As many expected, it was current WTS title holders Javier Gomez and Gwen Jorgensen who reigned supreme on Copacabana Beach yesterday (Sunday 2 August), with Gomez booking his place at a third Olympics, while Jorgensen will be racing her second.

Vincent Luis (FRA) and Richard Murray (RSA) both fulfilled their country’s requirements to line up again in Rio next year as they rounded out the men’s podium.

Women’s race

Following the 1500m sea swim, Jodie Stimpson was the leading British athlete with Stanford and Holland close behind. Helen Jenkins unfortunately was kicked several times during the swim, forcing her to withdraw.

The hilly multi-lap bike course saw a group including Stimpson, Stanford, Holland, Jorgensen and Sarah True (USA) break away and stay away. After the first few kilometres of the run, Holland, Stanford, True and Jorgensen managed to forge ahead, before disaster struck for Holland when she tripped over a barrier on the third lap and fell heavily.

Holland recovered but Jorgensen and Stanford had gone and she was left to fight True for bronze, which she achieved brilliantly. Stanford and Holland now need another podium finish at the Grand Final in Chicago next month to secure pre selection. Jodie Stimpson finished tenth, a solid result after injury.

“It was paramount I did well today for selection really and it’s boosted my confidence after a tough couple of years,” said Stanford. “The hill was pretty tough, there’s no two ways about it. We have smaller gearing on our bikes to help us get up. Great fast technical descent, I really enjoyed it. I think that tested a few people. All in all, it was a fantastic day and now I need to keep my head down and work towards Chicago.”

Men’s race

The men’s race got underway shortly afterwards, with two groups forming on the one-lap ocean swim at Copacabana Beach. Among the lead group were Richard Varga (SVK), Henri Schoeman (RSA) and a string of French men including Luis, Dorian Coninx (FRA) and Pierre Le Corre (FRA) exiting the water first, along with Gomez and Luis.

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Alistair Brownlee swam and biked superbly, sticking with the lead group in both legs and putting himself in a very strong position for a medal as he left T2. However, he struggled with an ankle injury on the run and had to ease off on the last lap.

Gomez and Luis forged ahead to close in on gold and silver, while Murray worked hard to claw back lost time and take bronze. Brownlee finished tenth, and GB’s Adam Bowden managed to finish 12th after putting in a strong run.

Men’s podium, left to right: Vincent Luis, Javier Gomez, Richard Murray

Brendan Purcell, performance director at British Triathlon, said: “Alistair wanted to hang on to third place but his injury let him down today. His swim and bike showed again that can get into a winning position and he almost held on, so although it wasn’t the result he wanted, there were a lot of positives.

“It’s been a good event overall, but obviously disappointing for some. Everyone has taken full advantage of the opportunity to experience what next year might be like.”

Women’s top ten

1. Gwen Jorgensen (USA) 01:58:46
2. Non Stanford (GBR) 01:59:05
3. Vicky Holland (GBR) 01:59:27
4. Sarah True (USA) 01:59:46
5. Barbara Riveros (CHI) 02:00:08
6. Katie Zaferes (USA) 02:00:26
7. Anne Haug (GER) 02:00:57
8. Annamaria Mazzetti (ITA) 02:01:00
9. Rachel Klamer (NED) 02:01:01
10. Jodie Stimpson (GBR) 02:01:04

Men’s top ten 

1. Javier Gomez Noya (ESP) 01:48:26
2. Vincent Luis (FRA) 01:48:40
3. Richard Murray (RSA) 01:49:01
4. David Hauss (FRA) 01:49:32
5. Dmitry Polyanskiy (RUS) 01:49:32
6. Aaron Royle (AUS) 01:49:34
7. Mario Mola (ESP) 01:49:37
8. Igor Polyanskiy (RUS) 01:49:41
9. Joao Silva (POR) 01:49:46
10. Alistair Brownlee (GBR) 01:49:54

(Images: Delly Carr / Werner Araujo)

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>>> Pain and suffering on Zombie Hill at the Norseman – blog

Water temperatures hovered around 10.5°C in Hardangerfjord, meaning the swim was halved for the first time in the race’s 13-year history – it’s usually closer to 13-15°C.

