Described by the organisers as “Organised Chaos”, the Saturday races consisted of four team members, each swimming 500m, cycling 15km and then finishing with a 5km run.  Each team member completes one leg, before handing over to the next member who then does the leg, resulting in a race of swim, swim, swim, swim, bike, bike, bike, bike, run, run, run, run.

 

 

The Westcroft Triathlon Club team of Sam Robinson, Rachel Coe-O'Brian and Emma-Lea Robinson

 

The race caters for all ages and three types of team; All male, all female and mixed (two men and two women). Having entered the mixed event our team from Westcroft Triathlon Club arrived at around midday for our afternoon session, with the male and the female teams racing in the morning.  It seemed like we were the last team to arrive, with the grass bank opposite transition swarming with bikes and people, so we were happy when we found a patch of shade on the bank to protect us from the scorching sun.

 

After a bit of confusion with the transition procedure, the race got under way and our first swimmer entered the water.  The cool water was a lovely relief after standing in our wetsuits and swim hats for so long!  Unfortunately for our first swimmer, she was surrounded by burly men who penned her in until the first buoy.

 

After the swim legs were completed, the fast (except for the headwind – which strangely occurred both on the out and the back of the route) and flat bike leg started.  With the lead team already well into the bike leg, the other teams were playing catch-up through the whole race. This resulted in some exciting racing between the lower placed teams who were either competing for fun, to be the best team in their club, or indeed to battle out for 2nd or 3rd position overall.

 

The run leg was again a fast route, with a couple of grass banks to contend with, just to add a bit of variety.  Having been competing all afternoon in the bright sun and with minimal food (to avoid the inevitable runner’s tummy), the run proved to be more of a challenge than first expected, and many finishers succumbed to heat stroke.

 

There was a great turn out from London teams competing in both the mixed event and the single sex (all male/all female) races, with teams from:

Ealing Triathletes – Mixed Race (2 teams)

Hillingdon Triathletes – Mixed Race (6 teams), Single Sex (4 teams)

Optima Racing Team – Mixed Race (2 team), Single Sex (3 teams)

Serpentine RC -Mixed Race (4 teams), Single Sex (2 teams)

Westcroft Triathlon Club – Mixed Race (1 team)

Windrush Tri Club – Mixed Race (2 teams), Single Sex (1 team)

Bragging rights for the London clubs went to the Optima Racing Team in the All Male Category (1st overall) and in the Mixed Category (5th Overall), holding off Westcroft Triathlon Club by all of 1 second after a sprint finish to the line.

 

Sam Robinson

 

Interview by Chris Holland, member of Westcroft Triathlon Club and part of the London Region media team.