of the Hever Castle drawbridge.

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For more info on this year’s race and to enter, head here.

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Challenge Galway will take place on 24-26 June in a UNESCO Global Geopark, and two-time Ironman world champion Chris ‘Macca’ McCormack has already signed up. Sound good? You can pre-register from today (8 June) 2015, and entries will open on 21 June 2015.

Challenge Family CEO Zibi Szlufcik says the new race “captures the true essence of Ireland, and the bike course in particular is absolutely spectacular”.

McCormack added: ““It’s exciting we finally have one there [Challenge event] in Galway in June 2016. I’ve never raced a triathlon in Ireland, so this is a great excuse for me to head up there and have a race!”

For more info head to www.challenge-galway.eu

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Bahrain will offer 40 age-group qualification slots for the 2016 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Sunshine Coast, Australia, while Dubai will offer 30 spots.

“We are delighted to be able to establish Ironman 70.3 races in the Gulf region that is an emerging hotbed for triathlon,” said Andrew Messick, CEO of Ironman. “Besides having passionate triathletes, Bahrain and Dubai have demonstrated an extraordinary ability to host great events. We are looking forward to working with our partners to create some of the greatest races in the world — with the hope of expanding in this region.”

The race in Bahrain will be a point-to-point triathlon which passes some of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s most significant attractions, including Al Fateh Grand Mosque, the Bahrain Bay and F1 Bahrain International Circuit.

Challenge Family did launch their own middle-distance races in Bahrain and Dubai last year as part of the Nasser bin Hamad Triple Crown. Ironman spokesperson tells 220 however that the races announced today are “entirely new events created and run by Ironman”.

More details as soon as we have them…

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This year’s race will also be the ‘world’s first half-distance night triathlon’, according to the organisers. The swim will take place as the sun sets over Bahrain’s spectacular skyline, and the athletes will complete the bike and run in the dark along a well-lit course.

“We are delighted to announce Challenge Bahrain 2015 under the direction of new general manager, Mikel Calahorra,” said Challenge Family CEO, Zibi Szlufcik.

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“We have no doubt that Challenge Bahrain will again set new standards for triathlon with its exciting night race format and we very much look forward to returning to this spectacular nation.”

Helle Frederiksen wins Challenge Bahrain 2015

Some of the world’s top triathletes are expected to be racing this November, including current 70.3 world champion Daniela Ryf (GER) and this year’s Challenge Dubai winner Terenzo Bozzone (NZL), along with more than 1,000 age-groupers. Last year’s Challenge Bahrain was won by Helle Frederiksen (DEN) and Michael Raelert (GER).

Entries will open this Thursday (11 June) at an early-bird special rate of $280 for individual athletes. For more info head to www.challenge-bahrain.com.

This news follows hard on the heels of Ironman’s announcement yesterday that it will host the 70.3 Middle East Championship in Bahrain this December, and a new 70.3 race in Dubai in early 2016. 

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The course sends athletes out of T1 from Oranmore to Clarinbridge Estuary – the easternmost point of Galway Bay – and joins the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s longest defined coastal touring route.

Presenting some of the most breathtaking scenery anywhere in the world, the organisers describe it as a picture postcard of Ireland. Riders can enjoy spectacular scenery through The Burren & Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark. 

Corkscrew Hill, Ireland

As they climb the switchbacks of ‘Corkscrew Hill’, riders will be rewarded with views over the Burren to the coast returning via a magnificent oceanside section from Doolin through to the beautiful seaport village of Kinvarra.

Challenge Galway will be take place on 24-26 June 2016, featuring a range of distances and formats including full, half, women-only and kids’ races.

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So we’ve asked the Kenwood Ladies’ Pond Association, authors of Wild Swimming Walks (Wild Things Publishing, £14.99), to share their favourite country walks with us – each one featuring a recommended wild swim…

>>> 220’s guide to the UK’s best open-water swimming venues

Shepreth to Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

Maps: OS Landranger 154 (Cambridge & Newmarket) or OS Explorer 209 (Cambridge). 

A 9.5 mile walk. From Shepreth train station, follow the signposted footpaths through Barrington, Harston, Hasslingfield and then onto Grantchester. The River Cam can be followed into Cambridge. The River Cam is a clear river with a modest current, and offers scope to do a long swim downstream from Grantchester all the way to Newnham. 

Farnham to Frensham Great Pond

Map: OS Landranger 186 (Aldershot and Guildford); OS Explorer 145 (Guildford and Farnham); for the Bentley option only, OS Explorer 144 (Basingstoke). 

An 8 mile walk from Farnham Station. The main swim is in Frensham Great Pond, and there are also swims in the young River Wey. Follow the North Downs Way along the River Wey, then join the Surrey Cycleway Link before your fist swim in Tilford. You can then follow a track to Frensham Great Pond.

Southease to Newhaven

Map: OS Landranger 198 (Brighton & Lewes); OS Explorer 123 (Eastbourne & Beachy Head). The hamlet of Southease is on Explorer 122, not 123, but is easy to find without the second map.