Nonetheless, 249 hardy athletes jumped in from the car ferry and began a long day of racing that would involve 1.9km of swimming, 180km of cycling and 42.2km of running.

Men’s race

Defending champion Allan Hovda had an impressive support crew that included Danish pro triathlete Rasmus Henning, who joined him for the last section of the run, which begins with the long uphill drag at 25km on the road known as ‘Zombie Hill’ and finishes at the top of the rocky Gaustatoppen mountain.

“It’s been an extremely rough day,” said Hovda after claiming the win in 9:43hrs. “Henrik Oftedal biked like crazy.” Second place went  to Lars Petter Stormo (NOR), and third place went to up-and-coming youngster Lars Kristian Vold. 

Women’s race

Norseman first-timer Kristin Lie battled her fellow Norwegian Line Foss all the way to the finish line, finishing nearly three minutes ahead with a time of 11:50hrs. Third place went to Line Marie Langseth. 

“I think the race was awesome,” said Lie afterwards. “The organisers, the crowd – everything was amazing. I felt I had control the whole time. I just kept smiling.

“My support gave me clothes, they gave me food – I was really prepared for a really cold bike ride. When we were at the top of the mountain, it’s cold. I had really huge gloves and a really huge warm jacket, so I was enjoying myself.”

For more results and race information, visit the website at www.nxtri.com.

Men’s results

1) Allan Hovda (NOR) 9:43:46
2) Lars Petter Stormo (NOR) 9:49:43
3) Lars Christian Vold (NOR) 9:54:27
4) Graeme Stewart (GBR) 10:04:36
5) Henrik Oftedal (NOR) 10:22:09

Women’s results

1) Kristin Lie (NOR) 11:50:48
2) Line Foss (NOR) 11:53:32
3) Line Mari Langseth (NOR) 12:13:42
4) Kari Flottorp Lingsom (NOR) 12:21:46
5) Silje Rafaelsen (NOR) 12:44:03

(Images: José Luis Hourcade)

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The scandal began over the weekend with a television documentary by German broadcaster ARD, which claimed to have obtained a leaked database belonging to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and containing thousands of blood tests for the period 2001 to 2012. 

ARD quotes two scientists as saying that analysis of these blood test results suggest a third of medals awarded in endurance races at the Olympics and world championships for the period covered were won by athletes who had recorded suspicious blood tests during their careers.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has since stated that the allegations require “swift and close scrutiny” to determine whether or not there have been breaches in the World Anti-Doping Code.

“WADA is very disturbed by these new allegations that have been raised by ARD; which will, once again, shake the foundation of clean athletes worldwide,” said Sir Craig Reedie, President of WADA. “Given the nature of these allegations, which are an extension to those that were raised by ARD’s December 2014 documentary, they will immediately be handed over to WADA’s Independent Commission for further investigation.”

However, many commentators have pointed out that a variety of factors must be taken into account when analysing blood tests, including the possibility of altitude training, dehydration, blood transfusions and more.

The IAAF is expected to release a formal response to the allegations imminently – more info as soon as we have it…

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(Main image: Nizar Kerkeni)

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This definition was news to me because the only time I’d ever heard the word before was when England footballer John Barnes used to drone on about Isotonic drinks in Lucozade Sport adverts in the 1990s. 

That was until I heard about a new and exciting triathlon event, the Isoman – exciting because some race organisers had been in a lab of their own, meddling with the format of Ironmans to come up with the concept of ‘triathlon equalised’. Chief lab-based race directors, Gary Jarvis and Phil Walker, worked out that most triathlon distances seem somewhat biased towards cycling and running, with only 10% of the total race time spent swimming, 50% cycling and 40% running. 

As a swimmer(ish) I’ve long had a chip on my shoulder that you don’t get equally rewarded for being good at swimming as you do for being good at cycling and running. For starters, you don’t get much of a lead for being a faster swimmer, people who don’t swim so well aren’t nearly as knackered as they should be when they get out, and bike legs become a depressing procession of the thwack-thwack-thwack sound of carbon wheels passing you. The aim of Isoman was to address this cruel treatment of poor swimmers and create a tri for which all disciplines demand an equal level of excellence/incompetence (delete as applicable).

