Almost 820 athletes took to the course of Accenture World Triathlon Mixed Relay Nottingham for the second edition of the event. Ahead of the elite race, it was the amateur athletes who took centre stage on Victoria Embankment, Nottingham.
The event played host to the British Triathlon Sprint Championships, providing the country’s top age group triathletes with the opportunity to be crowned British Champion! A unique draft-legal race saw Welshman Liam Lloyd (25-29) take the tape in 00:47:05 as the first male finisher.
Nicola Timmins (35-39) was the fastest female finisher, crossing the line in a time of 00:55:05.
Before the elite race, it was the turn of TriStar 2 (11-12 years) and TriStar 3 (13-14 years) athletes to take to the course on Victoria Embankment. Future triathlon talent was on show as they took to the course and came down the blue carpet to cross the line. William Pridden (00:15:31) and Scarlett Williams (00:15:32) took victory in the TriStar 2 races, with Johnny James (00:20:26) and Sonja De Koning (00:21:34) winning the TriStar 3 events.
Double Olympic gold medallist Becky Adlington made her sprint distance debut, leading her own wave out onto the course in the Open Sprint. After her event, she said: “I loved racing around Nottingham, I come here all the time and the area still means a lot to me. It’s disappointing that we couldn’t race a triathlon, but it did mean that I was able to try out my weaker disciplines. I’m definitely keen to make the most of my training and find a triathlon to compete in this summer.”
Bring the curtain down on the event was the elite mixed relay. Triathlon quartets from 15 countries battled it out with Great Britain taking the tape after finishing in a time of 1:23:15. Leading from start to finish, Great Britain were roared around the course by the crowd in the P20 Grandstand and alongside the Victoria Embankment.
Sophie Coldwell said: “I just wanted to keep the lead safe before handing onto Alex. I knew that with him on the final leg, as long as I could get it to him, he’d be able to bring the win home. The crowd that came out was unreal. We weren’t sure if it would be quiet, but they were super loud come rain or shine this afternoon. The hometown brought it home for Notts.”
The action wasn’t just confined the course however, with the Event Village a buzz of excitement. Family activities and challenges, along with entertainment and interviews on the event stage meant it was a day to remember for participants and spectators alike.
Almost 50 novice triathletes took to the course at Accenture World Triathlon Mixed Relay Nottingham thanks to GO TRI, British Triathlon’s beginner programme. There were many first-timers who took part in their first GO TRI event including Julie Moran said: “I really enjoyed it. The crowds and volunteers really spurred me on, and the GO TRI team were so helpful. Getting on the bike was daunting as cycling is my weaker point but I made it to the end and am so happy to have completed the course. Today’s event has definitely encouraged me to sign up to other GO TRI and triathlon events.”
Andy Salmon, Chief Executive Officer of British Triathlon, said:
“Once again we’ve been able to bring the whole triathlon spectrum together. From first timers and children to elite triathlon quartets, Accenture World Triathlon Mixed Relay Nottingham had opportunities for everyone to get involved. It was fantastic to see such a dominant performance from the British team in front of a packed home crowd. My personal thanks go to the event team, our partners and volunteers for all their hard work in bringing the event to life; and congratulations to everyone who took part!”
Julian Skan, Accenture Senior Marketing Director, said:
“A huge congratulations to Team Great Britain and everyone who’s taken part today. With age group races this morning and the elites this afternoon, it’s been a great day at the Accenture World Triathlon Mixed Relay Nottingham. We’re proud to be able to play a role in the growth of mixed team relay triathlon in Britain, as well as supporting Age-Group triathletes.
Cllr Dave Trimble, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture at Nottingham City Council said: “That was amazing! Congratulations to the winners from Great Britain and a massive well done to all the competitors of today’s racing. It’s been an amazing day of competition. From first timers right through to the elites, we’ve seen some aspiring future talent and cheered on the seasoned age groupers – all on the same course at Victoria Embankment. Thank you to the fantastic crowds! It was great to see lots of people lining the course to support this wonderful event; and thank you so much to our events staff and partners for the work they’ve put in, ensuring world-class events of this stature are staged in our city.”