This is a walk of contrasts, between tranquil Southease, and the industrial present and remains of Newhaven. Follow the South Downs Way signposts eastwards to Itford Hill. Follow the ridge, and descend to the sea. The best place to access fairly deep water at any tide is outside the Newhaven and Seaford Sailing Club.

Manningtree circular 

Maps: OS Landranger 168 (Colchester); OS Explorer 184 (Colchester) and 196 (Sudbury, Hadleigh & Dedham Vale).

A beautiful walk through Constable country with several opportunities to enjoy good river swimming in the famous Stour. A particularly good spot is opposite Dedham Mill where the river opens into a pond and there is a small beach. Follow footpaths to Flatford and Dedham, and once you’ve sawm, follow the river back to Manningtree station.

Shillingford to Didcot

Map: OS Landranger 164 (Oxford) or OS Explorer 170 (Abingdon, Wantage & Vale of White Horse).

An easy walk with plenty of opportunities to swim in the River Thames. There are many possible swimming places – the river is quite wide and deep and easy to swim across.  Follow the footpath signed for the Thames Path. At Little Wittenham follow the river bank to Day’s Lock and a weir. A cycle track will take you back to Didcot station.

Kirby Cross to Frinton and Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex

Maps: OS Landranger 169 (Ipswich & The Naze); OS Explorer 184 (Colchester, Harwich & Clacton-on-Sea).

A perfect summer’s walk of 10.5 miles with sea swims from sandy beaches. From Kirby Cross station footpaths lead through open countryside, past the village of Great Holland, all the way to the sea. All the way along the shore, the swimming is exceptional with sandy beaches.

Folkestone to Dover, Kent

Maps: OS Landranger 179 (Canterbury & E Kent); OS Explorer 138 (Dover, Folkestone & Hythe).

Starting from Folkestone station, the day starts with swims from shingle coves or sandy beaches and continues with a 9 mile walk over towering cliff tops and past mysterious relics of war. The first swimming opportunity is from Mermaid beach, Mill Point. The second swim is on the other side of Folkestone Harbour at Sunny Sands, a lovely sandy beach. 

Chilworth to Guildford, Surrey

Map: OS Landranger 186 (Aldershot & Guildford) or OS Explorer 145 (Guildford & Farnham)

This 8 mile walk crosses heathland dotted with pretty Surrey villages before dropping down to follow the Wey Navigation, where there are many swimming places. From Chilworth station, the route crosses a mixture of wild and rather forbidding heathland, but soon gives way to gentle pastures, small woods and cosy commuter villages. The swimming is good with sandy beaches.

(Images: Margaret Dickinson / Sarah Saunders / R Corney / Liz Valentine)

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Wild Swimming Walks: 28 lake, river and seaside days out by train from London by the Kenwood Ladies Pond Association (Wild Things Publishing, £14.99) is available from all good bookshops and www.wildthingspublishing.com

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Prime Minister David Cameron, whose constituency of Witney includes Blenheim Palace, says: “There are few things more distressing than being diagnosed with cancer and, while survival rates are improving, there is so much more to do. My Government will not stop until Britain is the best place in Europe to survive cancer and organisations like Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research play a crucial role in achieving this goal with its compassionate care of patients and cutting-edge research.

“All of us will know someone who has been affected by cancer. This is such an important cause and I want to wish everyone involved in the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Blenheim Palace Triathlon the very best of luck. Together, we really can beat blood cancer and help to improve the lives of cancer patients across the UK.”

Scarlett’s Dragons

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One group of Oxford fundraisers who will be drawing on Cameron’s message of support are “Scarlett’s Dragons”, a team of 164 parents rallying together on Sunday 14 June in support of 10-year-old Scarlett Clarkson who has leukaemia. The group has already raised £62,500 for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research.

Scarlett was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in January 2011 when she was just six years old. Unfortunately her initial chemotherapy treatment was unsuccessful and she relapsed, requiring further chemotherapy, steroids and radiotherapy.

Throughout December 2013 she rarely returned home, aside from Christmas Day when she had to be rushed back to hospital at 9pm with a treatment-related infection. She will continue to receive treatment for another year.

Scarlett’s parents, Dan and Bryony Clarkson, will both be taking part in the triathlon this year and are hoping to raise even more money and awareness for blood cancer: “We are aiming high with our fundraising again, as this is a cause which is so close to our hearts,” says Dan.

“Having a child with cancer has a devastating impact, both for the child and their family. If we can help reach a day when no other family has to go through the pain of having their child diagnosed with leukaemia, then the pain of our training will be well worthwhile.”

Scarlett met David and Samantha Cameron when they visited the hospital she was being treated. She was re-introduced to Samantha Cameron last year at a Downing Street reception held by the charity as part of September’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

To support Scarlett’s Dragons please visit www.virginmoneygiving.com/SomeoneSpecial/ScarlettsDragons. To keep up with all the latest news from the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Blenheim Palace Triathlon, visit www.theblenheimtriathlon.com.

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