The Isoman distances were set based on an equal third of total race time, which equated to a mere 61 miles on the bike but a whopping seven-mile swim. Oh, and still a bloody marathon. The venue for this jaunt was Arrow Valley Country Park in the heart of Worcestershire’s rolling hills, a mere hour from my house but a world away from the dull Midlands flatlands I inhabit, where the only way to inject some excitement into your cycling is to take unnecessary risks at level crossings.

With 12 Iromans under my belt I’m more than familiar with the usual format of race briefings which are carried out with the grim ceremony of a prison hanging, and transition areas which may as well be patrolled by an armed lion. I
was therefore pleasantly surprised by the informal, laid-back atmosphere of the Iso briefing, and even happier when I found out there were just 49 hardy souls taking on the full Isoman – there’s nothing like a guaranteed top-50 finish to put some steam in your stride. 

One of the additional quirks of Isoman was equalised transitions – a minimum transition time of seven minutes for T1 and five mins for T2, which happily took out the daddy-long-legs post-swim run and flinging
on of kit, which I’m crap at.

The seven mile swim 

The factors that usually enter my mind at the start of a race are whether the lake is the temperature of glacial meltwater and will I thus exit the water looking like a day-old corpse. This time though, the words SEVEN MILES are all I could think about, not just because the course is SEVEN MILES but because I know from a 10k training swim that my biggest enemies in a three-hour swim are dehydration and earworms – those unbidden tunes you get stuck in your head while you’re out on long training sessions. I prepare to combat the prospect of getting Gangnam Style or Tubthumping echoing round my brain by listening to my favourite iPod tunes right up to the start, but am distracted when I bump into my friends Kate Hutchings and Andy Waters-Peach (Peachy), who are both remarkably chipper for people about to meet their watery doom. 

In fact, the assembled crowd of swimmers are all very cheery considering what’s coming and when the race gets underway it’s far more polite than any open-water race I’ve ever done. The course is T-shaped, with plenty of turn buoys to break up the monotony and which are all negotiated with impeccable manners, probably because everyone knows that a bit of jostling is a fruitless waste of energy. 

Things turn livelier when the half-Iso-Manners get in, but overall I progress at the ponderous pace of a dreadnought, stopping every two laps for a drink of something that tastes suspiciously like Benylin. Apart from a slight tightness across the shoulders and a creeping concern about faecal coliform the swim passes without incident, and I’m enormously surprised to emerge from the depths in a time of 3:04:07 and fourth place.

The 61-mile bike

After dossing about in transition for my allotted seven minutes, and eating an energy bar which looks like a forearm boiled in yoghurt, I speed away on my trusty old road bike with tyres so inflated that potholes aren’t so much absorbed as battered into submission. After an initial short section on a dual carriageway, we’re off in to the leafy lanes. 

I don’t mind admitting I’m absolutely flying! I breeze the first 35 miles to the amusingly-named Upton Snodsbury before flying down to Throckmorton. Then a quick right hand turn towards Fladbury, another at Charlton, then another onto the extremely busy B4084 and…. hang on this doesn’t feel right. I’ve been dutifully following yellow arrow signs… right into the middle of Pershore High Street. 

There’s no experience more soul-stabbing than going the wrong way in a race. After a mighty swear, I ask Pershore’s shoppers to point me in the vague direction of Redditch and set off like Chris Froome if he really had an electric bike. I’m furious at having made a 10-tonne tit of myself but baffled at how I’ve gone wrong. 

I don’t have a satnav on my bike – as a middle-aged man I consider it my duty to regard technical developments with alarm and bewilderment – so after a couple of wrong turns around Pinvin I’m extremely lucky to stumble back on to the course courtesy of André Blincowe from Oxford Tri, who’s also lost having missed the turn for the Iso Quarter and ended up on the long course. Exchanging horror stories, André and I arrive back in bloody Throckmorton. 

This time I notice there’s no right hand turn to Fladbury – ah ha! It transpires that some stupid bum-funnel has put almost identical yellow signs for an entirely unrelated sportive out on the course, which sadly results in several Iso riders going wrong, many of whom decide not to continue with the race. In my case I’m too peeved to stop, and stamp furiously on despite running out of drink and ending up with a mouth that tastes like I’ve been chewing depleted uranium. When I finally roll into T2 the crows overhead start flying upside down because I’m not worth crapping on, and I manage a grand total of 79.4 miles instead of 61.3. I later find out that my time of 4:35:39 is the slowest bike split of anyone in the whole race. (But let me state for the record that I don’t hold the Iso organisers remotely responsible for this, the fault was entirely mine because it’s my responsibility to know the course.)

Brunty on the marathon, complete with cap to hide his ‘helmet hair’

The 26.2-mile run

Despite having five minutes to play with I take my helmet off and don my cap because after cycling my hair invariably looks like I’ve brushed it with a balloon, and even with my 18-mile detour I’m feeling sprightly when I heave off onto the run course. Once upon a time I had powers in triathlon running, but they’ve waned in recent years to the extent that I have to operate a reward system to keep myself going – for every mile run I give myself a Jelly Baby. (Note of caution – Bertie Bassett isn’t as generous as he used to be because there used to be enough in a bag to get you round a marathon, but here I ran out with three miles to go.)

A few miles in I fall into step with Sam Walsh, a young triathlete from Bolton who’s a lap ahead of me. We end up running together for nine miles despite me harping endlessly on about doing an extra 18 miles and coming out with quips that suggest I have the wit of a cardboard dog. Sam does a great job suppressing his smugness that he didn’t go wrong because he’d recce’d the bike course, and I miss his cheeriness when we part. It’s now a long, lonely run through Redditch’s grassy outskirts. But despite my steadily slowing pace and the solitude, I manage to keep running and chatting to any other competitors I see, such as Oxford Tri’s Nic Defillion who’s battling with blisters the size of my head.

My fourth and final lap is my slowest but when the finish line finally hoves into view I summon enough reserves not to look too decrepit for the photos and cross the line in 4:25:51 for a grand total of 12:07:51. 

So there I am, an Isoman, albeit a not especially equal one. Having the fourth fastest swim and marathon leads me to conclude I may have sneaked fourth spot, but that would do a disservice to my fellow unfortunates who came a cropper at the road sign of doom and who may well have caned me further up the road. As it was, 10th place overall isn’t too bad after my wanderings and being one of only 30 finishers has given me a sense that I belong to a very exclusive club which, after pondering the number of bike miles I added on and the number of finishers, I shall call Club 18-30.

So a massive well done to all 30 finishers of the first-ever Isoman. It was tough, but a brilliant concept and I really hope it catches on. I’ll definitely be back next year – for one thing, I’m guaranteed a massive PB.

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If you’re brave enough to take on the Isoman yourself, you can enter the 2016 edition here

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What do you think of the Isoman concept? Let us know in the comments! 

Also taking place in Fishguard the same day was the Ocean Lava Wales Middle Distance, acting as a qualifier for this year’s Ocean Lava final in Lanzarote.

The Wales Sprint Triathlon saw a close race between the top-10, with the first female, Carol Bridge (Rhondda Triathlon Club) heading out onto the run in second place overall, behind Alex Matchett the 1st place winner.

Des Devlin and Chris McCormack both managed to catch Carol Bridge on the run and over take her to secure a podium finish. Carol finished 4secs behind third place Chris McCormack, which saw her take fourth position overall and first female.

We loved having you @MaccaNow #walestriathlon come back again soon! #inspirethenation pic.twitter.com/lisilqGekT

— ActivityWalesEvents (@aweventsteam) August 1, 2015

A great race by Carol, who had a spare 16mins before second-placed female Claire Manson crossed the line. With very impressive splits of 11:56 swim, 38:58 bike and 20:08 run, Carol Bridge had a huge lead in the women’s race the entire way round the sprint course.

The winners of the Wales Sprint relay were Team Baddies with a time of 1.33.35, followed closely by Team Barnaby’s Angels, the 1st place junior relay team, with a time of 1:34:28. The junior first place went to Tom Kinnear with a time of 1.28.02, 2mins behind Tom’s older brother Billy Kinnear secured second place with a time of 1.30.07. 

Ocean Lava Wales Middle Distance

In the Ocean Lava qualifying race, last year’s champion Oliver Simon came out of the water second in the swim, just on the heels of James Grandfield who had a very quick swim split of 28:38mins.

Oliver then took the lead on the bike course, extending his lead to 3 minutes going into the run leg. Michael Birchmore then began to make his move and stun the crowd, not only by taking the lead by the second lap, but by putting a further 5mins into the defending champion Oliver on his home soil.  Oliver tried to respond, but Birchmore was simply on fire on the run leg clocking an impressive 1:19hr split on a tough course.

The women’s race saw an incredible battle for first place between Jessica Parry-Williams and Emma Newsome, Jessica exited the swim with a time of 35:15mins, ahead of Emma who completed the swim minutes behind with a time of 38:04mins.

Jessica Parry-Williams comes down the finish chute at Ocean Lava Wales 2015

Emma then took the lead on the bike, with an impressive time of 2.52.19, with Jessica’s bike split at 3:02:36. Jessica Parry-Williams then took the lead on the run and kept it to secure the first place podium finish, an impressive run split of 1:31:15, with Emma Newsome’s run time of 1:43:15.

The winners of the Ocean Lava Wales middle distance relay race were Team Ross Mcnally with a time of 5:06:14. Matt Bailey from Leicester Triathlon Club won the under-18 race with an impressive time of 5:37:55, seeing him take 52nd place overall. 

Wales Sprint Triathlon
Top three men

1st Alex Matchett 1:10:45
2nd Des Devline  1:11:52
3rd Chris McCormack 1:12:10 

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Top three women

1st Carol Bridge 1:12:14
2nd Claire Manson 1:28:05
3rd Karina Ebsworth 1:28:39

Ocean Lava Wales
Top three men

1st Michael Birchmore 4:24:31
2nd Oliver Simon 4:29:20
3rd David Francis 4:40:46

Top three women

1st Jessica Parry Williams 5:11:17
2nd Emma Newsome 5:15:57
3rd Nerys Jones 5:37:32 

For full results head here.

(Images: Huw Fairclough)

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>>> High drama for Brits at Rio 2016 Olympics test event

Described as one of the most important tools that Team GB athletes have at their disposal over the next 12 months, the enviro chamber replicates temperature conditions up to 55°C and all the way down to -25°C, and can also control the amount of oxygen available to athletes – simulating air conditions close to the height of Everest (8,848m). 

The tests enabled GSK scientists to gauge how the Brownlees respond to their environment when working hard, including measuring their individual sweat rate and electrolyte losses as well as the thermal impact by monitoring core body and skin temperature.

Alistair said: “Coming to a place like this is about getting the fine details right. When it comes to the Olympic Games you want to prepare in the best way possible for the event, covering all eventualities. One of those eventualities is that it could be very hot and humid so that’s what we’ve been working on here. Preparing for Rio conditions where hydration and nutrition strategies will be absolutely key to our performance.”

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The Rio test event took place just a few days ago, and Alistair started off very strongly before a recurrence of his niggling ankle injury forced him to ease off, finishing 10th. Jonny meanwhile sat out the test event due to a femoral stress fracture on his left leg – he hopes to be back racing in time for the WTS Grand Final in Chicago on 20 September.

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5 foods… that may prevent or ease cramp

Like what causes rust on race medals? How to speed up recovery between heavy training sessions? And what can be done about double calf cramps in the swim that make you look like an early casualty in a shark film?

First though, here’s Andrew Humphreys with a more natural approach to race nutrition which he picked up from the punishing sands of the Sahara:

“I have come to triathlon from a ultra marathon background and whilst doing long run training found that energy gels would often give me a quick lift and then I would get a rebound low.  This set me on a mission to find alternatives to the energy gel/ manufactured approach to race nutrition, I decided to take a leaf out of the Moroccans’ book and try dates, dried fruit and nuts; a lot of the Moroccan runners eat these to sustain themselves over the course of the Marathon De Sables.

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“Since trying this approach I never seem to get the highs and lows associated with manufactured products and can sustain myself for extended periods with limited intake; on a fasted six hour bike ride I will normally take in 2 bananas, 4/ 5 dates and a small handful of nuts.”

(Image: Rxmxbx)

Forum moderator ris has a clever idea for newbies getting nervous about their first triathlon:

“You could set yourself a ‘gold/silver/bronze’ time for each discipline, if you think there are some bits you can challenge. For a first bash at each distance the target can only be to finish and with a big smile on your face!”

On the subject of medals, Angiemac has some thoughts on the rust a fellow forum poster has spotted on their race awards:

“Greeny/yellow is probably the result of the salts from your sweat reacting with copper in your medal. Clean it off, give the medal a rinse, dry carefully and gloat in private. PS it shouldn’t be “catching” unless next to a medal of the same material or sweaty conditions continue.”

clareil is struggling with muscle recovery, and wants some advice:

“I’m currently training for my first sprint tri. I was reasonably fit coming into it and would run/gym it regularly.  Since starting out on my tri journey however I am really struggling with muscle recovery….a tough bike or run session leaves me stiff and sore for 2-3 days. I don’t want to take that much time off after each training sessions so some of my runs/bikes are complete torture with heavy legs. Any advice? I eat a good balanced diet, try to up carbs on training days but any advice for muscle recovery would be greatly appreciated! If i’m on fresh legs my training is amazing but not realistic unforunately to leave a break inbetween.”

(Image: iStockPhoto)

And finally, rob chalmers wants to know how to stop cramp making him look like an early victim in a shark film:

“Recently I suffered an amazing double calf cramp while attmepting (ne: failing) to do a  crawl-backstroke-crawl buoy turn. Honesty the cramps hit each calf so hard I must have looked like the girl at the start of Jaws! (but less naked and I was sober). Problem is it’s now 40hrs on and my right calf still feels solid and I can’t stand on tiptoes. Is this normal? anyone else had it?” 

(Main image: iStockPhoto)

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Head over to our Forum for lots more tri chat and advice

The action started early on Sunday 26 July with a 750m swim in Princes Quay, followed by a five-lap 17km bike leg on closed roads which passed Queens Gardens, the Old Town and the Fruit Market. The final 5km run leg passed tourist attraction The Deep and Myton Bridge.

The first athlete to cross the finish line was David Pearson, of Whitgift School Triathlon Club, with a time of 1:00:51. Naomi Drakeford took the first place for a female, representing local club Barracuda Triathlon, finishing the course in 1:06:38. 

Race Director Graeme Wrightson said: “A big thank-you to those who made the event possible. Whether it was helping out before, during or after the race, each person ensured Hull’s first triathlon was a great success. For an event in its first year, I think it went really well.  Next year is going to be even better.”

For full race results, visit www.hulltriathlon.com.

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Tri newbie Charlie Stephenson says he was scared – nay, petrified – to be among those lining up in skintight swimsuits on the banks of the Thames last summer. “As I anxiously stretched waiting further instructions an announcement came over the mic for all weak swimmers to head for the back of the wave. All of a sudden I transformed into MJ and started to discreetly moonwalk to the back.” He adds that after surviving the swim, the bike and run were “a piece of cake”, and he completed his first sprint triathlon in 1:14:19 – not a bad time!

Caroline Sparks took a big group of ‘Turtle Tots’ teachers, who all run their own baby and toddler swimming businesses, and entered the sprint relay with three teams. “Between us we successfully completed a 750m open water swim in the (very cold and grey) Royal Victoria Dock, a 20km bike ride and a 5km run. Most of us had never entered a triathlon or event on the scale of the London Triathlon before, so didn’t know what to expect, but we had a memorable and exhausting day, with a lot of fun and laughs too!”

Michelle Lee writes from Oz: “I live in the middle of the Outback in Australia in a place called Mount Isa – you might remember us from the news when the snake ate the crocodile last year. This happened right where our triathlon club hold their open water training sessions! Back in 2012 I was 101kg, walking 10km and swimming 1km every single day while eating a diet of less than 1200 calories a day and still putting on weight. I was being sent from specialist to specialist to work out what was wrong with me…

As it turns out, I was allergic to just about all the food I was eating. You can imagine, this was very frustrating and getting me down mentally. I had been to a local triathlon called the Dirt N Dust as a spectator for the last couple of years and I thought: ‘You know what? I don’t care what size I am, I am fit and I going to do it! 

“Fast forward 12 months and I’d completed my goal of the Dirt and Dust Triathlon (800m/25km/5km), ran my first half marathon and followed that the next week with a 140km bike ride for charity. I then set my sights on my first Olympic distance tri in November 2013 at iconic Noosa event on the Sunshine Coast. I was nervous of course, but determined to race at my own pace and enjoy every moment. I high fived everyone I could and still managed to come in under my goal time by more than 15 minutes. I was definitely hooked!

“So when an email appeared in my inbox saying that the registrations for the world’s largest Olympic distance tri in London were now open my interest was sparked enough to enter. On the day itself I was really nervous standing in the holding bay waiting for my wave to start, but a good nervous. I had just told myself that I all I have to do is keep moving forward in the swim and the rest will take care of itself.  And I was right, the swim was absolutely terrible!!  But I made it out the other side and got on my bike and off I flew, grateful to cross that finish line with my signature sprint finish and get my photo.” 

Paula Green did her third London Tri last year: “I’ve come a long way in three years… An asthmatic all my life, three years ago I couldn’t run to the end of my lane.  I’m a good swimmer and reasonable cyclist but could never run. I started running so that I could attempt a triathlon and after my first super sprint (where I walked the run) I was hooked. I joined a 5k course online and slowly build up the distance I could run. 

“The London Triathlon Olympic distance seemed like something beyond my capabilities but three years ago I signed up.  For me it was like entering a marathon. In 2012 the weather was – cold and very very wet, I had a hip injury and a chest cold – not good for an asthmatic – but I did it! Roll on to 2014 and I completed the London Triathlon Olympic distance one week after Ironman Zurich – and got a PB!!!! Not bad for someone turning 50 next year.”

Kate Burgoyne says she watched her brother take part in the London Tri in 2011, and remembers being so impressed by all those taking part, but also quite happy just to watch and cheer everyone from the sidelines. “I never believed it would be something I’d ever complete. Fast forward to August last year and I had just completed my first Olympic distance tri there. Tired, emotional but also elated – the journey there however was not so smooth.

“As my daughter grew up I managed to exercise more and started thinking maybe I could do compete in triathlon. I entered Mallorca as my first Olympic distance triathlon. A back injury had meant I virtually had to stop running but I decided to still try and, although terrified in the race briefing surrounded by an endless supply of ‘proper’ athletes, I couldn’t wait to be on the start line the next morning. I received a phone call shortly after the race – my Dad was dying and that night I flew home on my own to be with him. He had been suffering from a rare form of cancer which he had bravely battled for five years, and a few days later although he fought to the end, the battle ended and he passed away.

“It hit me hard and although I still kept training my heart was broken and even racing again seemed far from my thoughts. A month later though an email came through that changed all that. I had won an entry to the London Tri. It felt like fate and I decided I would race London for him. So 2014 and this time I was on the start line with my brother and daughter waving eagerly at me. The atmosphere was amazing and meant that time flew. It felt like I took my Dad round with me and the thought that he would be proud pushed me on when my body started to complain. I finished in 2:37hrs and beat my brothers time!” 

Finally, Paul Nash says he had some real lows and highs: “Last year was a frustrating race in many different ways. This was my last race before tackling Ironman Mallorca, as part of my charity challenge to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. Unfortunately I had my race bike, a Trek Speed Concept 7.5, stolen from hotel security on the morning of race. Arrived with no bike, and then was helped by wonderful people organising the event & Tri-UK who got me a bike. I swam strong, struggled on the bike as I’d only ridden it for two minutes before the race and only had two gears top and bottom (thank goodness the course is relatively flat!). I then ran brilliantly, imagined I was chasing the bike thieves, and SET A NEW PERSONAL BEST BY SEVEN MINUTES!”

You can enter this year’s London Triathlon here: www.thelondontriathlon.com.

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Did you race the London Triathlon last year? Let us know in the comments below!

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